P3D Re: brand new lenses

[fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Dr. George A. Themelis)]

Tom wonders:

>I'm wondering why more people don't just replace the lenses in their
>cameras with brand new ones.  Couldn't an approximate match be found in
>(gasp) Edmund or somewhere?  Is it a problem of matching the optics
>exactly, or are modern lenses just not as good as the old ones.

Some people have replaced lenses in stereo cameras.  One name that 
comes in mind is John Slivon when he converted his Realist 3.5 to 7p.
He replaced the lenses for better coverage/sharpness.  Others have
concentrated on macro cameras.  I know a fellow in UK who has built
a macro camera using a pair of simple (!) lenses.  Results at the
very small apertures he is using are amazing.  In general, replacing
the lenses of existing stereo cameras is too complicated and the 
benefits are just slim.  The quality of those lenses is surprisingly
good.  It has made me critical when trying to buy a P&S (I kept 
returning one after the other because they did not match the quality
I am getting from a Realist).  A local medium format professional
(wedding) photographer was just amazed by the sharpness of wedding
Realist slides... That says a lot...

-- George Themelis


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