Wayne Harridge wrote:
>> All Zuiko lenses contain a built-in CPU that actively communicates with the
>> camera to correct any potential shading and distortion problems. And it is
>> user upgradeable. Something impossible with film lenses."
> ..and something that is unnecessary with well designed lenses !
>
I'm not sure I completely agree.With the standalone lens of the old
days, sure. There is no way of know what kind of body a press/view
camera lens is going to be mounted on, or an Adaptall. The lenses were
entirely mechanical and the optical design had to stand on its own.
given that the bodies were largely mechanical and had no lecroinc means
of communication with the lenses, this was true of all MF lenses.
In a contemporary system like 4/3, with programmability of both body and
lens and a defined electronic interface for communication between them,
the number of variables available to the designer become greater.
The designer might, for example be able to more completely control CA,
or perhaps linear distortion, in a WA lens because vignetting could be
allowed to get worse than would be acceptable in a stand alone lens,
knowing that vignetting may be corrected electronically in the camera
body without any artifacts. Vignetting is a natural first choice
trade-off, as it only involves adjusting brightness of pixels, without
any of the movement and interpolation of pixels required by distortion
correction.
If a combined approach of optical design and electronic "correction"
results in equal performance with less cost in size, weight and price,
I'd call that progress. Based on their price, size, weight and reported
performance, it appears that this approach may be paying off with the
latest kit lenses offered with the E-410/510. User reports and reviews
seem to indicate that they are better performers than anyone else's kit
lenses, yet they are smaller and cheaper than, and reportedly
outperform, the previous kit set.
Likewise if combined design results in a lens/body combination with
superior performance to a similar, stand alone, lens design, I'll call
that progress, too. I don't know if that has happened yet, but I'm sure
it will. Whether by Oly or not, who knows?
Moose
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