Do more autofocus points significantly increase a camera manufacturer's cost?
Asked 2/1/2014
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Higher-end cameras often advertise many more autofocus (AF) points than entry-level models. Ignoring differences like cross-type vs. line-type points or sensitivity, does simply having more AF points add much manufacturing cost? Or is the number of AF points mostly a marketing/product-segmentation feature used to make expensive bodies seem more valuable?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Without knowing the costs to manufacturers of each component that goes into their cameras it isn't possible to definitively answer the question. Unlike manufacturers of other high end electronics (such as the iPhone) who farm out the manufacture of most parts of their products, most camera makers manufacture most, if not all, of the components of their cameras in-house. The imaging sensor itself is sometimes a notable exception. With DSLRs the scaling of products is so much smaller so that a much larger part of the price of each DSLR is the R&D and design cost involved. With other products that sell larger numbers of units, the manufacturing cost is primary because the R&D is spread out over many more sales units.
One thing you can look at is what feature sets are offered at similar price points by the Big Two (Nikon & Canon) and by everyone else. You often see a lot of features available only in the more expensive models from Nikon/Canon that other makers will include at lower price points. In general, you don't see the types of more advanced Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) systems found only in top tier Nikon/Canons put in cameras from other manufacturers priced to compete with Canon/Nikon's entry level and second tier DSLR bodies. They all seem to have the same types of systems with fewer focus points and fewer configurable options. This would lead one to believe either the R&D/design cost, the manufacturing cost, or both are considerably higher when talking about advanced PDAF systems.
The other consideration is that the best focus systems only work at their top performance levels when paired with the best AF lenses. The further from the center of the frame a focus point is, the wider the maximum aperture of the lens needs to be to give the same focus accuracy as the center point can provide with a narrower lens. The more precise feedback a lens provides to the body about how far it just moved the focusing elements, the more accurate the focus system can be. A good set of top notch pro quality lenses far exceeds the price difference between consumer and pro grade camera bodies, so the assumption may be that anyone using the lower grade bodies is also using lower grade lenses that wouldn't benefit from many of the advantages of the more advanced PDAF systems.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
12y ago
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More AF points are not free, but the exact added cost is hard to know from outside the manufacturer.
In DSLR-style AF systems, adding points can mean more complex AF sensor hardware and more processing power to evaluate many points at once, especially for zone or tracking AF. The quality of the points also matters: not all AF points are equal, and better points can cost more.
Camera pricing also reflects more than parts cost. In cameras, R&D and design can be a large share of the price because production volumes are relatively modest compared with mass-market electronics. So a higher AF-point count may increase both component cost and development cost.
That said, product segmentation is also real: manufacturers choose which features to include at different price tiers. So the number of AF points is partly a real cost/engineering issue and partly a way to differentiate models.
Bottom line: extra AF points do add real hardware and processing complexity, but retail price differences are not explained by AF-point count alone.
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