The Ongoing Obsession with Lens Sharpness

From the beginning of photographic time, enthusiasts have been obsessed with lens sharpness. And this quest has caused many to bypass optics with great character and creative potential.

I have my own history with scrutinizing lab tests. As a kid, I was hooked on photography magazines. I would go to the newsstand and peruse the latest copies of Modern Photography, Shutterbug, and Popular Photography. Most months I could only afford one, and the winner was determined by the gear it reviewed.

New cameras were fun to read about, but the real juice was found in the detailed lens reviews. I studied the text and charts to determine how sharp the optic was wide open, its ideal aperture setting, and its ranking among the competition. Yes, there were also references to mechanical design and color rendition. Those didn’t interest me as much.

Today, my priorities have changed.

I didn’t start to question the sharpness litmus test until the digital age. Objectively, all modern lenses are magnificent. You can cage-match a $2,000 Zeiss optic against a $200 no-name and get good results from each. Their renderings may be different, but the pictures are still beautiful.

In terms of experimenting with different optics, mirrorless cameras led the parade down a new path. They made it easy to…