Nikon to Release "Crop Corrected" Lenses for DSLR

I have been holding off on posting this until I felt it was just more than a rumor. Now that this has been published in a magazine (Chasseur d'images):

Here's a photo:

Here's a link to the photo in case Pbase won't allow direct linking:

http://jjj.image.pbase.com/u19/latino1973/...702434.1224.jpg

If you do the math, for the D100 and S2pro, this lens will have an equivalent of 18-36mm!!!!!!!

The original announcement was also published in a Japanese trade journal last week. Here is a rough translation of the announcement:

Nikon is developing 4 wide-angle AF lenses for their D-SLR, with a target sales date in spring next year. The existing Nikon D-SLRs use APS-sized sensor, causing a 1.5X conversion factor in focal length. As a result, it is difficult to achieve a lens wider than 28mm in their existing line-up, causing difficulties in expanding their sales volume.

 

The special point of a D-SLR over conventional digital cameras is that you can exchange the lens of the camera to suit different condition. There is no problem if the image sensor is of the same size as the 35mm film. However, the existing popular type of APS-size sensor is only about 2/3 of the size of film, causing a 1.5x multiplication of lens focal length. 28mm lens become 42mm, reducing the wide angle effect.

 

Hence, a camera using full size image sensor has its focal length advantage and also better image quality due to larger pixel size. On the other hand, we expect the price of APS-sized D-SLR to drop to 200,000yen which has an advantage over the full size one which its price of 700,000yen is very high.

 

As the current D-SLR lineup D1X and D100 are based on APS-size sensor, we need to complete the wide-angle lens problem to ease our customers’ dissatisfaction. Moreover, we wish to broaden our customer base via the popular D100.

 

Currently, there are 4 companies producing D-SLR with APS-sized sensor. They are Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm and Kodak. Canon and Kodak also have full frame D-SLR.

 

Although there is high demand in Nikon D-SLR from the professional users, at present the trend is not consolidated. The investment on developing high-end D-SLR is very heavy and the product has to be sold at high price. On the other hand, Nikon consider it is better to meet the demand of users of D-SLR APS-sized sensor such that developing the sales at this front could enhance the profitability.

No one can say exactly when these new lenses will be available, but a time of "Spring 2003" has been mentioned.

I think this is fabulous news!!!

Cheers

James Wiseman

Thanks to my friend Nicolas Will, here is a translation from the French caption:

No, you are not dreaming, this really is a constant f/4 aperture 12-24 mm!  But be aware, this new DX Nikkor zoom has been created for digital photography and will not cover the area of a 35mm negative. This is the  first DX Nikkor wide-angle zoom dedicated to the D1, D1X, D1H, D100 digital SLRs that will give the pixel hunters the benefits of a wide-angle field equivalent to a 18-35 mm.

Cheers

James

James, the upload didn't show up, and the link doesn't work for me. Can you check that it works for you?

Thanks

Tom

http://www.pbase.com/image/8702434

And just in case, I grabbed it from my cache:

If this is to be believed, it tells me that Nikon thinks that full-frame sensors are not going to be available at a "prosumer" price for a while. Also, I wonder why they still label it in 35mm terms if it can't be used with that size frame? Why not just call it an 18-35mm for digital only or something? Perhaps this makes it easier for those fuji and kodak owners with different multipliers to keep from having to multiply to many fractions together

Thankfully, the D100 and the S2 have the same crop factor.

I think that Nikon saw a big market for these lenses with S2, D100, D1x and D1h owners and went for it.

You're probably right that they are not going to make a "prosumer" camera with a full frame sensor though. I'm thinking their next offering will be a full frame successor to the D1 and will cost >$5,000.

I'm sure a lot of D100 and S2 owners will buy these lenses. I'm going to try my darndest to get one.

Cheers

James

James, I told you this two-weeks ago during the SD9 debate:-

A whole host of new lenses will be released shortly too obliterating the 1: whatever problem.

This was the quibble over APS and 35mm some time ago.

 

The D1s will be $10.000

James, I just got an email back from Brett at Ikelite. I was interested in the 17-35 AFS but discovered it will not fit in any of Ike's domes, or at least not as a zoom lens. I don't know what the dimmensions will be for the new lenses but I would love to have that flexibility.

My guess is that it will be roughly the same size as the 18-35 ED lens - which fits in the Ikelite ports. I know 'cause I own one. It looks roughly the same from the photo.

Cheers

James

Read this, at dpreview.com (press release, and note from Phil)

"0700 CET: Nikon has today announced the first in a range of new 'Nikkor DX' lenses. These lenses have a reduce Image Circle which means that the lens can be made smaller and lighter but still maintain a full image for the smaller D-SLR sensor (23.7 x 15.6 mm; a 1.5x FOV crop factor). The new lens is a 12 - 24 mm zoom with a constant maximum aperture of F4.0, the lens is also a 'G' type which means aperture can only be selected electronically and it uses a SWM (silent wave motor). This also in effect confirms Nikon will be sticking with smaller sized sensors and not approaching the full 35 mm size anytime soon."

Phil: This is very interesting and revealing news, it's clear from this that Nikon will be sticking with the 23.7 x 15.6 mm sensor size. What's also slightly curious is that if this is a new sensor size standard for Nikon why they haven't put double markings on the lens zoom to provide quick reference to the equivelant 35 mm focal length field of view. Although not confirmed yet this new lens format should also work on Fujifilm's S2 Pro (23 x 15.5 mm sensor).

All right, the "official word" is out!

It certainly seems that Nikon is sticking with the APS sized sensor for a while. I find this line particularly telling:

"The DX Nikkor concept is great news for photographers, not only the legions of Nikon D series SLR customers, but for anyone considering making their first step to digital SLR photography. They solve the limitations of digital wide-angle photography at a stroke, and literally 'widen' the options for great digital photography without the expense and data payload demanded by cameras with larger but slower sensors."

So larger (full frame) sensors are slower? It's true that the sync speed on the D1 and D1x is 1/500th because the shutter only has to move past a smaller sensor - not the 24x36mm film area. You'll notice that the sync speed has come down (been halfed actually I believe) for the full frame Canon 1Ds.

I still think a full frame sensor is a necessary and good thing that Nikon should pursue though. It seems to me that they HAVE TO. However, since I own an S2, I'm very pleased by Nikon's announcement.

Cheers

James

I'm not sure what the price will be for the new lens but it appears to be an AFS. The 17-35 AFS retails for around $1650. I'll still find a way to buy one becauase of the versatility it would give, assuming it can be housed.

While it has a "silent wave" motor, it's not really and AFS lens. It's a G type lens - so it should be in the < $500 range, not the >$1,500 range. Remember, this is an F4 lens.

Cheers

James

It is an AF-S lens, as is the newer 24-85mm zoom G version. G and AF-S are not mutually exclusive.

Why would it not be an AF-S lens? The silent wave motor defines the term AF-S?

I still don't know what to think about this anouncement. It makes me wonder what the whole strategy is.

Maybe they decided it's easier to make smaller lenses than trying to get a 35mm size CCD sensor out of Sony.

Maybe it's just a bunch of engineers doing whatever they want without any strategy.

All I know is that for those of us with the current generation of d-SLRs with the 1.5 FLM with no intention of upgrading, we should be happy. Well, except for that numbering system on the lens.

What's a AFS lens?

I think AFS means Auto Focus Silent Wave and the ED is extra dispersion glass.

I don't think there is any reason to believe that Nikon will not launch a full 35mm sized chip in the near future... They will not allow Canon that luxury. Afterall there will not be a lens problem, and Kodak and Phillips have the chips.

These new lenses have been launched under huge critical pressure and will for the time being supress the 'crop' issue. The market has proven that this investment will make a return for low end pro' systems and high end amatuer systems.

Sigma too are launching their range of new little chip lenses next year as well as a new range of pro-glass.

Rule of thumb on lens cost:

Lower cost = plastic, which are generally acceptable and easy to carry

High cost = Vertually No Aboration glass outstanding but a bitch to carry.

My guess here is that they will stay with plastic for the little chips, and the cost will reflect that.

Bad news is "Bang goes the DOF advantage".

Regarding the Depth of Field advantage-

My E-20 has a lens designed for digital, so why does it still have a DOF advantage over film? What about consumer cameras - aren't their lenses designed for their chips? They all seem to share a DOF advantage as well. It seems that the smaller than film chip may still allow for better DOF even with designated lenses.

Personally, I'm excited by this announcement. I was planning on purchasing a full frame chip camera next year some time, and I've been waiting for Nikon to release one. Given true WA lenses, and improvements on the 23 X 15mm chip resolution and sensitivity, I'd be more than happy to stay with the current size sensor and save thousands on the camera. Sounds like I'll be re-thinking my camera choices.

Kasey

Kasey, the wider a lens the greater the depth of focus. Due to their smaller sensors the lenses in them are much wider than 35 mm lenses. They therefore have a greater depth of focus and often a closer focus then their 35 mm equivelents. :ph34r:

Definitely a good read, although I think the percentage of people that will have the upgrade problem mentioned will be fairly small.

I definitely wouldn't mind seeing one of the 12-24 lenses with a Canon mount....