Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yes, the most basic parameter a lens designer gets for a new product is price. Then size. Everything else can come later. But you'd be surprised about what is inside high end modern optics. The inside of the 24 Summilux - I use it as an example because I saw one opened up at Christmas time - for instance, is as much plastic and glue as brass or aluminium. Seems to work fine, but my father, who worked on Leitz and Leica instruments from 1950 until he retired in 1990 was not amused. Marty On Tue, Jun 14, 2011 at 5:05 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote: > When it comes to a things like a lens also beside tolerances and the fact > that it is made in much smaller amounts to the tune of few decimal points > by > a small group of dedicated people instead of a large factory is also the > fact of the glass choices themselves. For each element as part of the > design > and manufacturing the glass type chosen is at a level that mass market > stuff, Cosina for instance is just not going to begin to consider. Reason? > The price point they have in mind to sell the lens at. It just wouldn't > bear > glass going into it at that cost. > > And also also also ?that not super high end glass they use is held together > not by brass or aluminum but by plastic. Real nice plastic though. But > plastic by any other name. its lighter! Just don't bump the lens against a > door jam going through the doorway. > > Mark > > -------------------- > Mark William Rabiner > > > >> From: Richard Man <richard at imagecraft.com> >> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:21:18 -0700 >> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Subject: [Leica] Leica Prices may not be artificially high >> >> There are a couple data points: the two Zeiss ZM lens that are made in >> Germany, the ZM 85/2 and the 15/2.8 are both listed at $3500-$4500, a >> striking distance within the Leica's. So really I guess you pay for what >> you >> get - which is tight tolerance, high quality stuff. >> >> Besides, even the high end Nikon and Canon bodies are priced at >> $6000-$7000, >> and in theory, most of the R&D there are funded by the lower priced >> bodies, >> not the high end ones. >> >> FWIW >> >> -- >> // richard <http://www.imagecraft.com/> >> // icc blog: <http://imagecraft.com/blog/> >> // richard's personal photo blog: <http://www.5pmlight.com> >> [ For technical support on ImageCraft products, please include all >> previous >> replies in your msgs. ] >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >