Originally posted by zburatoru As I can see, 3d pop it's especially at higher aperture... But it happens at wide open or close with lenses "suffering" from field curvature and soft corners but having good micro contrast: Sigma 30mm f1.4 first version, the three amigos - fa limited, etc...
Frankly, I wouldn't over-think the field curvature. Composition is far more important, IMHO. If you compose your photo to give priority to the necessary elements, and use the aperture setting creatively, individual lens characteristics shouldn't matter too much.
I think there are many occasions where folks feel "3D pop" is the result of a specific lens, when in fact it's the way that lens was used, and the way the scene was composed, that created the effect. This is, by the way, a common area of confusion for folks trying to achieve (for example) "swirly bokeh" with certain known lenses. There's a significant element of correct application involved, not just the properties of the lens. So it is with "3D pop"