Why have cameras and lenses become so expensive?

Asking $6500 for a pro-sports camera isn't new, but the fact that this one looks the same as a model costing half as much helps fuel the idea that cameras are getting more expensive. 'Cameras and lenses are getting so expensive these days.' It's a sentiment I hear regularly expressed, so I thought I'd take a closer look at what's going on, and why. And, as is so often the case, it's not as simple as it first appears. We looked at the launch prices of products in several categories,...