There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
EDIT: One more note since I mentioned focus... the 1.8 also has horrible creep when it comes to the focus mechanism.
So yes, the 1.8 is cheap, it’s a great lens to start with and it’s nice having something to toss around without worrying about it. But it’s not the end of the road by any stretch of the imagination. IMO the 1.4 is the better bargain before jumping to the 1.2.
Lots of folks out there take amazing shots with older gear, because they're skilled in the art and science, and know their equipment inside and out. There are lots of ways to be creative with budget in this hobby as well. My most expensive lens used to run $1200 when it was current, but I bought it gently used from a close friend for $550, for instance, and it's today trivial to rent lenses for specific occasions that are are out of our budgets to purchase.
EDIT: I'm comparing to the 1.8 II... this may not apply to the STM. I keep forgetting that exists, haha. So ignore probably everything I've said.
As an aside, mirrorless is actually my biggest temptation as of late. I typically carry two cameras when hiking (I still have my first Rebel but converted for IR) and the idea of having a smaller body is super tempting. What holds me back most is my investment I've put into Canon lenses and Canon's lack of a competitive mirrorless camera! They make adapters, but I've heard auto focus is hit and miss in those instances. So we'll see /soapbox