Shel wrote: So, might not mediocrity be a pretty specific condition, just as excellence might? Might it not be of benefit to the user to know the design parameters of a lens before purchasing, using, or passing judgement on its quality? Perhaps it would benefit the manufacturers to provide such information so the user can make a better informed decision wrt to purchase and use. It's rare (I think) that such information is available, or easily so.
REPLY: Optical design is about compromises. What you really want to know is what the lens is not so good at. However, it is not realistic that any manufacturers will advertise this as it is negative information not likely to increase sales. I have found that the most "evenly" compromised lenses are quality telephoto zoom lenses maybe because zomm lenses due to their versatility have typically multiple usages and therefore benefit from "evenly" distributed compromises. In any case, very few lenses are THAT compromised anyway so that that the user is left high and dry; at least if you avoid the ultra cheap ones. P�l
