Jorgen Udvang
Subscriber Member
Advantages and disadvantages of large and small maximum apertures can be discussed till the moon turns into a blue cheese. There will always be different needs. I believe the main reason for large apertures on older cameras was the lack of high ISO film. Today, it has become part of the creative expression for many, like ultra wide angle lenses, macro lenses and other gear that make photos look differently from what the eye appears to see.
Personally, I find most f/1.4 lenses to be too large, and I rarely need or use lenses faster than f/2 or 1.8 on 35mm. Still, I wouldn't mind a 24mm f/1.4 for low light photography. But for a camera that boasts small size as one of its features, it becomes rather counterproductive. The OM Zuiko lenses didn't go larger than f/2.0 for anything but the 50/55mm lenses to maintain the compact size of the system, and even those 50mm lenses were launched relatively late if I remember correctly.
If I were Sony, I would have designed an extensive range of f/2.0 or f/1.8 primes for the A7 Series cameras, similarly to what Nikon has done for their FX DSLR cameras lately. They could even sell them as sets, like 20/28/50/85. Instead, they launch a mammoth 35mm f/1.4 that will probably only be bought by a limited number of enthusiasts.
Personally, I find most f/1.4 lenses to be too large, and I rarely need or use lenses faster than f/2 or 1.8 on 35mm. Still, I wouldn't mind a 24mm f/1.4 for low light photography. But for a camera that boasts small size as one of its features, it becomes rather counterproductive. The OM Zuiko lenses didn't go larger than f/2.0 for anything but the 50/55mm lenses to maintain the compact size of the system, and even those 50mm lenses were launched relatively late if I remember correctly.
If I were Sony, I would have designed an extensive range of f/2.0 or f/1.8 primes for the A7 Series cameras, similarly to what Nikon has done for their FX DSLR cameras lately. They could even sell them as sets, like 20/28/50/85. Instead, they launch a mammoth 35mm f/1.4 that will probably only be bought by a limited number of enthusiasts.