Costly Dslrs: Priciest Lenses In The Market

The world of photography is an expensive one, with some lenses costing as much as a lavish car or an apartment. The most expensive camera lens ever produced was the Carl Zeiss 50mm Planar F/0.7, which was designed for NASA's Apollo lunar program to capture the far side of the moon. Only 10 of these lenses were ever made, and they are now worth over $23 million. Coming in at a close second is the Leica 1600mm f/5.6 Telephoto lens, which was custom-made for a sheikh in Qatar and cost a whopping $2 million. Other extremely expensive lenses include the Nikkor 6mm Fisheye Lens ($160,000), the Canon EF 1200mm f/5.6 ($180,000), and the Zeiss Apo Sonnar T 1700mm f/4 ($100,000+). These lenses offer incredible features such as wide apertures, long focal lengths, and advanced optics, but they also come with a hefty price tag.

Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM

The Canon RF 600mm F4 L IS USM is a super-telephoto lens with a wide f/4 maximum aperture, exclusively for EOS R-series cameras. It is optically identical to the EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens, with a minimum focusing distance of 13.78 ft. or 4.2 m.

The lens features two focus presets, allowing you to instantly return to one or two memorized focus distances. It is designed to be dust- and water-resistant, with a fluorine coating on the front element for easy cleaning. The Super Spectra Coating (SSC) and Air Sphere Coating (ASC) help minimize ghosting and flare. It is also compatible with the Canon RF 1.4x and 2x extenders.

The RF 600mm F4 L IS USM is ideal for wildlife, motorsports, and more, offering up to 5.5 stops of shake correction. It features a customizable electronic manual focus ring on the lens barrel, with three different speed levels to adjust manual focus to your desired preference. The f/4 aperture and 9-blade circular aperture help create intimacy in background and foreground bokeh for both photos and videos.

The RF 600mm F4 L IS USM is a lightweight lens, making it easier to bring to the action and capture it from a distance. It is available at a price of $12,999.00.

Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH

The Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH is one of the most expensive camera lenses in the world. It is a prime lens known for its exceptional low-light performance, unique rendering quality, and ability to isolate subjects with a soft and smooth bokeh.

The Noctilux-M 75mm is part of Leica's prestigious Noctilux line, which has been in production since 1966. Noctilux lenses are renowned for their extremely wide maximum apertures, with various models offering f-numbers such as f/0.95, f/1.0, f/1.2, and f/1.25. The Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 features nine elements in six groups, including two aspherical elements, to produce its distinctive image quality.

The lens has a unique character that gives images a special look. It is particularly suited for portraiture, with its ability to create excellent background blur and soft skin tones. The lens also has a practical benefit of being relatively lightweight and manageable, especially when used with cameras like the Leica SL, making it easier to achieve accurate focus.

The Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH is a highly sought-after lens by serious photography connoisseurs. Its distinctive aesthetic, exceptional performance, and ability to retain value over time make it a desirable addition to any photographer's kit.

Horseman 23mm f/5.6 HR Digaron-S Lens Unit

The Horseman 23mm f/5.6 HR Digaron-S Lens Unit is a wide-angle lens designed for use with select Horseman cameras, including the SWD PRO, SWDII PRO, and SW612D models. This lens offers a viewing angle of 112 degrees and a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 metres. It is a manual focus lens equipped with a leaf shutter and a standard Copal #0 shutter.

The Horseman 23mm f/5.6 lens is part of the Rodenstock Digital lens series, optimised for use with digital backs on large format cameras. The HR designation signifies the lens's high resolving power, making it well-suited for high-resolution CCD sensors with small pixel sizes. This feature ensures that the lens delivers exceptional image quality, even with modern high-resolution sensors.

The lens is constructed with 15 elements in 11 groups, contributing to its impressive optical performance. It provides a wide angle of view, equivalent to a 15mm lens in the 35mm format when combined with a 40 x 54mm image sensor. This makes it ideal for capturing expansive landscapes or architectural photography, where a broad field of view is desired.

The Horseman 23mm f/5.6 HR Digaron-S Lens Unit is a specialised lens designed for photographers seeking a wide-angle option for their Horseman digital camera systems. Its optical qualities and compatibility with high-resolution sensors make it a valuable tool for photographers working in various genres, from landscape to architectural photography.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR w/ 1.25 Teleconverter

When it comes to DSLR cameras, lenses can be a costly investment, with prices ranging from a few hundred to several million dollars.

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens is one of the most expensive options available for purchase. This super-telephoto lens is an excellent choice for wildlife and sports photography, with a nanocrystal coating on the glass elements that improves image quality.

The lens features a focal length of 800mm and a maximum aperture of f/5.6. It also comes with a 1.25x teleconverter, which effectively increases the focal length to 1000mm, allowing for even greater magnification and closer shots of distant subjects.

The AF-S NIKKOR 800mm lens is part of Nikon's F-mount DSLR camera lens range, which offers interchangeable lenses to complement Nikon DSLR camera kits. This particular lens is designed for travel and landscape photography, as well as sports and action shots, with its long focal length and fast aperture making it ideal for capturing distant subjects with precision.

While the price of this lens is not publicly available on the Nikon website, it is likely to be a significant investment for any photographer.

Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 with 2x Teleconverter

The Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 with 2x Teleconverter is a powerful telephoto lens that offers a large aperture of f/2.8 at the 500mm focal length and an impressive zoom range of 200mm to 500mm. This lens is designed for sports, portrait, and nature photography, providing exceptional image quality and versatility for photographers.

One of the key features of the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 lens is its extraordinary low dispersion (ELD) and special low dispersion (SLD) glass elements. These elements work together to minimise aberrations and ensure superior image quality throughout the entire zoom range. This results in sharp and clear images, even in low light conditions. The lens also includes a super multi-layer coating, which helps to reduce flare and ghosting, further enhancing the overall image quality.

In terms of compatibility, the Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 lens is available in Sigma, Nikon, and Canon mounts, making it a versatile option for photographers using different camera systems. It comes with 17 elements in 13 groups and nine diaphragm blades, contributing to its impressive optical performance.

The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 200-500cm and a maximum magnification ratio of 726mm. It also includes a dedicated Li-ion battery (BP-21) to power its zoom and autofocus operation, ensuring smooth and efficient performance. Additionally, the built-in LCD panel displays essential information such as focusing distance and focal length, making it convenient for photographers to adjust their settings on the go.

The Sigma APO 200-500mm f/2.8 lens is a significant investment, usually priced at around $32,000, making it the most expensive lens in the Sigma range. However, for photographers seeking exceptional performance and versatility, especially in sports and wildlife photography, the lens offers remarkable capabilities that justify its high-end price tag.

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