How long should a lens last

[skankmaster]

A modern lens for a D-SLR. How long would you estimate a lens will last?
They have precision moving parts inside, much like a hard drive - I just wondered how long they are built to last for? With consumer grade and professional grade lenses and different kinds of treatment to the lenses and their environments and the amount of knock a lens may get subjected to, this is a hard question to answer. Still - im just curious, id expect stuff like hard drives to eventually die and stuff, but what about lenses? what are the signs of a lens about to go kaput - is there a S.M.A.R.T. for lenses?!? Is the Warranty an indication?

 

[Raymond Lin]

years......depends how you take care of it and what conditions you use it in. Sitting on a tripod taking shots in a stuido will last for ages...........using it in iraq as a war journalist might not last so long with all the sand and bullets and all.

 

[xolotl]

They should last a very long time. 10+ years easily. MF lenses last even longer. AF have motors in so that increases the risk of failure. IS lenses increase that risk even more because as well as an AF motor they have a moving IS assembly.

 

[Mohain]

They should last a very long time. 10+ years easily. MF lenses last even longer.

I've got a Nikkor 50mm F1.8 manual focus on my old film camera that's 22 years old and is still going strong. Been trying to pick up a MF 24mm prime, around 25 years old, on flea bay and they are still fetching around 100 quid. If you look after them they should last you a long long time.

 

[cyKey]

I just inherited my Dad's Topcon equipement. I'm sure its at least as old as me so thats 27 years. I've been reading up on the lenses and they're meant to be fantastic. The beauty of film slr's is simply that there isn't much that can break. Light to lens to open shutter to film, job done Can't wait to try it out. 135 f/2.8 prime \o/