NIKON ANNOUNCES NEW AF-S VR 70-200MM f/2.8G (12-13-2002)

[ky2]

"MELVILLE, NY, December 12, 2002 - Nikon, (www.nikonusa.com ), the

world leader in photography, today announced the planned delivery

schedule for the new AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens.

This important new lens will feature Nikon's Vibration Reduction

system, newly enhanced to compensate for image blur caused by hand

shake and also shake caused by movement of the photographer such as

riding in a car or aircraft; the compensation can handle shutter

speeds about three times slower than one might otherwise use without

VR technology. The lens also incorporates Nikon's exclusive Silent

Wave Motor Technology for very fast, accurate and nearly silent

focusing plus compact, lightweight design for easier handling."

[pmj]

I think you should have quoted just a little more from the press release:

 

<p>

<i>

The AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED will be available at Nikon

Advanced Systems Dealers and Nikon Advanced Digital Systems Dealers beginning

April 2003. The lens' MSRP will be announced approximately 30-days prior to

delivery.

</i>

 

<p>Source: <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=130907&TICK=NIKON&STORY=/www/story/12-12-2002/0001856667&EDATE=Dec+12,+2002">Nikon press release</a>

[larry n.]

I was hoping at the last moment they'd change that G to a D.

[ivsimler]

Sheesh! April! Pretty pathetic for a lens that was supposed to be available in November.....

 

George

[gary_watson]

"NIKON! Trailing Edge Technology Tomorrow--Maybe!" Guess I can rule out writing press releases for Nikon...

[tim geiss]

Is the introduction of this lens likely to have any effect on the price (or perhaps a rebate) for the AF-S 80-200? I've just begun learning about the equipment, so I don't know how much new technology affects the prices of the current selection. Thanks.

[larry n.]

Timothy,

 

You would actually buy the 80-200 after the new lens comes out !!!!!

 

Does that answer your question?

 

The price differential will most likely be quite large. I hope I'm proven wrong.

[ivsimler]

Actually I was in Central Camera here in Chicago a couple of days ago asking about this new lens and was told that they have/will be discontinuing the current AFS model. Central said they couldn't get any more of the "old" model in. They will continue making the non-afs model supposedly. I wanted one of the new lenses for a planned trip to CO in February and now I'm debating whether I should just get the regular AFS instead since I have no idea what the price is going to be on the new one any way....

 

George

[douglas k.]

"You would actually buy the 80-200 after the new lens comes out !!!!!"

 

If he shoots from a tripod, why not?

[ShunCheung]

Yes, the new lens will be available on 1st April, 2003. :-)

[brad_w]

"You would actually buy the 80-200 after the new lens comes out !!!!! Does that answer your question?"

 

Please say you were being sarcasic Naji. Please...?

my favrite lens is an AF 24/2.8. Non-D.

 

-brad

[vedearduff]

"You would actually buy the 80-200 after the new lens comes out !!!!!"

 

I suspect that anyone who has a problem with G lenses would.

 

If the new lens were not going to be a G lens, I'd get one even though I cannot (yet, I have an N90s) make use of the VR system. The AF-S and the extra 10mm on the wide end would be worth the added cost to me.

 

On the other hand, even if I had an F5 I would not purchase the new lens as long as it is a G lens.

 

I have no doubt that the quality of the new lens will be right up there with the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S, it's the lack of an aperture ring that I have a problem with. I know that the AF and VR would be lost on my FM3a, but if it had an aperture ring I would be able to use it as a manual focus 80-200mm with a constant f/2.8 aperture.

 

Vernon

[efusco]

Ok, my favorite part of the press release....

 

"The G-Type feature is designed for the newest Nikon SLR models, including both 35mm and digital, all of which feature a built in Sub-Command Dial, from which aperture control is possible. The design facilitates better lens handling, and helps photographers keep a more positive grip on the camera as they use their right index finger to adjust aperture. This firmer grip and excellent balance will help photographers get sharper images, even as they adjust exposure and quickly shoot their pictures."

 

And to think I hadn't considered that...it's amazing to think how many cameras have been dropped and ruined over the years for the sake of a missing sub-command dial. Thank goodness Nikon has come to our rescue so I can maintain a firmer grip and more excellent balance. I think I'll just overlook the fact that the lens will not be usable on my FM2s now that I understand the reasoning!

 

April for Pete's sake...When was this announced originally? If it's taking more than a year for Nikon to get a product on the shelves after announcing it in a press release, and they've yet to announce the D2 (or D5 or whatever it's going to be), just when are we going to see it? Argh....It's really bad when they can frustrate a Nikon Loyalist like this...plus it just gives the Canon folks fodder for the flame wars!

--evan

--evan

[ilkka_nissila]

It's obvious that since Canon has so many IS lenses, Nikon had to make a preliminary announcement of the development of the 70-200 in order to keep people from switching. They don't normally have such a long announcement/delivery delay.

[kodus]

To Nikon, I am waiting for your 20-85mm f2.8-4.0 VR lens!!!!!

[chuck]

"To Nikon, I am waiting for your 20-85mm f2.8-4.0 VR lens!!!!!"<p>

 

Hmmm, that isn't so far fetched now that Nikon seems to have made up its mind to standardize on the smaller image circle of D series CCDs. With the new image size, that lens would have equivalent field of view of a 35mm 28-135, making it a match for Canon lens of that focal length.

[larry n.]

I haven't heard a single good reason for high-end G lenses.

 

Why could possibly be motivating Nikon to behave in such a bizarre way?

[ShunCheung]

Naji, I have said this before. As far as I am concerned, the aperture ring is an out of date feature that is very annoying and occasionally interferes with my shooting with modern Nikon bodies. (I have an important lens whose aperture ring lock is not working and its aperture ring occasionally slips out of its minimum setting, causing me to miss shots once in a while.) I am sure that I am among the minority here, but I hope that every new Nikkor lens from now on will be G.

<P>

Essentially all Canon EOS lenses in over 10 years have no aperture ring. The modern 645 AF cameras by Mamiya and the latest Hasselblad H1 all have no aperture ring either. Control-ling the aperture from the body is the modern trend (the T word is not allowed in this forum so that I had to add a hyphen to beat the spell check).

[larry n.]

Shun,

 

The aperture ring on one of your lenses is broken. Is that the best reason why Nikon should abandon aperture rings and all of the people who prefer them (not to mention people who shoot manual Nikons, including the latest FM3a)?

 

Like every other feature on a lens, there will be some people who need an aperture ring and others who don't. This applies also to VR, AF-S, AF and everything else.

 

Unlike the other features, the aperture ring is cheap, reliable and does not interfere with people who don't need it.

 

Am I missing something here?

[efusco]

Shun,

I'm afraid I do think you're in the minority here and I'm with Naji. When making my decision as to what system to buy into and Nikon came out on top in no small part due to the longstanding history of universally adaptable lenses. I, and others, use both bodies with and without subcommand dials in various situations. By eliminating the aperture ring you're forcing shooters to select either the "old" style lenses and depriving them of the newer features, or to accept only newer bodies to take advantage of the newer lenses. You're going to have to have 2 sets of cameras and lenses or accept the deficiencies of one or the other. This makes no sense to me when it is so easy to leave the aperture ring on and let the user select to use it or not.

 

Also, I agree with Naji that using your example of a broken lens isn't really a valid argument to justify eliminating a valuable tool.

 

Now, to give you your due, I have little doubt that the trend will be to G lenses...it's already started. Perhaps wise marketing on Nikon's part to get all the loyal-to-the-end Nikonians out there to update their bodies to ones with subcommand dials while keeping thier old FM2s and 'archaic' aperture ring lenses around for those situations when they're needed.

--evan

[ShunCheung]

My aperture ring is not exactly broken. The lock is not working well and that adds to my problem. The aperture ring on my other lenses also slip out occasionally, just not as often, and I get that stupid FEE in my viewfinder. When Nikon gets rid of that aperture ring (which is completely useless as far as I am concerned), there is just one fewer thing to break.

 

The aperture ring adds cost, takes up space, and adds one more vulnerable part to the lens. Nikon needs to take care of the old users as well as new users. Why should any new users pay for these out of date and annoying features? If Nikon doesn't move forward, the logical conclusion for the new users will simply buy the cheaper and better products from Nikon's competitors. That is exactly why Nikon went from being the dominent SLR manufacturer 15 years ago to their current roughly 30% film SLR market share while Canon came from way behind to their current 60%. I don't know whether those statistics are absolutely correct, but that is not the point. There is no doubt that Canon is the dominent player now. If Nikon doesn't modernize, they'll simply fall farther and farther behind. I don't think that is good for long-term Nikon users like me. (I have been using Nikon for 25 years.)

 

For those of us who prefer the FM3A, etc., there is still tons of AI/AI-S lenses around used; in fact, Nikon is still making some AI-S lenses. Why pick on the AF-G lenses that are not designed for the FM-type cameras? If you want to use both an FM3A, which really is a 25-year-old design, and a D1, then yes, you are out of luck. Otherwise, you can still use G lenses in the A or P mode on the F4, F801/N8008, F90/N90, etc.

 

As I have pointed out over and over, most people in this Forum have a hard time accepting changes and modernization, and we happen to be living in rapidly changing times for cameras because of modern electronics as well as software technology. I firmly believe that in 2, 3 years, most of us will switch to DSLRs so that backward compatibility to the very old film SLRs will be a moot point for most.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>"I have an important lens whose aperture ring lock is

not working and its aperture ring occasionally slips out of its

minimum setting, causing me to miss shots once in a while."

--Shun Cheung <br>

</em><br>

I have four FE2(s) and about 15 to 20 AI and AIS Nikkor so Ill

be damned if I buy any G Series lenses or bodies that will not

meter with AI and AIS lenses. Your logic is loose: fix the lens

already.

[ShunCheung]

David, the FE2 was introduced back in 1983 based on the 1977 FM design and so is the current FM3A. AI lenses were introduced also back in 1977 and replaced by AI-S in 1981. Nikon gave us about 20+ years of full compatibility. IMO that is more than reasonable. Only in 2001 Nikon introduced the N80 and G lenses that are not compatible with technologies that are over 20 years ago. Still, the D1h/x also introduced in 2001 and the slightly older F100 and F5 are still compatible with those old lenses. Today Nikon continues to make lots of lenses that have the aperture ring.

 

If anything, I think Nikon has gone the extra mile to protect its old customers. It is only those people who insist on coupling bodies and lenses that have designs that are more than 20 years apart have any serious compatibility problems. That is simply a very unreasonable demand.

 

BTW, I should have said that the G lenses are useable on the F4 etc. in the P and S modes, not A.

[larry n.]

Shun,

 

We are never going to agree on this, but you keep mentioning the cost of the aperture ring. How much do you reckon the aperture ring costs?? A brand you new AF 50 with aperture ring, and some glass too, sells for under a hundred.

[david_h._hartman]

<em>"I firmly believe that in 2, 3 years, most of us will

switch to DSLRs so that backward compatibility to the very old

film SLRs will be a moot point for most." --Shun Cheung<br>

</em><br>

No mater how firmly you believe something that belief does not in

its self make the belief true.<br>

<br>

A lot of us expect (I dont mean hope, I mean expect) Nikon

to make digital cameras that accept our AI and AIS lenses

gracefully. A lot of people want control of where the camera

focuses and will not give that up to a CPU. For some a manual

focus camera and lens is superior to an auto focus camera and

lens. Some (myself included) have learn to make AF work our way.

If you want your subjects closest eye in focus are you going to

trust that to a CPU or your own brain? What if you are shooting

at 85/2.0 and dont have the luxury of DOF covering for AF

slop and choice?<br>

<br>

I remember the first day my local camera store had the original

Minolta Maxxum in stock. I was disappointed in seconds. I have

little use for focus priority, the focus was slow and there were

many things it could not focus on. The first Nikon with AF that I

liked was the F5 and the second the F100. I use the AF on button

almost exclusively and disable AF at the shutter. Ill

expect my first digital camera to do the same. I can live with

the way my Canon Elph Jr. focuses and the shutter time lag

because it a P&S fun toy. I cant live with a $1,000 to

$5,000+ digital camera that shoots the same way. Some people are

damned particular and set high standards. If Nikon wants this

market they will do the same, if not then they wont.<br>

<br>

Regards,