"Ground Breaking" 800mm f5.6

[steve_phillipps]

<p>Just got an email about this <a href="http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/newsitem.php?id=349&pg=1&mem=&arc=0">http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/newsitem.php?id=349&pg=1&mem=&arc=0</a> Nikon developing an 800mm f5.6 lens. Good for sure, why not, but they call it "ground breaking" - not quite sure how they work that out seeing that Canon has had one for a couple of years now and the Nikon is still only being developed!<br />Steve</p>

 

[dan_brown4]

<p>We already discussed this.</p>

<p>The "ground breaking" quote seems to be Gray's words, not Nikon. </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>You guys are missing the point. This lens is so big and heavy that if you drop it, it will break the ground. :-)</p>

<p>Quoting Steve's link</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"We are very excited to showcase a ground-breaking new milestone in NIKKOR development at this summer's major sporting events" said Robert Cristina, Manager, Nikon Professional Services, Europe.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It looks like "ground breaking" is a description a Nikon employee uses. That is marketing talk.</p>

<p>And yes, we already had an earlier thread on this up-coming lens: <a href="00abZ8">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00abZ8</a>,<br>

actually two threads: http://www.photo.net/photography-news-forum/00abul</p>

<p>800mm/f5.6 lenses are nothing new. As Steve mentioned, Canon has had an AF one for a few years, and in the old days, Nikon had a 800mm/f5.6 AI-S. A few bird specialist friends of mine have that 800mm AI-S but they rarely use it due to the lack of portability. And I have tried a friend's Canon for a short while. To me, 800 is too long so that its usefulness is very limited. In particular, for wildlife work, I mainly use DX in these days.</p>

<p>800mm also wouldn't be my choice for sports photography, as it is too difficult to locate your subject with that kind of magnification. Golf would be one possibility as players do not run around. Sports with a fixed track such as auto racing or some track (running) events where you can anticipate your subject at a pre-determined location are other possibilities.</p>

<p>Personally, I would much rather have a 600mm/f4 and add a TC-14E if necessary. That is a by far more useful combination. Otherwise, a 800mm/f4 might be truely "ground breaking" but I can't image the weight and price, while the 800mm "too long" limiation remains.</p>

[dave_wilson1]

I was thinking more in the lines of "bank breaking". And so why I use an old Exc.+ condition manual 400mm f3.5 ED-IF

that I picked up from a great colleague for about the cost of a fancy cell phone.

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>So Shun, are you saying that I should dump my far, far "too long" 1000mm f/11 Reflex-Nikkor in the nearest bin? And nearest, to that lens, means about 25 ft away.</p>

<p>(BTW, the lens may be comparatively lightweight, but the tripod I need is about 10 times heavier!)</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>Has anyone said how heavy it's going to be? If it was a wonder of carbon-fibre composite and titanium (Oh, and glass :-) ), it might be <strong><em>lighter</em></strong> than the 600mm f4 AF-S VRII! ........afterall, magnification at this scale of prime lens, is just longer 'empty' tubing! and the glass of the 800mm is smaller too.</p>

<p>The Nikon 600mm f4 is heavier than the 800mm f5.6 Sigma......</p>

<p>I think I'd still get the 600mm f4, and if I <strong><em>need</em></strong> the reach of 900mm f4, I'd pop it on a D3200 and use the DX crop-factor.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Has anyone said how heavy it's going to be?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Again, Nikon has not provided a lot of details. In the following press release from July 12 (two days ago): <a href="http://www.nikon.com/news/2012/0712_nikkor_01.htm">http://www.nikon.com/news/2012/0712_nikkor_01.htm</a><br>

it explicitely specifies that:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Release date and suggested retail price for this product have not yet been determined.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>There is no information on weight, size, etc. either. The image Nikon provides clearly suggests that this is going to be a big lens as you would expect. But again, Nikon is only talking about prototypes at this point. The final product can still vary a bit.</p>

<p>As I said, I have used a friend's Canon 800mm/f5.6 AF lens with IS for a short while. For an 800mm, that lens is surprisingly compact: only 461mm long and weights 4.5kg, about 9.9 pounds. You can find the Canon specs here: <a href="http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_800mm_f_5_6l_is_usm#Specifications">http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_800mm_f_5_6l_is_usm#Specifications</a></p>

<p>Please keep in mind that the Canon specs have little implication on Nikon's.</p>

[joseph_smith3]

<p>I welcome Nikon adding a 800mm f 5.6 AFS VR lens. If you are a bird photographer, especially a song bird photographer, I think it would make more sense to own it rather than a 600mm f4.0. I would need to see the final specs, minimum focusing distance, weight, cost and the quality of the tripod mount before I would purchase it or any long tele. Joe Smith</p>

[steve_phillipps]

<p>I welcome it too, good addition to the lineup. But...you have to say that it is another occasion where Nikon seems to be so far behind the game - as Shun says they haven't provided much in the way of specs and it seems to me likely that it's still a bit of a way off from hitting the streets. How long has Canon's 800 5.6 been out?<br>

Steve</p>

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>Canon introduced their 800mm/f5.6 IS back in October, 2007: <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/2007/10/16/canonteles">http://www.dpreview.com/news/2007/10/16/canonteles</a><br>

That friend of mine got it very early on. I believe I used his lens about four years ago in 2008.</p>

<p>In any case, these are going to be super low volume lenses. IMO Nikon is introducing it to show that they are not behind Canon. Expect Nikon will have their own 17mm PC-E lens for similar reasons. Even though Nikon sells this 800mm for $15000, IMO they'll have a hard time making their investment back. It is more like an investment on the company's reputation, which is obviously valuable.</p>

<p>IMO, there are many other lenses that should be much more urgent on Nikon's list, such as a 70-200mm/f4 AF-S VR, 300mm/f4 AF-S VR, and 80-400mm AF-S VR, etc. It really puzzles me why it is taking Nikon so long on those lenses, but that is has already been discussed over and over and belongs to another thread.</p>

[eric_arnold]

<p>i'm with shun on this one. a 300/4 af-s VR is a lens a lot of people would gravitate towards.</p>

 

[Mike_R1664876643]

<p>Nikon has the time & resources to develop a lens like this, but still not even a word of a D400.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>Nikon would like to see the mid-level user move up rather than be content with the intermediate level gear. So they leave gaps in the mid-level lens lineup to motivate stepping up. What they seem to forget is that a telephoto lens of intermediate aperture and VR can be a great advantage because of ease of transportation and use over the faster lens. Also, that one wants an easy to transport lens doesn't mean that one is willing to sacrifice quality. Nikon has long favoured the 300/2.8 with numerous updates (six autofocus versions) and neglected the 300/4 (which has had only two).</p>

<p>Still I think it's important that Nikon caters to the specialist high end user such as those who need the 800/5.6. If e.g. Reuters (whose photographers predominantly use Canon) decides to switch all their Canon gear with Nikon gear, it's a huge PR victory for Nikon. A 800/5.6 VR AF-S may be one component of the system that is needed to bring them in.</p>

<p>I suspect the lack of an update to the D300s speaks of this same attitude. Rather than sell a D400+500/4 to users who want it, the company would much rather see them buy a D4+800/5.6 (or D800+800/5.6), or at least dream about it if they can't buy it.</p>

[wogears]

<p>Of course it's 'ground-breaking'. If you drop it, the ground (and the lens) will break.</p>

[liljuddakalilknyttphotogra]

<p>Well I'm sticking with my 300-800mm f/5.6 AF Sigma - Sigmonster. I will be using it until I no longer can lift it. I have my Beach Rolly to transport it & I'm not giving it up. I love it :-)<br>

<br />But there's no way I'd by an 800mm prime - - I'd never find anything in the frame :-) I've loved zooms since the first time I found them. Since - I love zooms. I have primes - rarely use them. Which is why I'm right now going through my lenses to see what to sell off. I need to finance the D800E or whatever comes after the D300 (D400 or whatever). Trust me - it's the primes which are going. <br>

<br />JMHO</p>

[scottelly]

<p>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/384408-USA/Sigma_152306_800mm_f_5_6_EX_DG.html</p>

<p>Probably about as good, and I have no doubt it is MUCH cheaper than anything Nikon will make in that focal length.</p>