Re: Difference between Video Lenses and SLR Lenses?

[Tim Ward] "All this being said then, why does a Canon HJ11x4.7 cost ~10 times more than a Canon EF 28-300 (with same zoom factor), and why do my video lenses cost a lot more than my photographer's lenses? I can see where the fact that video zooms can have much larger zoom factors might be a cause, but "wow"! "

The zoom factor is the same, but focal lengths are still different. A 4.7mm high-resolution lens is very hard to make, so it's very expensive. But video cameras require such short focal lengths because their sensors are so small. To get a standard wide-angle shot, you need a very very short focal length. If you were to find a 4.7mm SLR lens it would be pretty darn expensive.

Another factor is that SLR lenses benefit from economies of scale. Canon produces a lot more SLR lenses, cutting down on manufacturing costs. Video lenses are more of a specialty item, making them more expensive.