Why is Camera Gear So Expensive?

If you’ve ever taken an interest in photography, you’ve probably browsed the internet a few times in search of a good deal on a camera. You may have found yourself frustrated to find most anything worth buying well outside of the budget you had in mind. This is especially true if you aren’t familiar with cameras and just need something to get started. Some people choose to just buy something cheap, while others just aim for the best they can afford, assuming more money means higher quality. Additionally, once you have a camera, you’re going to need lenses, an SD card, a carrying case, and a host of other possible accessories. This can all add up pretty quickly, and has a tendency to scare off potential hobbyists who aren’t sure they want to invest so much money.

So, what’s the deal, exactly? Why is camera gear so expensive?

Cameras Are Complicated

Yes, cameras are complex devices, but do you have any idea just how complex they are? The science of optics is often poorly understood by the layperson (and I’m certainly no expert, either), and camera technology tends to progress quickly compared to similar technology. Camera lenses require incredible precision to manufacture, and can often cost more than the camera itself! In fact, even some Hollywood studios rent equipment rather than purchasing it, because buying new equipment every few years is prohibitively expensive compared to renting during the course of a shoot.

It's also worth noting that cameras are seldom simply “cameras” anymore. Now, they often contain enough AI and automated technology, that they’re effectively small computers as well. We all know how expensive computer-related tech can get, and cameras fall, more or less, under that same category. Part of the reason electronics are expensive is the precision involved with making them, but also because some of the materials required are rare or expensive. Modern electronic devices often contain gold or other precious metals that increase the overall cost.

With something like a camera lens, the situation is essentially the same. You might not think of glass as being rare or expensive, but camera lenses can’t just use any old glass. You’re probably aware that the glass found in your car windows is often a different sort than what you’d find in the window pane in your house. “Bulletproof” glass is obviously yet another example. Using cheap lenses with poor-quality glass can actually cause distortions or visual artifacts in the image. One of the most common is something called “chromatic aberration”. Below, you can see an example of an image with both a high and low-quality lens.

High-quality vs. low-quality lens.

The low-quality lens on the bottom image has a lot of chromatic aberration. Look at the right side of the image. You can see a sort of blue halo around the edge of the building.

I’ve already touched on the precision involved in making camera lenses, but a visual example might help drive the point home a little better. Below is a cross-section of a camera lens. Notice how there are several individual lenses, and many moving parts all carefully fitted together.

You probably get the point by now. This tech is expensive because it’s complicated.

Research and Development

Don’t forget that companies who make this equipment have to spend months or years and potentially millions of dollars designing, testing and refining this equipment. R&D is expensive, because you don’t directly profit from it, at least, not immediately. No company wants to soil their reputation by putting out crappy merchandise, so they’ll gladly spend plenty of time and money getting it right.

Along with the cameras and lenses, digital cameras also need software to operate, so the company must also hire a team who works on the UI, firmware, and all the automated features that the camera implements to help the user get better photos. Developers usually need at least a four-year degree, so their services don’t often come cheaply.

Large companies like Canon, Kodak, etc. have so many employees and so much infrastructure, that their overhead is always going to be high. They have to make a significant profit margin just to keep the lights on, let alone develop new products. This will likely always be a reality of large tech companies: it’s just an expensive business to operate.

High-Cost, Low Volume

When it comes to camera gear intended more for the intermediate or professional user, sales volumes tend to be low. There just aren’t that many people who want or need a $5,000 camera. The less you sell of something, the more money you have to make with each transaction. Profit margins are always going to be higher on top-of-the-line products, because the company couldn’t afford to make them any other way.

There are also diminishing returns on high-end gear. For example, a $500 camera might be 100% better than a $300 camera in terms of quality. However, a $1000 camera might only be 50% better than the $500 model. Then, when you go up to the $2500 model, it’s only about 20% better than the $1000 version. These are just arbitrary numbers for the sake of an example, but the principle is true.

So why would anyone buy the $2500 camera if it’s only 20% better but more than double the cost? Well, the expensive model might have a specific feature that a professional photographer really needs. Maybe the photographer does a lot of low-light shooting, and that model does well in those conditions. Professionals will often be able to make use of these tiny improvements, even if they’d make no sense for the average person due to the price tag.

Photographers often just need a LOT of gear. Your average person making a living from photography will probably have multiple cameras, several lenses, a lighting kit, a few external flashes, stands and a backdrop to set up for an indoor shoot, cases to carry everything, and probably much more. You, as an aspiring photographer might not have need of so much gear, but a professional will need to be able to adapt to any situation a customer might ask them to shoot in. As a result, their shelves are often lined with gear that’s only used occasionally, but comes in very handy when needed.

So, there you have it! There’s not any single reason why camera gear is expensive, but a combination of things that all drive up the cost. The good news is, you really don’t have to spend a month’s salary to start learning photography.

So, what do you need? I think that’s best saved for a future post!

Cover Photo by lucas Favre on Unsplash