Photographers have become obsessed with speed. An f/2.8 lens is no longer considered particularly fast; f/1.8 is apparently the minimum, and f/1.4 is treated as though it is an essential requirement for producing anything remotely creative.
Then there are the f/1.2 and f/0.95 lenses, which promise extraordinary subject separation alongside equally extraordinary prices, sizes and weights. But how often do we genuinely need to shoot that wide open The uncomfortable answer is probably not very often.
