Professional photographers know they can easily outspend their cost of a professional DSLR body by acquiring a range of desired camera lenses, each geared toward shooting under specific conditions. But why are camera lenses so darned expensive in the first place?
Well, to begin with, it is the cost of the raw materials themselves, particularly the cost of the optic glass, which can cost up to $1000 per kilogram in raw form. In addition, the process of making a modern camera lens is both complex and labor-intensive. As the YouTube video from the Discovery Channel below demonstrates, it can take up to six weeks from start-to-finish — with a lot of individual attention along the way — to manufacture just one JML Optical lens.
If, after watching this video, you’re interested in learning even more about how lenses are made, I recommend this (virtual) trip to the Virtual Lens Plant on Canon.com. Here, you’ll learn about how the raw materials for lenses are processed and how lenses are made and assembled at Canon.
Tags: Camera, Cameras, Canon, DSLR, Lens, Lenses, Photography, YouTube
