I’ve owned my share of f/1.4 and faster lenses. Once you get past the pride of ownership: “Wow – I’ve got the BEST!”, it slowly dawns that this is a big, heavy pig. Should you really need an extra full stop of light gathering, all is well – but, if like most of us in this digital era, where sensors look good well past ASA 2500 – those light, compact f/1.8 and f/2.0 alternatives beckon. They are SO MUCH sweeter to carry and handle.
Having settled on the Canon DSLR system, I will keep my 35mm f/1.4 “L” – just because I own it (and it really is a fabulous lens) – but a 28mm f/1.8 is much more likely to be mounted on the camera. Hell, in daylight, I often use a little 8 oz 35-70 f/3.5 -4.5 zoom. It’s a rare thing when your lens makes the shot – most of the time, just being able to move fast enough to capture it will suffice.
I still treasure pictures taken in my youth with a front element, scale focusing 45mm Color-Agnar. Technical details don’t matter – it is the subjects that capture, and transport me.