My Advent Wish #3

As I plan, work on, and print my photographic projects I make notes on what works, how it works, and how I’d like things to work (for me). This post is one of my 2025 Advent Wishlist Calendar. If you are a camera/lens/accessory manufacturer, feel free to implement those ideas.

Dear Santa,

I want lens manufacturers to stop making junk lenses. The trend to remove focus, aperture, and zoom rings (in zoom lenses) started with compact cameras for a good reason—they were compact but somehow managed to be adopted by manufacturers of lenses for interchangeable lens systems. When electronic components or motors break, those overcomplicated devices, still in perfectly working optical order, get thrown onto a skip. What I want are lenses that keep working in manual mode even if all of the motors and electronics fail. And please stop using plastic. It will increase their longevity and slow down the process of making our planet look like the intro to Wall-E.