Comments on: More AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR http://www.nikonwatch.com/2008/01/09/more-af-s-dx-nikkor-16-85mm-f35-56g-ed-vr/ Helping you figure out WTF Nikon's doing... D700x? D4? Rangefinder? Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:35:15 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Nikon Watch » Blog Archive » PMA 2008- New PC, New Macro, New Consumer SLR/Lens, Some Coolpix’s… http://www.nikonwatch.com/2008/01/09/more-af-s-dx-nikkor-16-85mm-f35-56g-ed-vr/comment-page-1/#comment-349 Nikon Watch » Blog Archive » PMA 2008- New PC, New Macro, New Consumer SLR/Lens, Some Coolpix’s… Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:45:52 +0000 http://www.nikonwatch.com/?p=419#comment-349 [...] And a new consumer-grade lens that I seem to recall seeing somewhere else… [...] [...] And a new consumer-grade lens that I seem to recall seeing somewhere else… [...]

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.nikonwatch.com/2008/01/09/more-af-s-dx-nikkor-16-85mm-f35-56g-ed-vr/comment-page-1/#comment-320 Jonathan Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:04:04 +0000 http://www.nikonwatch.com/?p=419#comment-320 Meh. The 16-85 leaves me cold, but I'm sure it will help sell whatever is the successor to the D40/D40X. An 85 1.2 AF-S doesn't seem entirely outside the realm of possibility, but your price for it does. Considering the street price for the venerable 85 1.4 "cream machine" hovers around $1000-1200, I'd expect to see it somewhere around $2000 if it comes. And even that may be foolishly optimistic. Bear in mind that the 50/1.4 is almost 3x the cost of the 50/1.8, and the AF-S 300/2.8 is about 3.5x the street price of the AF-S 300/4. Speed doesn't come cheap. Personally, I'd be perfectly happy with an optically-identical AF-S version of the 85 1.4D, especially if it managed to go AF-S without also being a G lens. Call me old-fashioned, but I like dedicated aperture rings. If new pro primes are coming, my wishful-but-reasonable prediction would be: 28/1.4 AF-S G (It's ba-aaaaack! This time around selling for only $12-1300ish, and actually selling well, because it will appeal to both D3 owners and potential Sigma 30/1.4 purchasers on the DX format willing to lay out more cash for the Nikon marque and full-frame coverage. At this price it might be a loss-leader even after the cost savings of the G technology, but it will certainly draw some attention to the brand, and I think it would be enthusiastically adopted by pros using the D300 as a backup to their D3s. Fast wide on one, fast normal on the other - win win!) 50 or 58/1.2 AF-S G (before we get an 85/1.2, we'll be more likely to see one of these since Nikon already has the existing 1.2 formulas to work from. The 50/1.2 AI-S is even still in production, but my wish is for the 58 because it's a better length on DX format. Sell one of these "new autofocus Nokts" at about $550-600 street and it will steal some thunder from the Voigtlander 58/1.4 MF Nokton that has excited a lot of Nikon owners) 85/1.4 AF-S G (Same great lens, now with the newest Nikon technology. Same price as the current 1.4D, but users get AF-S focusing, and Nikon gets to cut costs by making it a G lens. Maybe VRII as well?) I think that's my entire monthly quota of careless speculation in a single post. Can't wait to see what Nikon actually brings to PMA...hope it's good! Meh. The 16-85 leaves me cold, but I’m sure it will help sell whatever is the successor to the D40/D40X.

An 85 1.2 AF-S doesn’t seem entirely outside the realm of possibility, but your price for it does. Considering the street price for the venerable 85 1.4 “cream machine” hovers around $1000-1200, I’d expect to see it somewhere around $2000 if it comes. And even that may be foolishly optimistic.

Bear in mind that the 50/1.4 is almost 3x the cost of the 50/1.8, and the AF-S 300/2.8 is about 3.5x the street price of the AF-S 300/4. Speed doesn’t come cheap.

Personally, I’d be perfectly happy with an optically-identical AF-S version of the 85 1.4D, especially if it managed to go AF-S without also being a G lens. Call me old-fashioned, but I like dedicated aperture rings.

If new pro primes are coming, my wishful-but-reasonable prediction would be:

28/1.4 AF-S G
(It’s ba-aaaaack! This time around selling for only $12-1300ish, and actually selling well, because it will appeal to both D3 owners and potential Sigma 30/1.4 purchasers on the DX format willing to lay out more cash for the Nikon marque and full-frame coverage. At this price it might be a loss-leader even after the cost savings of the G technology, but it will certainly draw some attention to the brand, and I think it would be enthusiastically adopted by pros using the D300 as a backup to their D3s. Fast wide on one, fast normal on the other – win win!)

50 or 58/1.2 AF-S G
(before we get an 85/1.2, we’ll be more likely to see one of these since Nikon already has the existing 1.2 formulas to work from. The 50/1.2 AI-S is even still in production, but my wish is for the 58 because it’s a better length on DX format. Sell one of these “new autofocus Nokts” at about $550-600 street and it will steal some thunder from the Voigtlander 58/1.4 MF Nokton that has excited a lot of Nikon owners)

85/1.4 AF-S G
(Same great lens, now with the newest Nikon technology. Same price as the current 1.4D, but users get AF-S focusing, and Nikon gets to cut costs by making it a G lens. Maybe VRII as well?)

I think that’s my entire monthly quota of careless speculation in a single post. Can’t wait to see what Nikon actually brings to PMA…hope it’s good!

]]> By: manitou22 http://www.nikonwatch.com/2008/01/09/more-af-s-dx-nikkor-16-85mm-f35-56g-ed-vr/comment-page-1/#comment-319 manitou22 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:05:24 +0000 http://www.nikonwatch.com/?p=419#comment-319 I want a wide angle tilt-shift! I want a wide angle tilt-shift!

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