Optics aren’t designed by a computer. The drudgery of ray trace calculations is performed on a computer, but there is definitely a person designing those optics.
The difference between optics designed today and optics designed in the 1980s is
- Different selection of glasstypes (significant in some applications)
- Reduced cost of aspheric fabrication (and lens fabrication in general)
- Better design for tolerances capability
- Improved design, machining and specifying of mechanical components.
The rest of the improvements is increased processor speed allowing the designer to more efficiently explore the design space and find improvements within the design project’s schedule and budget.
Bernice, lenses haven’t gotten sharper. Ref. The f.64 club. They have simply been designed for the modern imager. A print from a stopped-down Tessar on a large format camera is just as sharp (if not more so) as that formed from a modern lens and an APS sensor. If you want a softer look you use a different lens. Modern photography is no different.
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