No, exactly the other way round, just pointing out even "outdated" (hence the quotes) lenses which probably many people would look at with "disdain" now, are regarded perfectly fit for some pretty advanced science.
Those "outdated" lenses still work fine for normal usage, too.
Just bought a EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 for under $70 and replaced my too big and too heavy 24-105mm L. Also bought an old EF 100-300mm zoom for about the same price. The IQ is really good for non-pixel peepers. Both lenses have lens correction profiles, so they work very well on my 6D. Sold the "L" on Ebay. So now I have two lenses (I used to have only the one) and made over a couple hundred bucks as well. For those with limited funds, looking into the older mid-quality lenses may be a good idea.