Why does a black lens cost more?

[carstenw]

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The chrome weight on the Leica site for the 50 Lux Asph is wrong. The black one weighs 335g, and IIRC, the chrome one weighs 445g. I held them both when I bought my camera, and the chrome one is noticeably heavier. All chrome lenses should be heavier, because black anodising goes on aluminium, whereas for chroming, the outer parts are made from brass, a significantly heavier material.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Guy is correct and this is the way it has been done since the European camera makers have been producing black-painted lens barrels over the past 40 years or so. As a result, the "silver" ones are much more robust than are the blacks.

 

And they don't show the cat hair as badly, either.

 

Having said that, I must admit to owning black.

 

Cat hair huh....I know alot about cat hair. I should, since I have 9 cats

[Crazy Cat Lady]

Thanks everyone for your help

[MP3]

Black Anodised barrel is aluminium.

 

Silver Chrome barrel is brass.

 

Black Paint barrel is brass.

 

Don't mix up.

 

Matthew

[leicapfile]

First off and up front, I'll admit that I prefer chrome over black lenses. I think they look better. Period.

 

That said, cosmetics really does not mean squat in the end, as the glass is always they same and isn't this medium about images?

 

One CAN make practical arguments as to preference for each. If someday I was climbing Mt. Everest with half a dozen lenses, black lenses (non painted) would win hands down.

 

However I don't see that in my future (or remember having done so in the past). As I definitely qualify for the 'senior' discounts nowadays where they are given and found even before then that the heavier chrome lens allowed me to shoot with lower speeds and still hold fairly steady, given the higher weight.

 

As an added note, some of us older folk recall when all Leitz lenses 135mm and shorter were chrome over brass only. Then Leitz stopped making the chrome versions for several years, the late 60's or early 70's I think. Then they started up chrome again, albeit with a premium over black of $100 or so. Later (90's?) they dropped the premium.

 

Now they've dropped several lenses availability in chrome. I would not be surprised if they dropped chrome over brass completely again. It undoubtedly costs more to manufacture and since the introduction of black, makes up more than 50% of production.