Will Modern Lenses Have an Increased Dependence on Lens Corrections?

I see a growing number of new lenses hitting the market that rely on lens correction. These lenses have some benefits, but are lens manufacturers taking shortcuts with these lens designs? Will we be seeing more and more lenses with this reliance on lens correction in the near future?

I remember the time when I used my old 15mm fisheye lens. The image was distorted, as one might expect of such a lens. Although it was a rectilinear lens, every vertical and horizontal line became increasingly distorted the farther it was from the center of the frame.

It was possible to correct this lens distortion with software, but at a cost. The image quality degraded at the edges due to the stretching of the image. The distortion of the 15mm fisheye lens was intentional, and I chose that lens for its unique characteristics.

Modern lenses have improved significantly since the release of that fisheye lens. The design of lenses has become increasingly complex to reduce distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. Although physics makes it impossible to achieve the perfect lens, lens technology has come a long way.

Perfect and Even More Perfect

The goal of many lens manufacturers is to produce more elaborate lens designs to achieve an image as close to perfect as possible. New lenses improve with each iteration, mostly in small increments.

We’ve seen innovations in lens coatings, nanotechnology, and floating lens designs, all aimed not only at achieving the best possible image but also at increasing resolution. If the second version of a lens is almost perfect, the third iteration will be even better.

Some may argue that these perfectly designed lenses and their near-perfect images are too clinical and lack personality. It’s perhaps for this reason that vintage lenses, with their unique characteristics, are growing in popularity despite their optical flaws.

Not Perfect, but Made Perfect by Software

Some time ago, I received a new lens for a review—the Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G—a small zoom lens with a slightly different zoom range compared to its peers. This made the lens unique in some ways.

However, I was surprised by the amount of distortion this lens showed at 20mm and f/4. As expected, it relied on in-camera lens correction software to produce a clean image.

More recently, I received the Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G and FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G for a review. I noticed a similar reliance on image correction. The images were only acceptable after applying lens correction, which removed distortion and vignetting, resulting in good-looking images. Lens correction is even baked into the raw files, making it difficult to remove these corrections if you wish to.

I noticed the same issue with the Canon RF 10-20mm f/4L. Without lens correction, the image at 10mm focal length was heavily distorted, and vignetting was extreme. Now, with the release of the RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM, RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM, and RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM lenses, the necessity of lens correction has become even more common. Without it, the distortion and vignetting are unacceptable.

When Lens Correction Is Not Desirable

Some might say there’s nothing wrong with this trend, and to some extent, I agree. For most situations, lens correction can produce the expected image quality, even if it’s achieved through software.

However, in specialized photography, this reliance on lens correction can become increasingly problematic, even rendering results unusable in some cases. This is especially noticeable in image stacking. Since each lens correction is unique, stacking can result in a significant amount of banding. I’ve seen this issue multiple times with Fujifilm, Sony, Nikon, and Canon lenses when stacking for star trails.

Although I haven’t tested it, I wouldn’t be surprised if this also occurs with focus stacking, especially if a large number of images are used. It would be an interesting experiment to conduct next time I review a lens that relies on image correction.

The reliance on lens correction has other side effects that can be undesirable. Removing vignetting increases noise levels, especially when a three or more stop correction is necessary and high ISO values are used.

Additionally, stretching an image to correct distortion can lead to a loss of detail. I’m aware that modern software can and likely will fill in missing pixels in a smart way, but this may still be noticeable under close examination.

The Benefits of Lenses That Depend on Lens Correction

I recognize the benefits of lenses that rely on lens correction. Since their designs can be simplified, these lenses are often smaller than similar lenses that produce a more accurate image. This can result in reduced weight as well, which is desirable for many photographers.

For instance, Canon’s VCM series—the RF 24mm f/1.4L VCM, RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM, and RF 50mm f/1.4L VCM—are compact and lightweight, making them ideal for a broad range of photographers. This also applies to Sony’s FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G and FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lenses, which are easy to carry on a trip.

However, these compact lenses aren’t for everyone. If you need to disable lens correction for your type of photography, the results may be disappointing. In that case, it’s best to choose a different lens.

What If?

Imagine if lens manufacturers decide to produce even more lenses that rely on lens correction software. These lenses may become increasingly popular due to their size, weight, and reduced cost, which is likely more financially appealing for manufacturers.

If this trend continues, new lenses that produce the best possible image quality without correction may become harder to find, if they’re even available at all. The difference in distortion between the old Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM and the new RF 35mm f/1.4L VCM is a good example. What if Canon decides to stick solely with the VCM series and its reliance on image correction?

I hope this doesn’t happen, and that lenses with the best possible image quality and minimal distortion continue to be released for years to come. I believe there’s a market for both, and I hope lens manufacturers won’t overlook that.

What do you think about the increase in new lenses that rely on in-camera image correction? Do you think it’s a growing problem or not? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.