Nikon
-
Nikon Plena lens teaser debuts on YouTube
UPDATE: Nikon has announced the Plena lens. Nikon has published a video teaser for a new lens called Plena, which is due to be announced on Wednesday, 27th September. While not much is known about it at this time, the yellow-coloured font is similar to that used by Nikon with the Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct and a nod to the Zeiss cine primes. The new Plena lens therefore is almost certainly aimed at the cinematography/filmmaking crowd and targeting the rental houses. While it could feature AF, if it is a cinema lens it is likely manual focus only and expensive (upwards of £3.5K more likely above £5k). Judging…
-
Nikon Z8 and Z9 firmware out of sync
Reading about the Nikon Z8 and Z9 firmware being out of sync reminded me of how camera companies are set up in Japan. In the West, we tend to think of them as run top-down, working as one, but that’s not the case in Japan. Factories there are mostly autonomous with head offices having only limited control over them. Ironically perhaps, the bigger the companies are the more autonomy each factory has. And each in turn is run competitively against the other. Nikon hasn’t made it clear if both models are made in the same factory or not but, even if they are, it’s likely that they have different software…
-
Images leak of two Nikon Nikkor Z MC lenses: 105mm F2.8 VR S and 50mm F2.8
Images have leaked of two, as yet un-announced, Nikkor “MC” lenses; the full-frame Nikkor MC 105mm F2.8 VR S, and what’s now confirmed as another full-frame model, the Nikkor MC 50mm F2.8. The “MC” designation has not been used by Nikon previously, but speculatively, it’s most likely a true macro (1:1) and without any de-focus image control DC function, like the Canon version or as per the older AF-Nikkor DC 105mm F2.0 D and 135mm F2.0 D models. Neither of those were macro lenses but it’s common for the 100mm macro lenses to double for portraiture due to their close focus capabilities. At least, that’s the current view based on…
-
Nikon Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct: Initial Impressions
The Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct is one of Nikon’s showcase lenses – a sort of throwback to the early days of Nikon’s interest in optical research. It’s certainly a lens that splits opinions – I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about it – though there’s no denying it’s a beautifully made lens that’s capable of extremely high image quality in all its nuances. You can read additional opinion on this lens here. Build Like other Nikon exotics it’s delivered in a massively oversized cardboard box but inside it contains a large Pelican type hard-case, instead of the more usual soft-padded type. I didn’t weigh the case…
-
Nikon to launch new Noct-Nikkor end of October
Update: Nikon UK kindly sent me one to review for a leading UK photo magazine – you can see my first impressions here. Nikon’s previously announced Nikkor Z 58mm F0.95 S Noct is set to ship at the end of the month (31st October) for a shade under $8,000 in the US, and around £8,299 (in VAT) in UK. The ultra-high speed Z-mount lens takes the Noct moniker from the AI/AIS 58mm F1.2 from the 70’s and early 80’s (first production was 1977) respectively. That lens was originally designed for low-light reportage and featured a single large diameter, hand-ground aspherical element in its optical design, where the brighter…
-
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens review: Nikon’s best tele-zoom
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm F4E TC1.4 FL ED VR is an updated version of the AF-S Nikkor 200-400mm F4G ED VR – one of the first lenses Nikon added stabilisation (VR) to (the other being the AF-S Nikkor 200mm F2.0, effectively a 300mm on the DX only bodies back then) and the favourite of animal safari photographers everywhere. Not surprisingly, it’s also a popular choice with those that cover sports. This new model though is much more than just an update – it’s a re-designed lens complete with a built-in 1.4x teleconverter that’s meant to counter the Canon EF 200-400mm F4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, itself a showcase model…
-
New Nikkor Z series lens to arrive in September
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S, a short fixed focal length prime lens for its full-frame mirrorless Z system. Nikon claims that the new fast portrait lens stands out for its “edge-to-edge sharpness” and “natural-looking bokeh”. Focus breathing “is all but eliminated,” Nikon add. Compared to the existing AF-S Nikkor 85mm F1.8G the new lens has the same minimum focus, filter thread size, and weighs 70g more. The new lens is also 19mm longer, though it’s smaller in diameter by 2mm. Nikon currently advertise the AF-S lens with a list of £499. The new lens will go on sale in September, 2019 at a list price of…
-
Initial Thoughts on the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 and Nikon Z 7 (Updated)
Firstly, I still don’t feel like I’ve had enough time to fully come to terms with the Nikon Z 7. I’ve used it often but it takes months to be accustomed to working with a new camera, even as a camera reviewer with nearly 20 years’ experience (first in print and then online). Plusses include build and viewfinder quality even for my aging eyesight. It also has enough modes to accommodate a wide range of shooting scenarios including the new Eye-detection AF option which allows you to easily switch between left and right eyes using the joystick (or sub-selector, as Nikon call it). That’s a nice feature but it…
-
Nikon to add Eye AF option in firmware update
If the Eye AF feature is as good as that found on the Sony a7 (later models) and a9, and the new Canon EOS R which has seen a fair amount of negative press (and mostly unwarranted in my opinion), then it will be a highly- prized option.
-
Nikon announces availability of ultra-wide 14-30mm F4 S zoom for Z-mount
Nikon has officially announced the Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S lens, the first ultra-wide, moderate speed zoom for its full-frame mirrorless system. The Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4 S was previously disclosed in a ‘roadmap’ during the launch of the new system at Photokina 2018. Weighing just 485g (17oz) and measuring 85mm (3.5 ins) long when retracted, the new lens is relatively light and compact, especially when compared with the current Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm F4G ED VR for DSLRs. With a nearly flat front element the new lens also supports screw-in (82mm) filters, a world’s first for the focal length at the time of publishing according to Nikon. The…
You must be logged in to post a comment.