Years ago, we wrote an article about how camera lenses are too sterile and that they all look good these days. That problem continues to persist — and it’s feeding into the genetic mindset that nourishes the idea that photographers are nothing else but content creators. It starts with the fact that all camera manufacturers more or less use the same ideals and at times, components to make their products. I mean, how many people can truly tell the difference between one American Bourbon vs another without being led through them? The same goes for wine. And the same goes for your expensive camera lens.
You, the photographer, are the chef. And you’re given these specific ingredients to make your photographs. Part of that is your expensive camera lens. They’ve all got different grades of the same features: weather resistance, autofocus performance, and image quality. But if you’re using the same high-end ingredients as everyone else, what’s differentiating you from every other photographer? That needs to be your creative vision.
But your expensive camera lens isn’t making that easier. Yes, creativity comes from the photographer. But the tools you use are very important to this process. That’s why I’m typing this article on a Mac instead of a PC. It’s also why I do yoga on a specific mat that cushions my joints more than others. These tools can just help you do things differently.
And unfortunately, there isn’t much variation in the expensive camera lens genre. They all try to give you their idea of clinically perfect image quality and put forth MTF charts and photoshopped images to show off an example of what it can do.
So here’s my point: the manufacturers should make camera lenses that lean into the idea of adding character back into an image that can give unpredictable results. And these lenses should be for people who truly want to be creative and not just capture moments. It sounds like I’m describing lenses from Leica or Lensbaby right now. But those lenses need to have all the other high-end features that photographers have demanded from cameras and lenses.
There’s a lot of variety in the camera market. But it’s all a variety of the same products, more or less. No one is making a bad camera or lens because they’re all making variants of the same product.
I want to reference something that I think is a bit of a golden age for camera lenses: the Contax G lineup. Personally, I’d never really used one of these before. But when Funleader sold the rehoused optics for Leica M mount, I was super intrigued. These lenses have character beyond belief that makes me constantly want to use them or nothing else. Whenever I shoot with my Contax 35mm f2, I see and discover different things that inspire me creatively. Why can’t more cameras and lenses do that these days?
Sometimes, it’s just about how the light comes into the lens. At other times, it’s how the lens reacts to light or colors at a different aperture. Plus, it’s how scenes are rendered at different distances. We need more lenses like this that work with modern cameras. What’s more, I think we need more programs to rehouse the optics of all these vintage lenses and recycle the glass instead of contributing to an e-waste problem across the planet.