Which lens?

[PapaLou]

Let’s say I have both the 85mm 1.4 and 1.8 (or same with 50mm) and assuming the 1.4 is the better glass (Poor assumption?). My question is, if I’m shooting at f/8 does it matter which lens I’m using. To pin it down a little further, let’s say I’m doing portraits. In other words, do I go with the better glass or does it not make much of a difference since I don’t need the faster lens. Thoughts?

 

[Warren D]

The term better is subjective depending on your criteria. In the example you give, I doubt there is much difference between the two at f8. Better could mean sharper center, sharper corners, better bokeh, less diffraction, and many more factors. Photography is all about trade-offs. You usually have to decide which parameters are the most important and weigh the factors against one another.

 

[ccirelli]

To add to Warren's good comments, it really depends on which two lenses you're comparing (in addition to your personal must-have's list). 1.4 glass isn't necessarily better - it's just faster (but, it could be better too - and "better" is of course very subjective).

My quick & simple answer is - if you generally shoot around f/8, and you're comparing similar brand / quality lenses - don't waste your money on those extra f-stops if you're not going to use them. I have an 85 f/1.8 (Nikon Z) and I can't imagine I'll ever need to move to a 1.4 (and I shoot that lens wide open quite a bit). Hope this helps.

 

[Graham Clark]

Although most likely a marginal gain, the f/1.4 will put more light through to the PDAF sensors, helping with AF performance.

 

[PapaLou]

Thank you all - Graham, that was the kind of tech perspective I was looking for.