Life expectacy of a hard worked lens?

[Frontman]

Your gear will probably outlive you, so long as you give it the proper maintenance from time to time. Some of the cameras and lenses I shoot are 70 years old, and still work perfectly.

That said, I don't think this applies as to modern lenses containing electric motors, computer chips, and plastic components.

 

[proenca]

Leica RF lenses ? They will outlive you e-a-s-i-l-y .

A CLA ( Clean - Lubrificate - Adjust ) every 20-30 years and they are good to go.

I often use one my favorite lens : 35mm 3.5 Summaron from the nice year of 1959 without any problems whatsoever.

2 years for Leica lens is pretty much the same thing as 10 minutes on a car engine - yap, has been used, but wear out ? erm... no.

 

[narsuitus]

“Life expectacy of a hard worked lens?”

Are the hard worked view camera lenses from the mid 1800s still usable?

 

[MartinP]

Drat . . only 400 years ???? There goes the family heirlooms . . .

 

[gavinlg]

I somehow doubt my expensive but fantastic canon EF L glass will last anywhere near as long as a zeiss or leica metal RF lens. As good as some of it is (35mm 1.4 coming to mind), the bodys are made of a type of polycarbonate and I'm willing to bet after 20-30 years of use the USM autofocus will wear out.

edit: my 5 or so year old 17-40mm f4L is already looking a bit dog-like - the rubber on the zoom rings goes all white and strange looking and the plastic loses it's sheen and looks quite dull...