Nikon Announce 2 New FX-Format Lenses

Say hello to Nikon’s two new Nikkor lenses – the massive telephoto 800mm f/5.6E and the wide-angle 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G.

AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 G ED

The new Nikkor 18-35mm is an affordable wide-angle zoom for full frame shooters. Offering an angle of view of 100mm at the wide end, the lens will be perfect for interiors, architecture and landscapes. For more information, view the press release below.

AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E EL ED VR

Nikon’s new 800mm telephoto is actually surprisingly compact and lightweight for its extreme focal length, thanks to advanced fluorite elements and magnesium alloy construction. Each 800mm will also come bundled with a dedicated and matched 1.25x teleconverter, extending the reach up to 1000mm. For more information, view the press release below.

Pricing and Availability

No ETAs or prices yet – keep an eye on Orms Direct for updates.

Press Releases

Johannesburg, South Africa, 29 January 2013 – Nikon in South Africa today launches a new wide-angle zoom lens, the AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED.

The AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED is a versatile, lightweight lens that brings the NIKKOR wide-angle offering up to date, strengthening Nikon’s FX-format lineup. This AF-S lens features improved optical construction and Silent Wave Motor for quiet, fast, accurate autofocus when attached to any Nikon D-SLR camera body.

With superb image quality and up to a 100º angle of view, the AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED offers advanced and amateur photographers an affordable way to experiment with the unique perspectives that wide-angle zoom lenses can achieve. At 18 mm, it delivers an immersive, super-wide angle of view, perfect for taking eye-catching photos of cityscapes or enclosed spaces. At 35 mm, the lens produces classic, distortion-free wide-angle shots, ideal for general photography and capturing spur-of-the-moment street life in a bustling city.

“Wide-angle photography offers a wealth of creative opportunities, but achieving optimal results places high technical demands on the lenses” says Romi Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer for Nikon in South Africa. “We have used our extensive knowledge and experience in optics to produce an affordable lens of uncompromising quality that meets the needs of new-generation, high-resolution D-SLRs.”

Flexible and accessible
Optimized for use with high resolution, full-frame digital SLR cameras, the AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED delivers excellent images—without breaking the bank. It’s ideal for advanced amateur photographers or D-SLR enthusiasts who want to explore the flexibility of shooting with different lenses. This multifaceted lens is capable of delivering great results in a wide range of shooting situations, and is sure to find a permanent home in many kit bags thanks to its practical, portable design.

Simply superior
The newly designed optical formula of the AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED features 12 elements in eight groups. Three aspherical lenses and two ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements produce superior resolution and correct unwanted aberrations and distortions, while the Nikon Super Integrated Coating reduces ghosting and flare, even in backlit situations.

Compact and lightweight
Weighing just 385 g (13.6 oz), this is a true “carry-anywhere” lens that’s compatible with all Nikon D-SLR cameras including entry level D-SLRs without a built-in autofocus motor. Its high-quality, ergonomic construction, metal mount, and rubber weather-sealing provide extra durability when traveling.
The AF-S NIKKOR 18–35mm f/3.5–4.5G ED is supplied with a lens hood and a soft, protective pouch.

Specifications

• Focal length: 18–35mm
• Max. aperture: f/3.5–4.5
• Min. aperture: f/22–29
• Lens construction: 12 elements in eight groups (with two ED glass and three aspherical lens elements, and Nikon Super Integrated Coating)
• Picture angle: 100°–63° (76°–44° for Nikon DX format)
• No. diaphragm blades: 7 pcs. (rounded)
• Closest focusing distance: 0.28 m (0.92 ft) from focal plane
• Filter/attachment size: 77 mm
• Diameter x length: Approximately 83 x 95 mm (3.3 x 3.7 in.)
• Weight: Approximately 385 g (13.6 oz)

Johannesburg, South Africa, 29 January 2013 – Nikon in South Africa today launches a new super-telephoto, single-focal-length lens with dedicated teleconverter. The AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens with AF-S TELECONVERTER TC800-1.25E ED uses high-end components and advanced technologies to lower weight, improve handling, and enhance image quality. It’s the first NIKKOR lens to use sophisticated technologies and materials like electromagnetic diaphragm control and fluorite lens elements, alongside tried-and-tested features like Vibration Reduction and Nano Crystal Coat.

Boasting the longest focal length in the NIKKOR range, this premium lens is an ideal choice for professional sports and press photographers. When moving nearer to the subject is not an option, the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR delivers the extra reach that brings the subject closer to the camera.

“We developed this lens with the demands of the most discerning professional photographers in mind,” Romi Jacobs, Chief Operating Officer for Nikon in South Africa. “Not only did we reduce the weight of the typically heavy super-telephoto, and pack the lens full of new to NIKKOR technologies, we also went further—designing a custom-tuned teleconverter to extend the lens’s focal length and ensure that it rightfully occupies the flagship role in our super-telephoto lens lineup.”

Nikon announced the development of the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR in the summer of 2012. Prototypes of the lens were displayed at Photokina in Cologne and tested at major sporting events, where they received highly positive reactions.

Lightweight body with fluorite elements
For a lens that delivers such extreme reach, the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR is surprisingly light and well-balanced. This has been achieved by manufacturing the body from a lightweight, rugged magnesium alloy, and by crafting an improved optical construction that includes two fluorite elements.

The optical system contains a total of 20 elements in 13 groups, including two fluorite and two ED elements. Using fluorite for the front two elements makes the lens’s front portion lighter, and shifts its center of gravity to the rear, ensuring comfortable handling and stable operation. The fluorite elements also deliver superior optical performance, achieving high transmission rates with minimal chromatic aberration and much lower dispersion properties than even super ED glass. Nikon’s antireflective Nano Crystal Coat is employed to ensure clear images with minimal flare and ghosting.
The lens also includes a curved meniscus protective glass, and is supplied with a 52mm NC filter. There’s even a convenient slip-in 52mm filter holder located at the back of the lens.

Highly accurate electromagnetic diaphragm control
The electromagnetic diaphragm reliably achieves highly accurate aperture control with an extremely low incidence of errors. This precise mechanism also provides enhanced stability in auto exposure control during continuous shooting, and increased accuracy—especially when the lens is used with its teleconverter, requiring double aperture linkage.

To improve stability, the VR (Vibration Reduction) mechanism provides compensation equivalent to a shutter speed approximately four stops faster. Normal and Active VR modes deliver stable shooting for different amounts and rates of camera movement, while automatic tripod detection reduces vibration from shutter release when the camera is mounted on a tripod. The AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR also has an integrated tripod foot for improved balance when attached to a tripod.
The lens incorporates SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for fast, accurate focus acquisition. Three focus modes are employed: A/M (autofocus with manual override, AF priority mode), M/A (switch from autofocus to manual operation in any AF mode instantly), and M (manual).

Dedicated teleconverter
Every AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR is supplied with an AF-S TELECONVERTER TC800-1.25E ED—the first teleconverter to employ an ED glass element to correct chromatic aberration, an issue to which long focal length lenses are especially prone.

Developed exclusively for use with the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR (not sold separately), each teleconverter is custom-tuned with the individual lens in order to maintain its superior optical performance, while extending the lens’s focal length to 1,000 mm.

The lens and its dedicated teleconverter are supplied in a hard carrying case (TC-801) for convenient, safe transportation.

Specifications

• Focal length: 800 mm
• Max. aperture: f/5.6
• Min. aperture: f/32
• Lens construction: 20 elements in 13 groups (plus one protective glass)
• No. diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)
• Closest focusing distance: 5.9 m (19.4 ft) in AF mode; 5.8 m (19.0 ft) in MF mode
• Filter/attachment size: 52 mm
• Diameter x length: Approximately 160 x 461 mm (6.3 x 18.1 in.)
• Weight: Approximately 4,590 g (161.9 oz) or 4,725 g (166.7 oz) with the teleconverter attached
• Remarks: Dedicated AF-S TELECONVERTER TC800-1.25E ED supplied

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