The Gearhead Diaries Part 3 – The Need For Speed & Bokeh

What tastes good is not necessarily good for you.

Same way what looks great and feels great to own may not be good for you.

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

And finally, in photographic terms, how much bokeh is ‘enough bokeh’?

I think these are the classic questions that arise from a perspective of a camera gearhead. I am without a doubt one of these people.

Alright, here’s a bit of technical hulabaloo which I’ll need to explain. ‘Bokeh’ refers to that blur you see in images coming from the more expensive cameras, particularly DSLRs in most contexts. So as you can see in these two images, there’s a lot of that blur. And believe it or not, gearheads (sometimes photographers, not always), pay a LOT for more BLUR and yet at the same time they want SHARPER.

Make any sense?

You pay MORE, sometimes a LOT MORE than the price of your camera to get this BLUR. So you ask “I thought people want sharp photos?” Well, strange question that. As human beings we’re drawn to this blur or bokeh, and it’s this bokeh that the normal layperson on the street sees in a wedding photography shop or photographer’s portfolio and goes… “Wah, so professional…”

Anyway I digress.

So where am I going with this ramble…

Ah yes, here’s a little fact for the non camera enthusiasts. Blur costs money, most of the time, more money than sharp. How much more?

My equation is simple:
Prime lens (ie. those that cannot zoom) = f/1.8 or lower f/number
Zoom lens (ie. those that CAN zoom) = f/5.6 or lower f/number

Imagine those to be speed limits on an Australian road. Now the faster you go (ie. the LOWER the f/number), the higher the fine you pay. Now here’s the wonderful thing about photography equipment: To get gear that has a lower f/number, be ready to pay a penalty of a minimum of double the price of the one with the ’speed limit’.

What’s the difference? Well lots if you’re a gearhead. Less if you’re a professional photographer. Even less if you love photography for photography itself.

Photography enthusiasts (particularly gearheads) will be able to wax lyrical and tell you the benefits of them. The problem is, just like us flirting with the speed limit, how FAST do you go (ie. how much do you PAY) till it hits you, and your inner conscience screams “Oi, are you freaking mad?”

Oh but speed is intoxicating, so is this thing we call bokeh, and thus we fall into this never-ending deathtrap.

Here’s my confession: I love fast cars, same way I love fast lenses… so OUCH!

The Gearhead Diaries

Part 1 – The Warning Signs
Part 2 – The Photographic Equation
Part 3 – The Need For Speed & Bokeh
Part 4 – To Be Continued