imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Fast/accurate AF, stabilization. - Wider apertures allowing proper shutter speed with subject movement and .......shooting at lower ISO's. Judicious PP can help to bring out the best the lens has to offer. Using lower MP sensors will give the perception of a sharper lens.
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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Better? Usually.

Necessary? Relative...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

My thought is that when combined with a high quality FF camera that has a large sensor, the most expensive lenses will yield the highest number of tack sharp photos when printed to very large sizes on professional equipment and viewed from the proper distances. Oh yeh, and the photographer has to be a seasoned professional. 😉😉

Jim Bianco

I bought a promaster 28mms 2.8 manual lens for 7.00 bucks at a yard sale. The lens is like new Nikon mount, very small lens, 42mm filter size, this lens is sharp, I could not believe it, for 7.00 dollars how could I go wrong, that goes to show you that old glass produces very nice photos also.

davyboy Loc: Anoka Mn.

I wonder how many photographers think they shoot better images cause the price of the lens

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

All UHH photographers, if we could properly perform the survey.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Gene and Bob, both of them excellent professional shooters, have given us great explanations regarding your question on expensive vs cheaper lenses. Many of us will never be able to afford lenses like the Nikon 600 mm f4 or the Canon counterpart. The 150-600 Sigma and Tamron are more reasonably priced and both of them give excellent results from what I have seen.

The only professional lenses I own are the old 80-400 VR and the also old 105 mm f2.5 single coated that I bought in 1967 in Japan. Both have old technologies, especially the 105 but both are great optically.

Professional lenses, as I am sure you suspect, are better built, tend to be sharper, have better AF and better glass and coatings. I bought the original Nikon 70-300 VR, not a professional lens but I was pleasantly surprised with the results it offered me when I did my part. Today I use that lens more than I use the much heavier 80-400.

yorkiebyte Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR

Do you Post-Work your images? Or, just SOOC besides crop. You mention PhotoShop here, so just curious as most post work enhances most images (IMHO). (maybe someone has addressed this as I have not had time to read this whole thread....)
Nice shots, by the way!!

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Check out how lenses are rated by people like DXO and how they're rated by lens reviewers. The usual emphasis is on how sharp it is at various apertures and focal lengths. A good lens would be expected to be consistently good rather than having a very limited sweet spot. Where image quality is concerned, other factors are chromatic aberration (CA, or fringing), geometric distortion, vignetting and light transmission efficiency. Other physical properties like build quality and weatherproofing also affect the price of the lenses.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Thanks! New purchases are always a journey. . . hopefully, but not always with a happy ending!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Price does not always indicate image quality, AF performance or build quality. Often, as in the case of the uber expensive long primes from Nikon, Canon and Sony these days - production volume has a lot to do with price. If a mfgr designs and brings to market an 800mm F5.6, it is not likely that more than hundreds or maybe just a few thousand, will be sold. Compared to the really cheap consumer stuff where they sales figures are considerably higher, the price is extremely high. On the other hand, mfgrs are really good at making cheap plastic lenses that take exceptionally good pictures, often comparing well against pricier prime pro lenses. They won't last that ong, may go out of adjustment, and if they break or malfunction they are often not worth repairing. But consumer zooms are actually very good to excellent as far as optical quality is concerned.

The best approach is to dive into and rent/borrow/steal before purchasing anything. Well maybe just rent/borrow. As an alternate, read reliable reviews (not Ken Rockwell, Angry Photographer, Fro-Knows-Foto or Tony Northrup if you want fact-based accurate and unbiased reviews).

Nicholas J DeSciose

Lenses are like women you get what you pay for

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

My neighbor has one, so I need one too.