How long does a custom lens take?
Of course, the easy (and worst) answer is: it depends! But you know that and you're hoping to get ANY sort of rough timeline so you can plan ahead. So, let's break down the entire process from concept to finished product:
1. Initial consult: We can set this up right away and if you're outside of the US, we're happy to accommodate time zone differences! We can develop a good understanding of your project in about 30-60 minutes.
2. Discovery Work: once we've determined the lens specifications we'll need about a week to determine project viability.
3. Completed Custom Design: this step will add an additional 2-8 weeks. This varies wildly since it depends on the number of elements, required performance and the availability of a good starting point design. See our post on "Selection of a Starting Point" for more information on starting point lens designs.
4. Prototyping: Manufacturing optical and mechanical components typically takes about 10 weeks and assembly and testing can take another 2 weeks for prototype quantities. Quick prototyping of around 4-6 weeks can be requested for an extra fee, but usually the cost prevents customers from this option. See our post on "How Much does a Custom Lens Cost?" or our webpage content here for more information on price vs. quantity for optics manufacturing.
5. Production: Once prototypes have been successfully made and approved by the customer, production quantities can be ordered. These typically take around 10-12 weeks for quantities of 50 or less. Larger quantities may take longer.
That's a long time! Yes, it is. Precision optics are finicky and require attention to detail every step of the way. But, I can promise you, quality optics are worth the wait!
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