Cameras are an integral part of today’s world. You need one to capture lovely moments of your life and to upload your latest shots on social media accounts. Either individual or professional, realistic image quality is what you desire.
And, your desired photo quality depends upon how the lens controls the exposure of light while shooting. Without a lens, all you get is white light. This is the simplest explanation of the utility of a camera lens which is the basic reason behind the high prices of camera lenses. However, there are some other causes as well:
Advanced Features
Advanced features make the camera lens more expensive. Among them are the IS or image stabilization which prevents shaking during shooting and a non-rotating front element which mainly supports landscape photography. Other handy feature of camera lenses is internal zoom, superior optics, autofocus, and manual focus settings.
Quality of Raw Materials/Manufacturing
The quality of a lens is based on the raw materials used in its making. Lenses with enhanced technology and features consume expensive raw materials which also adds to the overall price of a lens. These raw materials mainly consist of optical glass, coating materials for lenses, and the barrel which is the basic frame of a lens. Similarly, the manufacturing processes and labor costs further add up to the final invoice of lenses.
Especially, the making of glass elements requires industrial expertise. Optical Glass is obtained from the specialized vendors from which the glass element is cut. Its conversion into concave and convex, polishing, and finishing are done at the industrial level which is why the camera lens is so much more expensive today.
Branding/Advertising
It is the one major cause of the increasing prices of lenses. In today’s world of competition, branding has become the top requirement for the success of any product. Without it, even high-quality products are likely to suffer losses. For example, the advertising cost for Nikon and Canon stood at about $100 million in 2021 only. And, in the end, users have to pay for it.
Costs of Technological Research
Lens advancement is a continuous process. Companies do not take a rest after launching any of their latest lenses. They constantly remain engaged in the research of the latest aspects which would give you a more natural and heart-throbbing experience of photography. For this purpose, technological consultants keep working. This process never stops. Therefore, the prices paid to the research experts are also added up to the final invoice of a lens that you pay.
This is mainly the case with professional-grade lenses as compared to common-grade users which remain the same for long periods.
Reliability and Performance
Brands especially focus on the internal and external reliability of camera lenses. Rust-resistant material enhances the life of lenses which of course, has a high price. Such lenses perform extremely well in conditions of dust and moisture as they are made to shoot in tough situations. Initial models of lenses were not reliable in such conditions whereas the latest ones allow you to shoot in extreme weather conditions.
Design of Lens
Yes. The camera lenses have angles and design formats. Commonly known lens formats include fish eye, portrait and landscape, zooming, and wide-angle lens. The higher the complexity of the lens the more would be its cost.
Human Resource Deployment
Field experts proceed with the making of camera lenses and, amazingly, all of the components of a lens are composed by hand. A large workforce including engineers, researchers, and a sales team adds to the overall price of every camera lens.
Quality Assurance
Yes. This is the final stage before the lens is launched for sale. Every brand hires experts from different related fields such as manufacturing and photography, to test and give a final node. Any shortcomings are addressed and the lens gets a selling certificate. Well, the inspection doesn’t come free of cost.
Types of Cameras Lenses
| Focal Length | Name | Common Uses |
| 35-85mm | Prime/Standard | Portrait, Travel, Street |
| 18-270mm | Zoom | Outdoor events, Sports |
| 4-14mm | Fisheye, Ultra-Wide | Landscape, Creative, Abstract |
| 70-600mm | Telephoto | Portrait, Sports, Deep Space, Wildlife |
| 14-35mm | Wide Angle | Landscape, Environmental Portraits, Astro |
| 35-100mm | Macro | Close-Up Shots |
Types of Lenses
Following are the six main types of lenses along with their uses:
The Prime Lens
Also called the standard prime lens, basically facilitates to shoot of static objects. It gives the best photos in landscape and portrait mode on occasions like weddings and birthdays etc. However, as the prime lens comes with a predefined focal length, you cannot zoom while shooting.
Well. Don’t worry because this very limitation of the prime lens makes it the best in prime photography as it is constructed with a set specific element. And, you don’t have to change its length manually. The focal length of a prime lens comes between the range of 35mm to 85mm.
The Zoom Lens
As the name suggests, the zoom lens lets you shoot from far away scenes. Zoom lenses come with variable focal lengths ranging from 18mm to 270 mm. Among them, the focal length of 70mm to 200mm is a widely used one.
Mostly sports and outdoor events are photographed with a zoom lens. If you are a scenery lover and want to capture the background, then this lens is just for you. Its main shortcoming is that it carries more weight than the prime lens.
The Fisheye Lens
It is mostly preferred for commercial purposes such as the real estate market where a single photo requires to cover a lot of the development activities or piece of land. it is an ultra-wide-angle lens offering an enormous view.
It can be used in travel vlogs as well to showcase the vast natural beauty. And, if you are an adventure lover, the fisheye lens would suit you best. However, this lens can’t be used in common situations. Its focal length stands between 4mm to 14mm.
The Telephoto Lens (Short, Medium, and Super Telephoto)
This lens is a step ahead of the zoom lens in case your photography requirements ask for it. The telephoto lens is used for super close-up photos usually at wildlife and mega sports events. However, they are generally heavier, require a tripod for shooting stability, and are expensive. Usually, these lenses come with a range of 100mm to 600mm focal length commonly.
The telephoto lens is usually divided into three ranges; the short, medium, and super telephoto offering focal lengths ranges of 70-135mm, 135-200mm, and 200-600mm respectively.
The Wide Angle Lens
It is a combination of both prime and fisheye lenses and is a top option for landscape and night photography. Although, the wide-angle lens is lightweight yet it does not suit close-up shots, portraits, or the ones which require a bokeh (blurred) background. It commonly offers a focal length of 14mm to 35mm.
The Macro Lens
Remember those images showing a bee on a flower or a snowflake? Images with extreme close-up details? I’m sure you have seen such as I have. That shots are taken using the macro lens. It provides the best details of a focused object while maintaining image quality. That’s why it is quite expensive. Well, it deserves to be. However, most professional photoshoots use macro lenses and you don’t need them in daily life events. It usually comes with a range of 35mm to 100 mm.
Tilt-Shift Lens
This is a special lens that is mostly used in architectural photography. It can be adjusted to slide up and down the lens mount as well as tilt. These settings remove distortions during shooting buildings and objects with straight lines.
Final Thoughts
Camera lens-making has become a wide-ranging industry because individuals, other than professionals, love to own cameras. This is the major reason that camera lenses have become so much expensive.
Similarly, the raw materials, processing, research for enhanced lens quality, human resources, and marketing cost a lot to deliver you a perfect camera lens.
As these lenses come in different focal lengths, weights, quality, and prices, it’s not hard to find one per your budget. However, it is recommended to determine your purpose first, then chose the right lens. Good luck.