boomer826 Loc: Florida gulf coast

Why are these Cine lenses so much more expensive than regular camera lenses ?

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

My understanding of at least one of the reasons is they use t-stop instead of f-stop for aperture settings. A very much more refined measurement. The lenses are measured during manufacture to insure presicion of the amount of light they pass.

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

They do not have click stops for the aperture adjustment so they can change seamlessly and without noise.

BebuLamar

They also have to be true zoom that is no focus shift when you zoom.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

In the days of MF, most lenses were parfocal, but that requirement was largely dropped for "still" lenses, because AF had time to get focus right, and the parfocal requirement made lens design so much more difficult.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Because they're better.

https://fstoppers.com/originals/what-difference-between-cinema-and-still-lenses-167167
http://wolfcrow.com/blog/what-is-a-cine-lens-and-why-must-it-be-different-from-a-photo-lens/

Robert Bailey Loc: Canada

For those who may be wondering what a "parfocal" lens is, it is simply a zoom lens that doesn't shift the focus when you change the zoom. That used to apply to most early zoom lenses but is close to non-existent in modern zoom lenses.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

Beyond the technical differences noted by others above, remember too that the market for cine lenses is much smaller than it is for stills - there are probably 10 times or more as many still shooters using high end optics then there are videographers. That smaller market (i.e. - far fewer potential sales) translates into having to charge more for each unit.

boomer826 Loc: Florida gulf coast

Thanks to everyone who replied for taking the time to respond to my question.

boomer826 Loc: Florida gulf coast

Thanks jerryc41, very informative sights.

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

They are optically better. Fewer flaws, nearly zero distortion, very little focus breathing, and a par-focal design. They also are already fitted with "gears" to operate zoom, focus and aperture using electro-mechanical devices that can be remotely controlled and programmed. The aperture is clickless" to make adjustment easy and silent. The standard for light transmission is based on actual light transmission, not a ratio of aperture to focal length. F4 on one lens may transmit more or less light than another F4 lens. But a lens that is set to T4 will transmit the exact same amount of light that another lens set to T4.

About that notion that a par focal lens doesn't change focus when zooming - well that is an urban legend. Not only is it not possible to design a perfectly par focal lens, the degree to which a lens is par focal can vary from copy to copy even within a specific lens model.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2016/03/mythbusting-parfocal-photo-zooms/

These guys deal with a lot of lenses, and their advice has proven to be accurate and helpful time after time.

To manufacture a cine lens tends to involve more complex and better design, cutting edge manufacturing and QC, and they clearly cater to an industry that has seriously deep pockets. This is why they cost more - because, as Kevin Costner said in Field of Dreams - "if you build it, they will come."