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Why so costly, why so heavy....
Oct 5, 2017 06:32:53   #
sb Loc: Florida's East Coast
 
I have seen several posts lately by folks wondering why cameras are so costly and lenses so heavy. I suggest two really interesting videos:

This one is by Canon which discusses the development and production of an EF lens. Pretty amazing.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkBOsTVfpdA&t=310s

This one, also by Canon, shows how they create and assemble a digital camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkv0Sc2MxP8

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Oct 5, 2017 06:34:48   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Thanks. We take all that work for granted and just expect perfect results when we push the button.

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Oct 5, 2017 06:57:10   #
mas24 Loc: Southern CA
 
sb wrote:
I have seen several posts lately by folks wondering why cameras are so costly and lenses so heavy. I suggest two really interesting videos:

This one is by Canon which discusses the development and production of an EF lens. Pretty amazing.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkBOsTVfpdA&t=310s

This one, also by Canon, shows how they create and assemble a digital camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkv0Sc2MxP8


Interesting videos. Both camera and lenses production. Canon marketing is #1, and they have an extensive lens collection. Their "L" Series lenses are among the very best. Many are indeed heavy.

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Oct 5, 2017 07:20:45   #
fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York
 
Great video...so much goes into making a lens that we never think about.

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Oct 5, 2017 07:21:20   #
cthahn
 
Very Interesting.

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Oct 5, 2017 09:16:21   #
markinvictoria Loc: Victoria TX
 
fourg1b2006 wrote:
Great video...so much goes into making a lens that we never think about.


I found that out a few years back. I bought a new Tamron 70-300 VC for a upcoming Alaska cruise...to test it out I took it out on a friends boat. Long story short...it went into the water. After finding it I pulled the battery and lens, dumped the sandy murky water out of it. I then let it dry in the hot Texas sun for a few days. Not expecting anything...I put the battery back into the Nikon D90...it powered up. Totally amazed I proceeded to clean the camera/lens with canned air, brushes, pec pads etc.. Attached the lens and everything seemed to work electronically and physically, but the photos were horrible due to all the lens glass scummed over.

After a few phone calls...found out no one would touch it...cheaper to buy new. With nothing to lose I decided to disassemble and attempt to clean the lens...about 50 screws later I knew the lens wasn't going back together again. That VC (vibration compensation) mechanism is amazing.

Learned two lessons that day...why lenses cost so much and buy insurance. The D90 still works today...internal focus motor won't lock focus...but works fine with the normal AFS lenses. I now use the D90 for my kayaking camera.

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Oct 6, 2017 06:56:46   #
Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA
 
Thanks for the Youtube. Mr. Yamanaki reminded me of some of my classmates in college in Japan. The engineers could speak for long periods of time without betraying any emotion even when you knew they were feeling enthusiastic about something. Even the other Japanese students would tease the engineers about this. Of course they teased us Americans even more. LOL

I love Japan and I became quite entranced by Japanese love poetry. This emotionless speech style is not general to Japanese culture (Though it is more reserved than we Americans.)

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Oct 6, 2017 09:01:32   #
camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.
 
Cost depends on quality and I think we all know that. Most lenses today have lots of plastics to try to make them lighter because that has been the new trend and has been well accepted by the public.
There must be a reason why mirrorless cameras and lenses are selling so well.

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Oct 6, 2017 14:42:19   #
barbie.lewis Loc: Livingston, Texas
 
Very impressive! Thanks for posting!

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Oct 6, 2017 20:22:43   #
Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.
 
Glass is very heavy. The more glass the better the lens. The glass in the Canon and Nikon lens come from the same place. The only reason that Canon has the slight edge over Nikon is the fact that their lens focus faster than Nikon. That is why you see all the sports photographers using Canons. If you don't need that split second time both cameras will meet all your needs. I shoot with Nikon and see no need to change.

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Oct 7, 2017 13:15:22   #
papa Loc: Rio Dell, CA
 
The way I prevent "accidents" like the one you related is I have the camera strap around my neck at all times, but then my last name is Einstein. I've found that what people call accidents are most often stupid mistakes, so pay an insurance company to make them smarter. Stupid twice to me.When I make a stupid mistake I own it to solve it, PERIOD.
markinvictoria wrote:
I found that out a few years back. I bought a new Tamron 70-300 VC for a upcoming Alaska cruise...to test it out I took it out on a friends boat. Long story short...it went into the water. After finding it I pulled the battery and lens, dumped the sandy murky water out of it. I then let it dry in the hot Texas sun for a few days. Not expecting anything...I put the battery back into the Nikon D90...it powered up. Totally amazed I proceeded to clean the camera/lens with canned air, brushes, pec pads etc.. Attached the lens and everything seemed to work electronically and physically, but the photos were horrible due to all the lens glass scummed over.

After a few phone calls...found out no one would touch it...cheaper to buy new. With nothing to lose I decided to disassemble and attempt to clean the lens...about 50 screws later I knew the lens wasn't going back together again. That VC (vibration compensation) mechanism is amazing.

Learned two lessons that day...why lenses cost so much and buy insurance. The D90 still works today...internal focus motor won't lock focus...but works fine with the normal AFS lenses. I now use the D90 for my kayaking camera.
I found that out a few years back. I bought a new ... (show quote)

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Oct 7, 2017 19:53:26   #
Wmetcalf Loc: Rogersville, Mo
 
Hal81 wrote:
Glass is very heavy. The more glass the better the lens. The glass in the Canon and Nikon lens come from the same place. The only reason that Canon has the slight edge over Nikon is the fact that their lens focus faster than Nikon. That is why you see all the sports photographers using Canons. If you don't need that split second time both cameras will meet all your needs. I shoot with Nikon and see no need to change.


Canon makes the glass in their lenses

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