Why are fast lenses so expensive?

[Ant]

It seems fairly common sense...a 70-300mm f.5.6 is pretty cheap and a 70-300mm f2.8 is really expensive, but why?

What's so difficult about making the aperture open up a little more? :?

 

[Bob_McBob]

Faster lenses require more complicated designs, greater amounts of expensive optical quality glass, smaller manufacturing tolerances, sometimes exotic glass types, etc. It's not just a matter of saying "well let's make the hole bigger and charge them more" or anything like that.

Also, fast zoom lenses specifically tend to be built to a higher standard than a manufacturer's consumer line, because they're marketed to professionals who can pay more and want better build quality.

 

[Ant]

I guess that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Big Mike]

To make the aperture (hole) bigger. You have to make the barrel of the lens bigger. You need bigger pieces of glass etc.

The aperture of a 300mm lens at F2.8 would be 107mm...that's over 4 inches...just for the aperture. The barrel would have to be significantly bigger than that.

 

[Jamie R]

The only comment I'd add is that if you're after a wide sharp lens for shooting at night or pulling more shots in, you might try and get a 50mm or standard lens at f1.4 or f1.8. These aren't more than $100 usually and are sharper than any telezoom will be.

The alternative would be to try getting a Leica or Contax rangefinder clone - like a FED 2 body (Leica screw) or Contax IIIa or IV clone (like the Kiev 4). 'Jupiter' made Zeiss Sonnar clones and the 50mm f1.5 is reputedly sharper than a 50mm Summicron f2 lens, costing less than 1/10th of the price second-hand.

Of course there are those who will insist Russian cameras are awful yada yada yada. Some do, most don't. Quality control issues on vodka doing overtime probably.

 

[BernieSC]

More glass

 

[snapsnap1973]

So they can make more money!

They could be $10,000 a piece and some dumb people would buy em. Just like there a $6000 cameras. They're not really worth that price, but they put a high price cause they know people will pay for it.

That same $6000 camera could've gone for another few thousand and lots of people would've sheepishly shelled out the money cause, they're addicted to always getting "bigger and better" things.

Just like in my hobby, classical guitar, there are guitars that go for $10,000 dollars. That's a rip off, but people justify buying it, cause it's all a bunch of hype and bs. Just like George Carlin said.

 

[tirediron]

So they can make more money!

Just a point to note... this is a ten year old zombie thread...

 

[480sparky]

What's so difficult about making the aperture open up a little more? :?

Because you've got to have more glass for each incremental step in opening the aperture. That also makes the barrel larger. More glass, more material overall = more money to produce = higher price.

 

[Trever1t]

oh brother!

 

[Vtec44]

There are technical challenges at you have to deal with at wide open aperture, ie sharpness and chromatic aberration. That in turn will require more expensive manufacturing process and materials.

 

[Trever1t]

So they can make more money!

They could be $10,000 a piece and some dumb people would buy em. Just like there a $6000 cameras. They're not really worth that price, but they put a high price cause they know people will pay for it.

That same $6000 camera could've gone for another few thousand and lots of people would've sheepishly shelled out the money cause, they're addicted to always getting "bigger and better" things.

Just like in my hobby, classical guitar, there are guitars that go for $10,000 dollars. That's a rip off, but people justify buying it, cause it's all a bunch of hype and bs. Just like George Carlin said.

This from the same guy confused about the speed of light and the basic functions of a camera. Dude, you have no idea what you are saying.


AND THIS IS A 10 YEAR OLD THREAD. SPACE TIME WARP 420 OR WHAT?

 

[Vtec44]

Ah sh*t... I fell for the zombie thread...

 

[astroNikon]

oh Zombie,
thou 'hast cometh alive again !!

 

[snapsnap1973]

Yes, I agree they may be "more expensive to make" ..... a little more, but it's all bs. Just like with t.v's, first they market and sell lcd's to everyone, whilst all along behind the scenes the technology's already there for LED's, but they wait until you pay all the money for the LCD and then a few years later they sell you the "already outdated technology" called LED for more money and profit. They've already got new technology hidden away so that in a few years they can sell us something new and make even more money.

The same with Microsoft selling us some new sh*! window blinds every year or two, it's all a bunch of bs to make money and all the people fall for it every time.

I agree making certain cameras and lenses may take a little more money, although I think that's BS too because they get everything pretty cheap. Bottom line is they have to keep selling you new s*!t to stay in business, nothing wrong with that I guess, but you have to remember that and understand how marketing, advertising is all a load of crap for the most part.

Watch the drug commercials at night with all the happy, good looking people jumping around in summer fields or good looking older couples all excited about each other again all hyped up on some $500 pill that cost $2 to produce, it's all a bunch of crap and I'm not falling for it.

THe most important thing is they gotta make money to pay their big salaries and the big shot CEO's million dollar bonuses so they keep pumping out crap that they say will make you happy and work better, while all the while they know it's BS and the poor people at home are too dumb to realize it.

Realize that the advertising is all a bunch of BS to get your money, that's the bottom line truth. Nothing else matters.

Same thing with cameras and lenses. There's NO plastic and glass worth $7000 anywhere and it doesn't cost $1000 to make a $7000 camera, nor does it cost $500 to make a $4000 lens, it's all a lie to get your money.

Same thing with guitars (I'm also a classical guitarist for 20 years). Yes, there are some beautiful handmade luthier guitars out there, but for $8000 because some guy spent a month making a pretty piece of wood that may sound a little nicer? That's a bunch of BS.

Now, if stupid people are willing to pay $8000, then the guy should be entitled to it cause there's a demand, however if nobody payed him $8000 for that guitar he may have to settle for $3000 or go hungry.

The deciding factor is that there are suckers that will pay high prices, so in turn the price goes up.