"Fast Lenses"?

LittleMan · May 27, 2005

Ok, I know a lot about lenses and how they work... etc...

But I am just trying to figure out what they mean when someone says "I have one of the fastest lenses" or "This is a really fast lense"
do they mean the aperature opens very large? Are they talking about how fast it opens and closes(time wise)? Where are the specs for the Canon lenses if it is how fast they actually open so I can know which are the best lenses...

Thanks in advance!
Chris

Meysha · May 27, 2005

When someone says they have a fast lense it means that it has a large aperture. So you can take photos at a 'fast' speed and don't have to worry about blurring when you use it in dark lighting.

LittleMan · May 27, 2005

Meysha said:
When someone says they have a fast lense it means that it has a large aperture. So you can take photos at a 'fast' speed and don't have to worry about blurring when you use it in dark lighting.

Ok, so an aperature of 1.4 would be considered fast.... got it.
That's what I thought... but I wanted to make sure.

Digital Matt · May 27, 2005

1.4 ( and 1.8 ) would be considered very fast I think

2.8 is fast, for most lenses.

LittleMan · May 27, 2005

Digital Matt said:
1.4 (and 1.8) would be considered very fast I think 2.8 is fast, for most lenses.

oooo... 1.

huh? sounds sexy... :drool:

:heart:

Digital Matt · May 27, 2005

Hehe, I corrected that post 8)

LittleMan · May 27, 2005

Digital Matt said:
Hehe, I corrected that post 8)

Change it back!
I like it that way!

Btw... I just checked Adorama.... The Leica 50mm f/1-16 is $3,300.00 :meh:

thebeginning · May 27, 2005

yeah i was about to mention that, hah. quite expensive.

Skipster · May 28, 2005

Fast lenses are also know to drain wallets/purses fast.

Digital Matt · May 28, 2005

Skipster said:
Fast lenses are also know to drain wallets/purses fast.

True, but a 50mm f/1.8 is under $100.

LittleMan · May 28, 2005

Digital Matt said:
True, but a 50mm f/1.8 is under $100.

once I saw one of those go for $140 on ebay... used... :lmao:

Skipster · May 28, 2005

I paid $65US for a Minolta SRT-101 with a 55mm f/1.7 on it. There are deals out there. Most manual lenses are going cheap. Price an AF ED 300mm Nikkor f/2.8.

craig · May 28, 2005

"Fast" is one of those confusing terms that means you can really let a lot of light in when numbers go larger then 2.8. Depth of field at that point becomes a problem.

Fast lenses may be a dying breed. The problem is that it is really expensive to make glass that can produce a quality image when opened as large as 1.8 or bigger. The problem is that the demand for that kind of technology may not be there anymore. You can blame digi for that.

Ten bucks says that Leica still makes a 1.0. The incomparable Stanley Kubrick Comissioned a 0.2 (or something) for the film "Barry Lyndon". Check it out because a lot of the scenes are literally lit in candle light.