And fortunately, it's not particularly difficult to make them sharper.
Lens design is a series of compromises between the laws of optics and
available materials and manufacturing techniques (further mediated by
cost). A 100mm lens for 6x9 has to cover an image circle of 108mm with
good resolution, contrast, aberration control and minimal vignetting.
Tell the lens designers they now only have to reach those criteria over
a 43mm image circle and the whole mix of compromises changes
drastically. Better resolution with equal or better other
characteristics is a natural result of the changed design problem, not
harder work or better skills. And on the cost front, smaller format
lenses don't need as large elements behind the front and so can, all
other things being equal, be smaller, lighter and cheaper.
Moose
Brian Swale wrote:
And, while I am on this topic, 35mm lenses NEED to be sharper if they are
to compete in the sharpness stakes with medium format.
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