Nikon Introduces 18-300mm/3.5-6.3 DX Lens and Coolpix S810C

[ShunCheung]

<p>The new lens is the second 18-300mm DX AF-S VR lens, but this one is a smaller f3.5-6.3 that uses 67mm filters, vs. the old one that is f3.5-5.6 with 77mm filters. In the US, the suggested price is $899.95.</p>

<p>This is the very first Nikon AF lens that is below f5.6 in any part of its zoom range. One of the major complaint about the old version of the 18-300mm DX zoom is that it is a huge DX lens. This slower, f6.3 version is clearly designed to reduce the size. However, it is still very expensive for a slow DX zoom. The old version is $999.95 but sometimes with a $300 rebate.</p>

<p>The Coolpix S810C is Android enabled with built-in wifi and GPS. It has a 16MP CMOS sensor and a 12x zoom lens, 25-300mm equivalent. The LCD is a huge 3.7" one with touch control. $349.95</p>

<p>The attached images are Nikon news images they supplied to us for the announcement.</p><div></div>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Nikon Japan news articles:</p>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://nikon.com/news/2014/0410_lens_03.htm">AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR</a></li>

<li><a href="http://nikon.com/news/2014/0410_cpx_02.htm">Digital Compact Camera Nikon COOLPIX S810c</a></li>

<li><a href="http://nikon.com/news/2014/0410_acil_01.htm">Nikon 1 J4</a></li>

</ul>

<p>For our international members, Nikon also announced a Nikon 1 J4 camera, a corresponding underwater housing for the J4 and an underwater speedlight. Please read the Nikon Japan news articles for the details. Those three Nikon 1 mirrorless products are not announced in the US at this time so that no pricing info is available, but I am sure they will be available in the US later on.</p><div></div>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>Just what's missing in the Nikon DX lens line-up - another 18-xx(x) lens! By my count this is #12 now. Only the first (18-70) didn't go to f/5.6 towards the long end (f/3.5-4.5). Twice the price of the Tamron 18-270/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD...<br /></p>

[chrisnielsen]

<p>I've been buying inexpensive old second hand manual focus lenses for so long I had forgotten what the new stuff costs. Yikes that is expensive!</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>A second 18-300 sounds like an excellent way to confuse customers. Especially those most interested in these lenses, who already have little idea what 5.6 or 6.3 actually means.... I can only assume the original first 18-300 will be put End of Life fairly soon?<br>

And that said, the original 18-300 was really far too big and bulky, so this move makes sense. It should even make it possible to put the 18-200 end of life, and clean up the catalog.</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>The J4 does 20fps with full AF-C, same as the V3, but I can't find in the blurb the number of frames I can capture?</p>

<p>These are not the same kinda buffers on DSLRs because they don't seem to empty during use, so a high-speed card makes no difference. The MAX frame number recordable is preset. The One series seem to be all going microSD.</p>

<p>So, DX cameras can all function completely happily with a sub f5.6 max aperture? Who'd have thought it. I had a memory only the higher FX DSLRs could do that.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<blockquote>

<p>DX cameras can all function completely happily with a sub f5.6 max aperture? Who'd have thought it. I had a memory only the higher FX DSLRs could do that.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It's a bit more subtle: Nikon previously stated that reliable AF operation could not be guaranteed with lenses slower than f/5.6. However, it was not said it did not function (unlike Canon, who had/has models that simply refuse AF if the lens mounted is slower than f/5.6). For example, a 300 f/4 with TC17 (=500 f/6.7) was not guaranteed to have AF. In reality, in good light, it did work slow and erratic on a D80, and OK on a D300 (not no AF tracking).<br /> Newer models (D7100, D6x0, D800 and D4) instead have the same 'limit' at f/8 instead.</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>Wouter, that's good to know about the DX model(s), I'd missed that that ability was now possible.</p>

 

[Peter_in_PA]

<p>That new 18-300 is further proof that at least one decision-maker at Nikon doesn't care about photography.</p>

<p>Superzooms were pretty useful in the days of 6MP cameras. That time has come and gone.</p>

<p>fwiw, in even slightly dim light, any lens I've ever used that was f5.6 at the long end struggled a LOT to focus. f6.3 is a bad bad idea.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>There are plenty of third-party zooms from Sigma and Tamron that are f6.3 on the long end. This is the first time Nikon has gone below f5.6 on an AF lens. Those lenses are definitely going to be a problem indoors with iffy AF.</p>

<p>Again, one of the main complaints about the original 18-300mm/f3.5-5.6 is that it is a huge lens for a DX super zoom, negating some of the conveniences. As far as I know, both versions of the 18-300 will continue to be available so that people who want a super zoom have a choice. However, $900 and $1000 is a lot of money for just one lens for the typical owners of D3000 and D5000 series consumer DSLRs.</p>

[chip_chipowski]

<blockquote>

<p>That new 18-300 is further proof that at least one decision-maker at Nikon doesn't care about photography.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I think I know where <em><strong>you</strong></em> are coming from, but I think your statement is over broad. </p>

<p>First, I have no doubt a skilled photographer could produce tremendous images with the lens (and he or she may have reasons to need/want such a wide zoom range). Certainly that photographer is not capturing "state of the art" quality, but photography is not defined so narrowly.</p>

<p>Second, if a superzoom was useful for a 6MP camera then how is it not useful any longer?? Just because you have a 24MP camera, doesn't mean you can't enjoy prints when viewed at the same size as your 6MP camera. I understand they look different at 100% but that is not a fair comparison (unless I am missing something of practical importance).</p>

<p>Finally, these are very popular lenses so Nikon would be foolish to allow Tamron and Sigma to capture the market for them. </p>

[nishnishant]

<p>Confused about the f/6.3. I thought their sensors needed a minimum of f/5.6 for auto-focus to work correctly. </p>

[pge]

<p>Nikon has been known to release a lens more or less designed for a soon to be released body. The 24-85mm VR and the D600 come to mind. Although f6.3 is above the suggested range for most of the current dx bodies, it may indicate that either there is a new dx body around the corner, or at the least all new dx bodies will have f8 AF compatibility.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Confused about the f/6.3. I thought their sensors needed a minimum of f/5.6 for auto-focus to work correctly.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Starting with the D4 in 2012, the Multi-CAM 3500 AF module on the new DSLRs can AF with f8 lenses, usually as the result of mounting a 2X TC onto max f4 super teles (e.g. TC-20E onto the 300mm/f4 AF-S or other f4 AF-S lenses) or mounting the TC-14E onto the 80-400mm/f4.5-5.6 AF-S VR. The Multi-CAM 4800 AF module on FX bodies can also do that.</p>

<p>Therefore, for example, the D7100 has been able to AF with f8 lenses for over a year.</p>

<p>But even back in the 1990's, my F5 was also able to AF with f8 lenses (f4 super tele with 2X TC) under good light. When the light is dim, AF would hunt.</p>

[phule]

<p>Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $350 470g<br /> Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $380 (current rebate price) 450g<br /> Tamron <strong>16</strong>-300mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $630 540g<br /> Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $900 550g</p>

<p><br /> Nikon's decision on pricing does not make much sense to me.</p>

<p> </p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Tamron <strong>16</strong>-300mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $630 540g<br /> Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 @ $900 550g</p>

</blockquote>

<p>If Tamron can charge $630 for a similar lens (yes, I know the Tamron is 2mm wider on the short end), I am sure that Nikon feels they can charge a premium.</p>

<p>The problem is that Nikon introduced their first version of the 18-300mm DX two years ago. Only less than a year after that, Nikon was already offering a $300 rebate: http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00bLoU</p>

<p>This field is getting crowded with too many options. Just Nikon themselves is providing two of them. If you are not in a hurry, perhaps it may pay to wait a few months to a year.</p>

[andylynn]

Does Nikin actually impose any limits on f/stops a camera will AF with? I thought the 5.6 and the 8 were guidelines based

on judgment calls about what level of AF performance would be acceptable in average situations. The actual AF

performance will depend on the camera and lens and also the amount of light available, because the AF sensor requires

light to hit it in order to work.

 

So in broad daylight a D60 with an f/6.3 lens is actually going to lock on better than a D800 with an f/1.8 lens can in

darkness. (I know that from experience.) I bet this lens follows the usual consumer slow lens pattern - great in bright light,

crap indoors or in the evening, sure to generate questions on web sites from users who got it with their D3300 and are

confused about why all their basketball photos are blurry.

[phule]

<p>[[if Tamron can charge $630 for a similar lens (yes, I know the Tamron is 2mm wider on the short end), I am sure that Nikon feels they can charge a premium.]]</p>

<p>That $630 price was just released today. That is not a price for a lens that's been on the market for months. The lens itself was announced only in February.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<blockquote>

<p>Does Nikin actually impose any limits on f/stops a camera will AF with?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No, Nikon doesn't. As I said, back in the late 1990's, I mounted my TC-20E onto the 500mm/f4 AF-S, which yields a 1000mm/f8 lens and the F5 could AF with it, although just barely. Under good light, the AF sort of worked. In the shadows, it would hunt like crazy.</p>

<p>Apparently Canon had a different approach. In that same era (1997 or so), some friends of mine had the EOS 1b (or something similar) and a 500mm/f4.5 EF lens. Since that is an f4.5 instead of f4, when you mount a 1.4x TC, the combo drops below f5.6 and the Canon body would automatically switch off AF. But again, that was a long time ago.</p>

[nishnishant]

<p>Thanks Shun. Useful to know.</p>

[andrew_powers]

<p>Did anyone see the incorrect price on the Adorama email offering on the 18-300. ($299.95) to bad it's a typo! The preorder link has the correct price.<br>

Andy</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>And here is the competition - just announced <strong>Tamron 16-300MM F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD MACRO</strong>: http://tamron-usa.com/news/35mm/16300_B016_apr14.asp<br>

Doesn't cost $899 - only $629. Starts shipping May 15 - so Nikon has about a three week head start ;-)</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Maybe Tamron decided to set their price to $629, after seeing that Nikon set theirs to $899.95.</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>I don't believe for a minute that the selling price isn't determined way before the announcement of a new lens is made. Even if the announcement is made without a price mentioned (like it was for the Sigma 50/1.4 Art or is for the Sony A7s). I believe that Sigma made a clever move aiming for the Otus and waiting for some tests to confirm that they are indeed close at hitting the mark - and then revealing the price at 1/4 of the Otus price. Now we have a $949 50mm lens that doesn't sound "expensive" but appears to be a bargain compared to the Otus or the $1700 Nikon 58/1.4. Without the internet hype, and with the price revealed right away, people would more likely focus on the fact that it costs about twice as much as the Nikon 50/1.4G or the older Sigma 50/1.4.</p>