Photo: 35mmc.com

What makes a lens ‘perfect?’ Is it a lack of distortion and aberrations? Is it measured by sharpness across the frame or the dreaminess of its bokeh balls? Are modern lenses, with all their technical achievements, really better than their film-era counterparts? And can a ‘flawed’ lens still be considered perfect?

Ultimately all lenses have some sorts of ‘characteristics’ based on their design. And how much you notice and appreciate these characteristics depends entirely on what you shoot and personal taste. To that regard, there is no perfect lens, or rather there is no universally-perfect lens. But there are perfect lenses for individual photographers, ones that allow you to work within a state of harmony.

35mmc’s Hamish Gill dives deep into the subject. Read on…

Read: Defining the ‘perfect’ lens

About Film Fridays: We recently launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we’ll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at 35mmc.