Legendary is the key word. Old and elite in their time may be another description.
Decades old technology is another description.
Unlike many of the current lenses, the older versions had to be stopped down a little to realize their sharpness.
Add to that the improvements in lens design hat have made improvements like IS and Optics but also Lens Coatings.
Overall you may not be satisfied with the lens, but as Joel mentioned for your work you may have a use for them and they may be great.
I would have to pick them up cheap to make either attractive, they are more a collector item to play with rather than a work tool from my point of view.

I would go for the 50mm as the one more elite.