"TP" wrote in message
...

But the fact remains that fixed focal length lenses have a better
optical performance than all but the best zoom lenses, and if you want
that optical performance, you either buy top quality pro zooms, use
fixed focal length lenses or accept the limitations of shooting with
consumer grade zooms at f/8 or f/11 and at those focal lengths where
distortion is less apparent.


Oh, sometimes there is a third alternative....If you watch the used market
and do a little research....I picked up a beautiful 75-150mm Nikkor "E" lens
for only $100, and it is beautifully sharp throughout its range, and seems
to have very little if any distortion. It's a little large by today's
standards, but it has come to be a lens that I use very often......