When it comes to zoom lenses, the professional standard is f/2.8, which provides a wide aperture suitable for isolating subjects and working in low light. However, many f/2.8 zoom lenses also have f/4 variants, which are both cheaper and much more portable. This great video essay discusses why you might want to consider f/4 options for your camera bag.
Coming to you from Park Camera, this interesting video discusses the benefits of an f/4 lens. The f/4 lenses are often overlooked because they are considered too slow, and in a decade or two it may be more important to stop adding apertures, autofocus and high ISO capabilities of many bodies. Modern cameras have made it easier to work with narrower apertures. And f/4 lenses often offer some significant advantages over their f/2.8 lenses. For example, there is a new one FE 20-70mm f/4 WOOD Lens from Sony. At $1,098, it’s less than half the price of FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GMII, is about 30% lighter and provides an extra 4mm of reach at the wide end. If you don’t need the benefits of f/2.8, consider saving some money and weight by going with f/4. Check out the video above for the full recap.
