Nikon accessories & lenses

According to NR, the announcements of new Nikon for the PMA will be very limited: “several large aperture prime lenses and light compact zoom lens this year”.

The official PMA press conferences will happen in the coming hours, but this probably means “no SLR“.

Updated on 9-Feb: As a matter of fact, the Nikon press conference only presents the new AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED & AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR (source: DPReview).

It is sometimes difficult for the budding photographer (or for more seasoned ones, also) to clearly grab the differences between focal lengths. Nikon comes to our help with their Lens Simulator. Nothing absolutely new, but a nice one (even taking into account the differences between DX and FX formats – APS-C and Full Frame).

Lens simulator

When you use an expensive SLR camera you are often tempted to purchase a specialty lens like a ultra-wide angle (fish eye) lens.

But, apart from the rare occasions when you really need it, it’s too expensive for you and me. Why not build it yourself? Instructables does the demonstration with a Nikon D90, but it could be done with any other camera.

How to make a fish eye lens for a Nikon D-90 Digital SLR for $16

Today is clearly a big day for Nikon marketing department, since they not only launch two major SLR cameras, but this also comes with a couple of nice lenses:

• The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR II improved to correct the unpleasant ‘zoom creep‘ of previous versions, at a list price of €887.00 / $849.95 / £729.99 (from September 2009)
• The AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F/2.8G ED VR II which should become on of the most successful lens products for both the pro and the enthusiast, at a list price of €2430 / $2399.95 / £1999 (from November 2009)

AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR II	AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR II
AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F/2.8G ED VR II	AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm F/2.8G ED VR II

We should discover tomorrow that Nikon updated one of its most attractive tele-zoom lenses, the 70-200mm. The new AF-S Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8G ED VR II is expected by RP to have the following specs:

• Image stabilization: VR II.
• Lens with nano-coating.
• New faster AF.
• 1540g weight (70g more than the previous model).
• 209mm length (a bit shorter than the previous model).
• Shortest focusing: 1.4m.
• Filter diameter: 77mm.

Also expected tomorrow: Another new lens, the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II.

Apparently, this is the Nikon month… News after news.

Tamron rewrote its web site. This was the occasion to move the Lens Comparison Tool but it is still useful to compare a 400mm with a 500mm (or a 35mm with a 50mm).

Tamron - Lens Comparison Tool (based on focal length)

But you can also find a similar tool at Olympus (and it takes into account the specificities of 4/3 sensor format, of course): Perfect Lens finder.

Olympus Perfect Lens Finder

An interesting tidbit in the just-published Nikon financial data for fiscal year 2008 is that -despite obvious diffculties in nearly all markets- sales of photo lenses went up by 9%.

With the announcement of the Nikon D5000, Nikon also presented a new wide-angle zoom that may be able to attract the attention of many enthusiast Nikon lens lovers.

NIKKOR 10-24 mm f/3.5-4.5G ED (AF-S DX)

Nikon Press Release

(more…)

Sony lens - 'Hiding' by Scoobay

I recommend reading a nice little post titled “All lens tests are wrong” that concludes that the only good test for a lens is to use it during a full year.

Not wrong, but I still recommend to also check my list of web sites with photo lens reviews.

Sony 70-400mm

Lovers of Sony digital SLR cameras (Alpha 700 et Alpha 900, in particular) were awaiting eagerly to see Chasseur d’Images magazine testing fully the most recent additions to the Sony lens range. So, they will be delighted to discover in the March 2009 issue that the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 Apo G SSM scores 5 stars on the Alpha 900 as well as the all-new and superb Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 Apo G SSM on the Alpha 700. This grey lens even gets the flattering comments of “nice surprise” (”belle surprise“) and of “bargain to get” (”coup à réaliser“). On the Alpha 900, about sharpness, CdI tells “this is certainly the best lens in its category” (”c’est assurément le meilleur de sa catgorie“).

Also tested on the Alpha 700 and Alpha 900 are the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 ZA T* SSM and the Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM. No score is below 4 stars!

Fifteen other lenses from Canon (on a EOS 5D MkII), Nikon, Olympus and Tamron are tested in detail by Chasseur d’Images. 5 stars are also attributed to the Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM, to the Olympus Zuiko Digital 9-18mm f/4-5.6 and the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 ED II.

Thanks to Tamron, it is possible to easily compare photo lenses of different focal length and their effect on the size of an image.

Tamron focal length comparison (click on the image)

Tamron focal length comparison

DPreview has a good comparison of 4 zoom lenses opening at f/2.8 for SLR cameras:

• Canon 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM
• Nikon AF-S VR 70-200mm F2.8 G
• Sigma 70-200mm 1:2.8 EX DG Apo Macro HSM II
• Tamron 70-200mm 1:2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro

Since they are one of the most coveted segment of the SLR lens market, it was worth mentionning despite the absence of some serious participants like the Sony SAL-70200G – 70-200mm f/2.8 G-Series offering (originating back into the days of the great white lenses from Minolta) or the Pentax SMC-FA* 80-200mm f/2.8 [IF] ED.

Canon lenses, which one is best?

It is often difficult but manageable to group lens reviews in order to compare/evaluate a little more than their mere physical characteristics (focal length, aperture/diaphragm, or even number of individual lenses). But how would you evaluate/review optical quality? When I see the difference really impressive between two lenses, I would be prepared to judge from their price, but a cheap wide-angle lens is not always worse than a slightly more expensive one (well… if the price difference is really large, it’s not only an accident and quality explains a lot).

So, where to?

I collected a few web sites appearing quite able to provide this kind of quality reviews/comparisons/evaluations/tests.

From here, I invite you to an orgy of lens reviews, lens tests, lens comparisons, lens evaluations. And remember to shoot some photos, too. It’s not only the lens which does the photo. Some are shot by telephones, if the photographer is an artist.