Nikon Announce 800mm F/5.6 Telephoto Lens

Nikon has announced the development of a massive new autofocus telephoto lens, the Nikkor 800mm f/5.6.

Nikon has just announced their longest autofocus telephoto lens ever, the Nikkor 800mm f/5.6. While they have previously manufactured a monster 1200mm-1700mm telephoto zoom, that lens was manual focus only.

The new 800mm f/5.6 is still currently in development, but will be on show at the British Open next week – Nikon has been a sponsor of the golf championship since 1993 – and it will also be on display at Photokina in September.

At 800mm, the lens is aimed at highly specialised uses, and as such it will most likely be manufactured in limited numbers, although this is purely speculation. If we receive more information from Nikon South Africa, we’ll keep you updated!

Update – Press Release from Nikon South Africa:

Johannesburg, South Africa, 12 July 2012 – Nikon today announced the development of a ground breaking super-telephoto, fixed focal length lens to add to its line-up of full frame (FX) NIKKOR lenses. The 800mm, AF-S lens, with a bright aperture of f/5.6 and VR (Vibration Reduction) system, will be fully compatible with the auto focus system of all Nikon FX-format cameras.

The new lens has been developed to further strengthen the NIKKOR line-up of super-telephoto lenses. It will boast the longest focal length of any NIKKOR autofocus lens, and has been designed with field sports, news and wildlife photographers in mind. In addition to its superior optical performance, the lens will offer dust and water resistance.

“We are very excited to showcase a ground breaking new milestone in NIKKOR development at this summer’s major sporting events” said Romi Jacobs, Chief Marketing Officer for Nikon in South Africa.

“It reflects our ongoing philosophy to turn ‘feedback into fact’ for the world’s leading news, sports and wildlife photographers,” she added.

A prototype of the new lens will be premiered to professional photographers at the Open Golf Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England, between July 19th and 22nd 2012. Nikon has been an official sponsor of The Open Championship since 1993. The lens will also be on show to the general public visiting Photokina 2012, the world’s largest photo and imaging exhibition, in Cologne, Germany, from September 18th to 23rd.

Earlier this month, Nikon announced that total production of NIKKOR lenses for interchangeable lens cameras had reached seventy million and that the total production of AF-S lenses equipped with the Silent Wave Motor (SWM), the autofocus motor developed by Nikon, had reached 30 million. This year, Nikon released three professional FX-format D-SLR cameras: the flagship Nikon D4, the Nikon D800 and Nikon D800E, which offer incredible resolution and image quality.

An on-sale date, suggested retail price and further specifications will be announced by Nikon Corporation at a later date.

Nikon Professional Services

Nikon has been providing service and support to professional photographers for roughly fifty years through the activities of its Nikon Professional Services (NPS). In addition to providing maintenance and repairs for the equipment professional photographers use every day, NPS service depots are set up at a variety of international sporting and cultural events. At these service depots, photographers can have their kit inspected and repaired, and they can also borrow equipment.

For more information about Nikon’s award winning products please visit: www.nikon.co.za

Thanks, Roger!