I think that fine lenses have been made for a long time. Physics hasn't changed. But you have to try a lens or lenses yourself to figure out what suits you.

I have a Nikon D810 and the 24-120 f/4 VR kit lens. If you buy one of these lenses new (USA model) it will set you back a grand. I don't use it much. I found out immediately that my much older 28-105 f3.5-4.5 D is a sharper lens. You can pick one up on eBay for just over $100. I'll submit one picture for your consideration. I'm not going to crop and hide the fact that it loses some sharpness at the edges, particularly on the right. It isn't perfect, but zoom in and look at the two ski lifts and trees in general. The focal length was set at 90mm. The exposure was 1/2000 at f/8 at ISO 400. The closest people in the picture may be slightly out of focus.