I don't care a great deal since I'm shooting in aperture priority 99% of the time anyway, and usually stopped down. In cases where the smaller max. aperture at the long range of a zoom lens is the only (realistic) way of making that lens possible, like with the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 class, I'd very much prefer that to - say - straight f/5.6. Not just because I'd want to shoot at f/4.5 much, but because I hold an old belief that faster lenses are better for stopped down shooting too, since I'd rather stop down (the usual) 1-2 stops from f/4.5 than from f/5.6.
With today's uber slow lenses, variable aperture is an incentive too - I'd rather have fast (or at least not dog slow) apertures for some of the range than for none at all.
With today's uber slow lenses, variable aperture is an incentive too - I'd rather have fast (or at least not dog slow) apertures for some of the range than for none at all.