Why aren't zoom lenses faster than 2.8?

[wickidwombat]

I wish they would make a really fast standard zoom lens like a 30-90 f2.0 OS...

oh yeah I have been wishing a 35-85 f2 with IS would come out (for full frame not friggin crop!) for such a long time hopefully the narrower zoom range would allow more control over distortion and other imperfections than 30-90 which i think would be more compromised.

[RGF]

I wish they would make a really fast standard zoom lens like a 30-90 f2.0 OS...

oh yeah I have been wishing a 35-85 f2 with IS would come out (for full frame not friggin crop!) for such a long time hopefully the narrower zoom range would allow more control over distortion and other imperfections than 30-90 which i think would be more compromised.

Would you pay $5000 for such a lens?  Would you be willing to carry a 5 Lb lens with you?

I don't think there is a market for such a lens

[tiger82]

Check out the price, size, and weight of the Sigma 200-500 f/2.8

[wickidwombat]

I wish they would make a really fast standard zoom lens like a 30-90 f2.0 OS...

oh yeah I have been wishing a 35-85 f2 with IS would come out (for full frame not friggin crop!) for such a long time hopefully the narrower zoom range would allow more control over distortion and other imperfections than 30-90 which i think would be more compromised.

absolutly yes to both however i dont think it would be 5lbs I might be fatter than the 70-200 with maybe an 82mm filter but not as long and perhaps a similar weight
Would you pay $5000 for such a lens?  Would you be willing to carry a 5 Lb lens with you?

I don't think there is a market for such a lens

[psolberg]

sigma makes a 1.8 zoom for APS-C. For full frame, you're just dreaming.

[SambalOelek]

It's definitely possible to make a practical <2.8 zoom lens with a conservative zoom range (not too wide and not too long).

The Tokina AF 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 AT-X Pro II is a (discontinued) full-frame lens that is a tad faster than 2.8 at the wide-end, and it's not very large (A bit larger than the 24-105 f/4 IS). Moreover it's fixed length (does not extend while zooming). Quite a nice piece of engineering.