Plastic vs glass lenses: How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses obviously they are lower cost.

bodiebill

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

"Plastic" lenses have glass elements. The body of the lens is made of plastic instead of metal.
It would probably be possible to make a lens with plastic elements but I would not expect any sort of image quality.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

So-called “plastic” lenses are used in high-quality prescription eyewear all the time these days. Very high end glass lenses à la Leica and Hassleblad may arguably be better, but the polymer variety are far from being poor quality.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

bodiebill wrote:

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

I think you are misinformed. The lenses themselves are glass. The body of the lenses might be made out of either metal or plastic. Only very cheap or toy cameras like the Diana or Holga have plastic lenses.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

bodiebill wrote:

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

Plastic lens elements are standard in all lens manufacturers "kit" crop sensor lenses. Typically only the front object lens is glass because its the only one exposed to the elements. Yet there are some that are 100% plastic.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Now that I think of it, my glasses are plastic.

So I get brain farts like everyone else.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

DirtFarmer wrote:

"Plastic" lenses have glass elements. The body of the lens is made of plastic instead of metal.
It would probably be possible to make a lens with plastic elements but I would not expect any sort of image quality.

Absolutely incorrect. See my reply above.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

JohnSwanda wrote:

I think you are misinformed. The lenses themselves are glass. The body of the lenses might be made out of either metal or plastic. Only very cheap or toy cameras like the Diana or Holga have plastic lenses.

Again, absolutely incorrect. I even have some lenses in my store that I have cut in half to demonstrate those plastic elements. Most notably the 18-55 and 55-250 Canon kit lenses.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

bodiebill wrote:

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

I look at the world through my plastic lens eyeglasses - it looks pretty good to me.

I think if an mfgr uses plastic elements it would be fine, but if they use plastic on the front or rear elements - the ones you clean - they will get scratched. I don't think any reputable lens mfgr does that, btw.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

What you call glass is an amorphous solid, a solid that lacks an ordered internal structure, thus glass is a plastic. Bending the light and not having fringing, chromatic aberrations, is a game of refractive index combinations.

https://www.ck12.org/chemistry/amorphous-solid/lesson/Amorphous-Solid-CHEM/

CO

A lot of kit lenses have hybrid aspherical lens elements. They cement a piece of plastic to a spherical glass lens element to achieve the aspherical shape. I didn't know that other lens elements are plastic as MT Shooter described.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bodiebill wrote:

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

It's more lens vs lens that plastic vs glass. If there is a focal length you want to buy, see what's available and then read reviews and comparisons.

http://lensvslens.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/lenses
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx
http://www.diyphotography.net/this-website-helps-you-choose-your-next-lens-based-on-the-photos-you-like/
https://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://lenshero.com/lens-comparison
http://www.lenstip.com/lenses.html
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare
http://www.lenscore.org/

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The folks from whom I purchase my eyeglasses told me that no matter who makes lenses glass is always superior to plastic.
--Bob

bodiebill wrote:

How do the modern "plastic" lenses compare in quality and optical performance with "glass" lenses
obviously they are lower cost.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

JohnSwanda wrote:

I think you are misinformed. The lenses themselves are glass. The body of the lenses might be made out of either metal or plastic. Only very cheap or toy cameras like the Diana or Holga have plastic lenses.

Actually, there are plastic body lenses with glass for the optical lens, lenses with plastic bodies and plastic lenses, metal bodied lenses with plastic for the optical glass, and metal lenses with glass optics. Typically, the metal bodies with glass tend to be better but you will find some that are cheaply made. Metal bodies with plastic lenses are getting better but the best are still not as good as the better and best metal/glass lenses but they are better than the "cheaply made" versions of metal/glass. My wife has an "entry level" lens that she got with her D70s that is a plastic body with glass lenses... it is a basic lens (it came with the camera when it was purchased new in Sept. of 2006 and only got used in a pinch. Both the camera and lens are scrap.) The "all plastic" lenses are MAINLY entry level lenses and are generally not as good.
Nikon has their better and best lenses as metal/glass.. their good lenses as metal with plastic and their low end as all plastic.. and the prices reflect this.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

MT Shooter wrote:

Plastic lens elements are standard in all lens manufacturers "kit" crop sensor lenses. Typically only the front object lens is glass because its the only one exposed to the elements. Yet there are some that are 100% plastic.

Interesting! Good to know. Helps explain the light weight and light price of some of those lenses. Just the same, some of them produce excellent images. My 18-55 and 55-250 from when I had a T3i produced some fine shots. Never would have guessed they had plastic elements.