Photography Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professional, enthusiast and amateur photographers. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
I was looking at some lenses and the famous 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens is almost $2000.00. Then, I also found this one: Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens and this one is less than one grand.
So both of them are f/2.8 but one costs $1000.00 more — Why? This helps me understand what are the important things to consider or actually ignore in buying a lens, too.
The focal length/speed is only one factor in the retail price of the lens. Other goodies like construction (metal vs. plastic), image stabilization (and other automation in general) and vintage can easily add (or remove) a zero.
The two lenses in the question are very different products. The 2.8G is a newer product and lacks an aperture ring - the diaphragm is controlled electronically. The older lens has internal focusing - the barrel doesn't move. The newer lens also has 3 (instead of 1) aspherical elements, and they are not cheap. Predicted market will be a very large influence - the Canon 1200mm/5.6L sold about 2 per year and cost as much as a small house as a result.
In short, price is in no way proportional to focal length.
AFAIK the 28-70 isn't being produced anymore since 2008-ish? So if you are buying a new one today chances are it's been in somebody's warehouse for at least 6 years burning a hole in their pocket.
The new version also allegedly boasts a better nano-coating on the front element. Not sure what else might be making up for the price difference.
The AF-S 28-70/2.8D f/2.8 has been out of production since 2007. It's an older version of the lens that's more or less be replaced by the newer 24-70. Nearly every lens that's been superseded tends to cost less than newer replacement models, especially if found used (when it was brand new in 2002, the 28-70/2.8 cost $1400, which if you cost adjust, comes in around $1850 in today's prices, so it also was not that much cheaper new).
Not only was the zoom range extended at the wide end, but the optical design was overhauled and is not as similar as you might think.
You can find a block diagram for the 28-70/2.8D on mir.com.my (scroll down a ways--it's next to the MTF charts)
And one for the 24-70/2.8G on the Nikon website.
Not only does the new lens have one additional ED (extra-low disperson--corrects for C/A) element, it also has two additional aspherical elements. This undoubtedly added to the production costs as well.
What is difficult is to build a zoom that can maintain a constant aperture as low as 2.8 along the entire zoom range. Those lens has the characteristics that you can shoot at 70mm or 200mm at f/2.8. To be able to do this make a lens expensive. Check for example cheaper lens from Nikon. You will see that changing focal lens (zooming) will change the minimum aperture you can use. The lower the aperture the more light you get, and therefore the faster the shutter speed you can use.
In addition the longer the focal lens the more difficult is to build them and get good quality, constant focal lens, no aberration, etc. Since the longer the focal lens the more glass you have in your lens (usually). Check the price for 300mm or 400mm lens from Nikon. You will see how the price skyrockets!
