Last week on The Digital Photography School House Andrew S Gibson
wrote an post called "Why Lens Quality Doesn't Matter." The premise of the post is that it doesn't matter what lens you use, because all the technical problems you can encounter can be corrected in post processing. This is an interesting topic, because in some ways the author is right, while in others not so much. First of all, yes you can correct most lens issues in post. Secondly, I also agree that the lens itself does not make a good photo. On the other hand there are some things that cannot be overcome in post.
Resolution is one of the key things that cannot be recovered in post processing. When correcting chromatic aberrations or distortions there will be a loss of resolution, there is no way around it. Secondly, higher end lenses offer more than better performance in terms of having fewer technical issues. Many higher end lenses often offer higher resolution in the first place. Thus any resolution lost in editing will still lead to higher detail than a cheap lens.
So what's the point? High end glass is a must to get the most out of your camera? That is true, from a technical standpoint. Is lower end glass always inferior? Technically, yes. What about in the real world? Anyone can take great photos with any lens or camera, period. Can you get better quality with higher end gear, you bet. In addition, the less time you spend fixing issues the more time you have to shoot or do other things you enjoy. In the end, what I primarily dislike about the post is the statement that lens quality doesn't matter, because it is a broad generalization without anything to back it up in real terms.
wrote an post called "Why Lens Quality Doesn't Matter." The premise of the post is that it doesn't matter what lens you use, because all the technical problems you can encounter can be corrected in post processing. This is an interesting topic, because in some ways the author is right, while in others not so much. First of all, yes you can correct most lens issues in post. Secondly, I also agree that the lens itself does not make a good photo. On the other hand there are some things that cannot be overcome in post.
Resolution is one of the key things that cannot be recovered in post processing. When correcting chromatic aberrations or distortions there will be a loss of resolution, there is no way around it. Secondly, higher end lenses offer more than better performance in terms of having fewer technical issues. Many higher end lenses often offer higher resolution in the first place. Thus any resolution lost in editing will still lead to higher detail than a cheap lens.
So what's the point? High end glass is a must to get the most out of your camera? That is true, from a technical standpoint. Is lower end glass always inferior? Technically, yes. What about in the real world? Anyone can take great photos with any lens or camera, period. Can you get better quality with higher end gear, you bet. In addition, the less time you spend fixing issues the more time you have to shoot or do other things you enjoy. In the end, what I primarily dislike about the post is the statement that lens quality doesn't matter, because it is a broad generalization without anything to back it up in real terms.
I would say that for most purposes that lens quality does matter. My first SLR 12 years ago had a kit 28-90mm lens that weighed about as much as my car keys. The image quality was not good at all. Even then I noticed it, and despite trying what I could to get my images sharp I was more often than not unsuccessful. I bought a 50mm f/1.4 and that changed everything - it was sharp! It hadn't been my fault much of the time. I have bought very good or pro level lenses ever since.
ReplyDeleteIf you are casually taking photos and shoot in JPG and occasionally look through them as vacation mementos then I'd agree, your lens probably doesn't have a huge impact on that. Otherwise, I think it can make a large difference. I wonder what audience that article is mostly targeted towards?
I suspect this article was aimed at people who own kit lenses or first time DSLR camera buyers. For first time buyers (Rebel or D3200) this article makes sense, the last thing you want to get caught up in when you are buying your first camera for hobby use is expensive lenses. Once you specialize getting higher end equipment becomes important.
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