Hi Brad,
No. But I have seen factories (metal processing as well as plastic parts fabrication) from inside. The fact is obvious.If I skip down to the part where you ask me if I have numbers, metal processing is much more expensive? Do you have numbers?
It is true, but then, of course, a wide angle zoom is more complex than a wide angle prime. Also, the price of the FA*24/f2 went down these last 3 years. Why I do not know. Generally Pentax products (like the other FA* lenses) tend to get more and more expensive. Maybe they made too many?Open to debate in many ways, but the cheap plastic cheap lens that I have cost more than the expensive better metal one you have. Why? I cannot say. But it's just another fact, right or wrong.
How do you know? OK, plastic has some advantages, e.g. it insulates, but that is unimportant in a lens. The only advantages I can identify for plastic parts in lenses are weight and production cost. Maybe somebody else can name other advantages?However, the old metals steel, aluminium, and brass beat all plastic materials hands down in all respects but one:
weight.
Well, first part, refer back up to my other comments based on yours. Your other comments metal vs plastic are pure speculation, there are probably hundreds of industries that would shake their heads at such comments.
:-)I cannot comment on carbon tripods as I have only metal ones. And a heavy tripod is a good thing sometimes, isn't it?
Oh no!!!! :) Something I'm in complete agreement on. I looked at both, didn't care at the price difference, and decided I wanted a big black think heavy metal tripod and head. I lug it around everywhere, I just look at it as strength training.
Arnold
