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Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous
Now granted the actual, measurable, sharpness of an image will depend on mathematically certain factors, but the 'impression the image gives the observer will remain subjective.
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Totally agree.. but I was talking about the lens quality and how to measure it and how to compare lenses objectively, not about the final product of interaction between lens and camera, photographer and an object.
The stars, being point -like sources of light are excellent test for the quality of the lens. If star image is perfectly sharp, so it will be ANY other terrestrial object.
The artistic impression the image gives to viewers is something very different... And it may be compromised only if lens is really lousy.. but even then, it can have that certain charm and be considered as good art..
But to achieve this, there is no real need to spend 2k$ or more.. or is there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous
Because a lens is perfectly corrected, doesn't mean it will take the most pleasing shot. Different lenses from different manufacturers all exhibit unquantifiable characteristics that make them more or less pleasing, like bite, colour and bokeh. This is particulary true of zoom lenses, which require a significant number of corrective elements in the light path
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I can not agree with this... Perfectly corrected lens WILL produce technically good shots, always.. and if you want "softer" image you can always blur it.. or you can place the white cloth or whatever in front of it to produce that "esoteric" atmosphere.. But you can not process the blurred image into a sharp one.
Unless it can be supported by measurable property (like MTF for example), there is no such thing as unquantifiable characteristics, outside the vocabulary of sales people.
If you were right then majority of photographers would prefer only one brand/type of lens. But they are not. And in almost all the cases they can not say why they prefer this and that lens (in terms of measurable property).
So, all this is just psychology, nothing else. Or fashion.