Nikon USA Lens-Only Rebates, 200-500mm $150 Off, Ends July 28

Received e-mail from Nikon USA, as well as B&H, that there are now rebates/discount on these lenses:

Nikon Lens Sale

 

One that especially catches my eyes is the 200-500mm/f5.6 E AF-S VR. That lens was initially priced low @ $1400, and I thought Nikon USA may never discount it, but for the first time since that lens was introduced in September 2015, there is now a $150 rebate for a final $1249.95 cost (or a few dollars lower at B&H, etc.)

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens

 

This is B&H's link:

New Nikon Rebates | B&H Photo Video

 

There are rebates on 10 different lenses. Others include the 80-400mm AF-S, 16-35mm/f4 AF-S VR, 14-24mm AF-S, the 8-15mm AF-S fisheye, and the old, non-VR version (77mm filter size) of the 24-70mm/f2.8 AF-S, etc.

 

I am not sure how long the rebate will last, but I assume it'll be throughout most of July, if not extended. Another issues is that some of these lenses may become out of stock due to the higher demand from the rebate. I would imagine that there will be strong demand on the 200-500mm, but for some of the older lenses, those who are interested in them most likely have already bought one.

Edited July 8, 2018 by ShunCheung

Earlier I managed to find a page on Adorama's web site with exactly those 10 lenses with rebate, but that was on my tablet. Somehow I am unable to find that URL again. In any case, you can get those same rebates from Adorama also as well as other authorized Nikon USA dealers. In some cases Adorama and B&H will give you a few additional accessories and a few percentage of store credit back (e.g. up to 4%).

 

I checked B&H and Adorama briefly. It looks like all 10 lenses with rebate are still in stock. Again, if you are interested in some of the popular lenses with rebate, I would move quickly before stock runs out. In that case you can probably still order, and Adorama and B&H may still honor the rebate price, but you may need to wait a little while for the lens to be available again.

Here's the adorama link: Nikon July 2018 Lens Sale

Here's the adorama link: Nikon July 2018 Lens Sale

Thanks Dieter. That was the link I had after a search, but somehow I couldn't get that search result again. I noticed that they would give you a "free," inexpensive tripod if you buy the 14-24mm/f2.8 AF-S zoom. That lens was introduced way back in 2007 with the D3 and D300. Today there are newer and cheaper third-party versions that are less expensive. I can't imagine the 14-24mm/f2.8 AF-S (new) is in demand any more.

I can't imagine the 14-24mm/f2.8 AF-S (new) is in demand any more.

My local store has two used ones acquiring dust in the display case - for less one can get the new Sigma 14-24/2.8 Art (by all what I've read, the better performer but also heavier). And for much less the Tamron 15-30 VC, also reportedly optically better.

 

The price for the 16-35 has stayed remarkably high - I think I paid close to the current discounted price some 7 years ago for a used one.

Really? The most recent reviews I saw suggested that the Sigma was slightly optically worse than the 14-24 Nikkor, but by little enough to justify the price saving. I may be remembering what I want to, because I already have a 14-24 and don't really want to replace it (it's one of the lenses that made me switch to Nikon, and one of the lenses I've owned longest and still got - the others being the 28-80 and 50mm f/1.8 AF-D). I've got to say that mine mostly gets shot stopped down a lot to try to control the field curvature - if Nikon update the 14-24, that's what I'd most like to see fixed.

That Nikon 14-24/2.8 remains one of my favorite lenses. For a particular ongoing series of projects for a client, it's my go-to and has paid for itself over and over again. Any upgrade to it would have to be a helluva thing.

Good for you Matt. I bought the 14-24 ten years ago but haven’t used mine that much. For me it is too wide and I don’t like the bulging front.

 

Incidentally the 14-24 is now out of stock at B&H but Adorama still has it. Again, if one wants to take advantage of the rebate, I’d act quickly. The rebate ends on July 28.

I think the front element thing can be over-stated. I've once got mine coated with Niagara water and had to get Nikon to clean it, but otherwise I've never had a problem - the hood does protect it unless something hits it corner-on. (I do have a tiny chip out of the integrated hood, though.) On digital, I've not generally felt the need to add a filter - the angle is such that a polariser would usually be weird, and the dynamic range of the sensor is such that I've rarely needed to think about a grad. I admit that mine gets used at 24mm as much as at 14mm - I probably don't get close enough to things, so often my 24-70 will suffice. Again, I'm mostly bitten by the field curvature if I shoot at a wide aperture - the middle can be focussed some distance away, and the ground by my feet is sharp. (Sometimes that's not a bad thing, like a multi-directional tilt lens, but it's awkward if you have something crossing the edge of the focal plane a distance away, like a fence.)

 

I switched to Nikon partly for the 135mm DC (which was very disappointing to me), and got the 150-500 Bigma when I switched (having come from a crop sensor with a 70-300), and that was even more disappointing. The 14-24, I've always been adequately happy with.

B&H just sent email that the rebate end at midnight, US EDT on July 22, I.e. in another hour or so.

I have checked with Henry Posner. It looks like yesterday's e-mail was an error. The rebates expire on July 28, so we have another 5 days.