Years ago when I started this website, the photo industry had a need for clinically clean lenses. Camera manufacturers leaned into it harder and harder. Sometimes, they’ve even made up their own problems. For example, when did anyone ever have an issue with onion bokeh? Since the beginning of image creation, no one ever hated how the bokeh looked. But then camera manufacturers had to go create a new way of polishing lenses to prevent it. And at the end of it all, I believe they’re going to drive themselves into the ground.

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Someone is going to read this and say the staff and I are crazy. But think about this:

These are some important questions I believe the photo industry needs to ask itself.

Whenever I’ve asked old-school photographers about this, they can’t provide good answers. I’ve asked the same of marketing reps and engineers. They’ll all tell me to add an uncoated UV filter with smears. But why do that if those smears and artifacts can be easily removed in post-production? Adding them back in is a bit harder to do. However, post-production has gotten to a point where it can make your image as much of a clean slate as possible. 

And if we’re doing three minutes of shooting and twenty-one minutes of editing, are we truly photographers anymore? Most of our magic will happen in the post-production phase. There’s far too much of that. There’s nothing wrong with creating a look, but why can’t we have that look in-camera?

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He also likes pizza.