Originally Posted by SilentKnight

The difference between what a lens can do "on paper" and how it actually performs isn't the litmus test for how much revenue it will result in.

By your logic - indirectly you're saying if you have a greater wide angle capability with less barrel distortion in one lens compared to another - your income would be greater.

This is putting too much credit on the technical hardware aspect as opposed to the skill and experience of the photographer.

You learn to work within the parameters of any piece of camera gear and maximize its capabilities through experience. Over the years I've seen talented photographers turn out amazing images with what would be considered mediocre cameras.

For the record, I'm currently shootin' with an AF-S 18-200mm DX VR nikkor on my D80. Its replaced the 18-70mm and 55-200mm nikkor I started with - simply because I grew tired of swappin' out lenses and risking dust/dirt on the sensor array each time.