f3nikon
Guest
RonFrank:This is not true, and has not been true for a LONG time.
If you want evidence other than results from lenses like the Nikon 80~200mm F2.8 from decades of use by professionals just take a look at the MTF ratings on Photodo.
www.photodo.com
Several zooms like the Nikon 80~200f2.8 outperform many fixed focal length lenses in the Nikon lineup. It rates 4.1, but anything really above 3.5 is outstanding. The nikon 20mm f2.8 for example rates out at 3.5.
"More elements - more flare and distortion
Ffl lenses normally have quite fewer elements and, due to this, have much less flare and are easier to correct for distortion. Zoom lenses, on the other hand, have more than a dozen elements and, of course, are much more prone to flare and ghosting. Also, distortion is more difficult to correct as zoom lens designs require a shifting position for the diaphragm. In fact, these two problems, which might be insignificant in certain types of photography, present bigger problems in zoom lenses than even sharpness - in expensive designs a high degree of sharpness is achievable but flare and distortion are more difficult to control. For example, even the pro-level AF Zoom-Nikkor ED 80-200mm f/2.8D exhibits very strong pincushion distortion at 200mm."
And this Photographer uses zoom lenses