What are camera lenses for?

I saw one for $500 bucks, and I was like wtf..

Imagine this: you can look at the world through clean windows that let lots of light in without distortion, or you can try to look at the world through frosted windows that distort the image. Yeah, you'd want to be able to see the world through the better windows, right?

Same thing with camera lenses. They have to be designed to perform a specific task and do it in a way that will get you good results. Do you want to see something far away? How about photographing something in really dim light? How about photographing something so it's not distorted?

To accomplish this task, you have to design the lenses and use special types of glass and coatings. It's not like simply getting regular glass, because regular glass introduces distortions and reflections which will become apparent when you take a photo.

On top of that the lenses need to be able to autofocus with a camera and need to be able to function for years without losing their alignment.

So $500 bucks is nothing. Lenses, good ones, can routinely cost $1000 to $1800. And even more, for specialized lenses. Consumer lenses are designed to be cheaply made and perform adequately, but they will not be able to match the results of good lenses.

Basically the same as a telescope, a microscope, or other apparatus, but the detailed design and construction are different.

the more expensive cameras have changeable lenses.
Some of the Medium format cameras have lenses that cost several thousand.

so 500 is not that bad............

................. but yea scary money