New Nikon Lens

Nikon Spring Launch: LensesBy Alan Sircom
Nikon's popular 18-70 DX lens got a new rival today, in the shape of the £430 AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. 17 elements in 11 groups, with two ED glass elements, three aspherical lens elements, and the latest VR II vibration reduction. The 485g lens has a 67mm filter attachment and its AF-S motor allows it to be used with the new D60, D40 and D40x, but cannot be used with the D3 or 35mm film bodies.

Less well anticipated is a new version of the long-standing 60mm Micro Nikkor. The new £360 AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED lens retains the f/2.8 maximum aperture, but now sports a Nano Crystal coating and AF-S motors. Made up of 12 elements in nine groups, with one ED glass element and two aspherical lenses, the new Micro Nikkor can focus as close as 18.5cm and has a 1.0x reproduction ratio.

Finally, the shock launch of the three is the £1,100 PC-E Micro Nikkor 24mm f/3.5D ED. This sees a return to wide shift lens manufacture for Nikon. It features full tilt and shift functions, with 12 elements in 10 groups, two Super ED elements, the Nano Crystal coat and can focus down to 18.5cm and has 1.0x maximum reproduction ratio. The new lens is said to be capable of delivering ±11.5mm shift and ±8.5 ° tilt.


At the press conference, Nikon intimated that it would be releasing more prime lenses this year, including two more Perspective Control lenses in the near future - likely to be a 45mm f/2.8 and a replacement for the 85mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor.

www.nikon.co.uk

I wonder how many of you understood all that lot!

I suppose you have bought a couple of these lenses to enhance your street cred mate.

well the shift lens is of course an engineering lens, not really my think., I will be buying a new one to go with the D300 though, a fast Nikkor it i`ve got any money left, I still have an excellent autofocus 600mm,. cost me 2K, a brilliant lens has its own tripod fitting, really good for the old street cred

More like an architectural lens isn't it Monk? Designed so that buildings don't all look like that tower in Pisa.

Shift lenses have a function similar to the bellows on a plate camera.It prevents converging verticals.

yes thats the one Graham/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif, I`ve got a set olf bellows which I use for macro Ron, they separate the lens from the camera, more versatile than tubes, I used to use them for photographing butterflies and small invertibrates

see this and remembered ....ooops

just back from PO Graham its on its way !

Shift lenses have been made less important by digital processing, with which you can correct converging verticals on screen. It's not difficult to do.

I just invested in a 12-24 Tokina from Aah So Rens Company, Kowloon, and I'm chuffed to nuts with it. A lovely handling lens with a really useful focal length range. I'm good for 12mm to 200mm now.

Its nothing new, I have had one of theselenses for years, I had a special fitting made for the front of my Kodak Brownie 127, which it sort of twist-locs into, still get superb photo's with it, It go's from 60mm-1000mm in seven seconds, and go's down to f/1.00 in less than three second's. The sad fact is you cannot get them any more.They stopped making the chequered tape for them, and they used to much petrol.