For $450, Sony's 35/1.8 normal lens had better be a truly stellar performer...

Scott McL wrote:

Not trolling, just having fun responding to all the bizarre non-answers I'm getting.

So seriously, why is the SEL35F18 NEX "normal lens" priced at $450?

Can anyone justify this costs based on performance/dollar? And if not, can someone justify this cost on some other (numbers based) manufacturing/business/marketing basis?

This shouldn't be a hard question to answer folks... I'm seriously considering a NEX 6 and was encouraged that Sony was going to be producing more prime lenses (I don't use zooms except for exactly 1 ultra wide angle zoom when I shoot with Nikon gear. Everything else is prime lenses).

But now I'm VERY unpleasantly surprised at their pricing strategy, especially if the MTF and bokeh and build quality don't knock the pants off of "normal lenses" of competing systems.