Golden Rule Loc: Washington State

Do you think that Adobe CC's smart sharpen tool will not only save camera shake blur but could possibly sharpen photos enough so we will not need to spend $$$s on those really nice lenses? BTW I see Nikon has started the rebates on lenses so I'm going shopping!

Tjohn Loc: Inverness, FL formerly Arivaca, AZ

No and no.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

That would be nice, but there is no substitute for good glass!

The software tools can help a lot, but not do miracles.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Agreed. ;)

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Out of focus is out of focus. That's what the Delete key is for.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

If the software can improve an image i am all for it.

My pet peeve is all this new glass nikon and canon come up with which is supposed to so wonderful.
Turns out it has so much inherant distortion that the image is worthless unless correction is supplied by either in camera or post camera PP.
What happened to the days when good glass really was good glass?

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Agree - perhaps in the digital age, less is spent on getting it right going into the camera than on fixing it outside the camera.

And there is no way I would be without Lightroom-Photoshop and all the various software tools I have now regardless of how good straight out of or into the camera gets. ;)

skidooman Loc: Minnesota

Yep, agreed. Although Topaz has recently launched InFocus for the people who think good enough is "could be even more good enough".

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Glass is better than it's ever been. Modern computer design, materials and high precision manufacturing are producing the best lenses ever made. Today's best zooms are equal to or better than primes of yesteryear. Today's primes are more capable than anything we've ever seen before.

The problem is three-fold:

Lens design is really pushing the envelope of what's possible. Before crop sensor DSLRs, few tried to make a wide angle rectilinear prime or zoom any wider than 16 or 17mm. A few primes went as wide as 15 or 14mm. Now we have extreme zooms as wide as 8 or 10mm. There's bound to be more distortion inherent in those. The laws of optics are pretty rigid.

But we are also being far more critical than ever before. We used to look at 8x10 and 11x14 prints made from our negs, or view slides on a screen from 10 feet or more distance. Now we zoom into our digital files at 200% magnification on our computer screens to make judgments about the lens and camera, which is equivalent of more than 26X enlargement from the original file and like looking at a 10 foot wide (or tall) print from 18" away!

Finally, ratcheting up resolution in digital cameras is reaching the point where the camera can out-resolve some lenses. This ain't gonna go away, either. Nikon 36MP and Canon 50MP cameras are really challenging lens' capabilities.

Unfortunately, there is no easy or cheap solution. You can get the best out of a lens by using it at it's most ideal aperture, forgoing any filters, using a well-matched lens hood, and even shooting from the lens' optimal designed working distances. You can further optimize your digital images with various techniques, including several methods of sharpening. But that's definitely no substitute for quality lenses used well.

But the best lenses optically are just not cheap to make and will always be among the most expensive. Watch the videos at http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/tech/l_plant/ for example. It's pretty amazing what goes into building a high quality lens! I was surprised all that goes into making even a single lens element (in this case, for use in a lens that has 16 elements in 12 groups).

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

i admit only a handful of the older glass was really great and i know some of the modern lenses with the help of a little software are yielding the best quality ever.

I just wish there was a little tag on the new lenses saying:
"Images taken with this lens must be modified with software before viewing."
Just a litle bit of honesty would be nice.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Why?
You know that your camera and lens default software comes with automatic perspective correction tools so it is a given that they are already saying that.
You know that raw photos taken straight from a digital camera benefit from sharpening and contrast adjustment in post work.

They are totally honest about it.
They, and us, have been telling you this for years.
But still people argue about it and ignore the facts, and use it to try to pretend that this is some deficiency in camera, or lens, or photographer.

You can either choose to listen, or you can keep your head stuck in the sand.
You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.
It never ceases to amaze me how many thirsty horses there are on this site, standing in front of a full water trough, decrying the lack of water.

You can either bitch about certain components in a system, or you can learn how to use them.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

these are not issues we as consumers should accept gracefully because we are informed up front.

They are issues the manufacters should be forced by market pressure to correct.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

I disagree.
You are unrealistic.

Dana C Loc: Buhl, Idaho

Market pressure is one thing the limits of technology are another. Most lenses, especially new ones that are professional grade are far out of the reach of most amateur photographers. If asked, including me, if they want to spend $1,500 for a 24-70 and still have to tinker with it a little or spend $600 and tinker with it a little more in PS most will go for the tinker a little more option.

The second thing, which I have said before, a great photographer with a middle of the road lens will always take better pictures than an amateur like myself using a professional lens.

Instead of worrying about market pressure, many would be well served to realize that new camera, new lens releases do not deliver substantial upgrades, improvements to make them worth spending any money to acquire. The term GAS is aptly used to describe what many display here, wanting the new thing just because it is new and cool and brings with it certain bragging rights.

Give me my 80-200 2.8, my 50 1.8, my 85 1.5 and my walking around 10-140. Yes, I would love to have a zoom in the 20-85 range but what I have plus LR and PS will work for a long time.

IShootEverything Loc: TN

:thumbup: