Lens prices - Can't quite understand who's going to buy this new Nikon lens ...

Naboo32

Naboo32

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:thinking: I know that I must be missing something, but here goes ...

I see that, for the princely sum of €1,149 (£1,010), Nikon dealers are inviting pre-orders for the new 16-35mm f/4 G AF-S ED VR lens :|.

The specifications make interesting reading and, in some ways, I can see where Nikon are coming from with the mix of features (max aperture of f/4 is probably good enough for most wide angle purposes, gelded lenses are OK now that "nobody is using film cameras any more", AF-S built-in motor will allow D40/60/5000 owners to get the most out of it and Vibration Reduction is the "must have" feature of the decade). The thing is, have they really got the balance of price/features right, or is this just a case of increasing margins by taking away the 'expensive stuff' and replacing it with the 'cheap stuff'?

I mean, this is not a budget lens, by any stretch of the imagination. Considering that they've made some decent savings over the former 17-35mm f/2.8 AF-S ED lens, by virtue of having a smaller max aperture (and thereby smaller glass throughout etc., etc.) and considering that it has the same key spec as the older 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 (similar aperture range), but with a motor and more solid build and VR, can they really get people to buy it at that price :shrug:?

Apart from the VR function, which I struggle to think of a regular use for on a lens like this :thinking:, the other specs make sense in the absence of the aforementioned 17-35 and 18-35 (one of which is discontinued and one of which should be, IMO ;)). My question is; are people out there prepared to spend this kind of money on an f/4 lens, when the 17-35mm f/2.8 and 14-24mm f/2.8 lenses can still be had, used, for the same sort of money? Is this just clever marketing? Will we all read the reviews and buy it because it scores 97% and if so, how much will Nikon be asking when they bring out a new f/2.8 version in a year or two :naughty: ... for £2,000+ :(?

Of course, never having seen the results from this lens, it's hard to be to hard on it, but what worries me is the gradual slide towards more and more expensive glass (with 'lower' specs), when DSLR bodies seem to be going in the opposite direction (i.e. more for less :shrug:).

So, what do you folks think? Should I just shut up until we've all seen the results from it and then (potentially) start raising my eyebrows, or am I right to be concerned about the way that lens prices in general seem to be spiralling upwards? :| ....

This discussion thread is also meant to encompass the topic of equipment prices in general, with particular regard to lenses vs. bodies, so please feel free to go as far 'off' the topic as you see fit, in order to express your opinions ;).
 
I've just bought the 14-24 so I am bound to be somewhat biased but I don't see how this newly released lens can top it.

I can;t see what the thinking is behind it, it kind of covers the same range as the recently released 10-24 f3.5-5.6 DX lens (which I also have on a D90) and I can only guess that this is being aimed similarly at FX users looking for a similar lens, but for the same price as a 14-24 ??? I had me scratching my head that one.

Of course, the proposed price could be £750 - 800 by the time it hits the streets and then it would be aimed squarely at those that don't want or need f2.8 and also maybe do want to use filters for landscape stuff.

This is all speculation and in now way likely to be correct :-)
 
Im thinking about getting 16-35 :) maybe even in march ;-) have to play with it first doh
 
Will VR really provide a huge benefit on a 16-35mm lens? £1k seems like an awful lot of money for a "not very fast" wide zoom. IQ had better be really good to justify the cost or Nikon will have to drop the price quickly.
 
It certainly looks expensive when you compare it against the Canon 17-40 which is it's nearest rival, aperture wise.
 
I am in serious consideration of getting this lens if I decide upgrading to the D700x/D800 over the Canon 5DMkii. I would like to know how this lens compares (in terms of image quality) to the 17-35 lens, which by all accounts is a stellar lens, albeit discontinued and a stop faster. It is expensive, but I kinda expected that. The Canon 17-40 L is £650 and the Canon 16-35 Lii is the same price and it would be nice to see ow it all compares.

A proper review is needed to make my mind up before I part with a lifetimes savings.

Rgds
 
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
 
I was reading today about Nikons fabled 28mm f1.4 ?(from memory) it cost £1000 or £1500 and so few were sold due to its price Nikon stopped selling it and since then its price secondhand has risen to £3000+ :cuckoo:

I guess this lens might go the same way... ?
 
from owning a 18-105 vr and a 70-300 vr, and in my humble opinion VR on the 70-300 is the icing on the cake. Test shot are noticably better with the VR on , but on the 18-105 i couldn't really tell the difference. to have it on such a WA lens is surely almost completely pointless? Especially if you are shooting a moving subject?

definately agree that we must be missing something :shrug:
 
BouncyMelons said:
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
Click to expand...

This is good news to me ...

I've booked a five day workshop with Bruce Percy in Skye this coming December :clap: and one of the prerequisites for the trip is to bring ND Grad filters ... I don't own any yet but will be purchasing some for the 14-24mm ... Chealer than buying a new lens, just.

I know it's a while away but I really can't wait for the trip Clicky
 
Got to agree I am failing to see the thinking either unless the predicted price IS wide of the mark and it will be in the 6-800 squids bracket, aiming it squarely at the 'inbetween' market that canon fills so nicely and Nikon have so far failed to capitalise on. Trouble is this is Nikon and we 'do' cheap and we do expensive, and we do very little inbetween, so are they likely to be changing lifetime habits? :shrug:
 
Goodness - you can get a Canon 16-35mm MKII for that sort of cash! The 16-35 is sharp wide open and VR (IS!) is not a priority that wide so it seems a very high price for an F4 lens.

Pjo;
 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, everyone :).


bastic said:
Im thinking about getting 16-35 :) maybe even in march ;-) have to play with it first doh
Click to expand...

Indeed! As I indicated earlier, it may well be that this new lens just blows everything else away, in which case it could end up selling like hot cakes - let's hope so!

BouncyMelons said:
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
Click to expand...

:eek: Wow! They said it "couldn't be done". It's been done. Double wow!

Excpect used 14-24mm prices to start climbing again :naughty: ...

Yv said:
Got to agree I am failing to see the thinking either unless the predicted price IS wide of the mark and it will be in the 6-800 squids bracket, aiming it squarely at the 'inbetween' market that canon fills so nicely and Nikon have so far failed to capitalise on. Trouble is this is Nikon and we 'do' cheap and we do expensive, and we do very little inbetween, so are they likely to be changing lifetime habits? :shrug:
Click to expand...

You know Yv, if the street price really does turn out to be around £600-£700 (£800's still very expensive, IMO), then it's not such a mystery to me any more, as the (current) 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 is somewhere around the £400 mark and this new W-A FX lens is probably going to be a vast improvement over that (none of the wavey distortion at the wide end, please :|).

As you say, maybe Nikon are now thinking about catering for the "middle ground" of the market, too - nothing wrong with that, IMHO :shrug:!?
 
I have to agree with everyone's comments above: who would be interested in dropping over a Gand on a lens with an f/4 max aperture? Especially when there are other lenses in the sae price bracket already...
 
BouncyMelons said:
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
Click to expand...

They just need to sort out the ND Grad production now :lol: Warehouse Express haven't had any in stock for months and neither have Speedgraphic or studio kit direct..

Re the pricing, it's veerrrryyyy expensive for an f4 lens :eek: I can't see it staying at over a grand, unless they sell sufficient quantities and it's a fantastic lens.

I was very surprised when I saw the price :nuts: It just makes the Canon 16-35 seem like a bargain. I know this new lens has IS whereas the Canon one doesn't, so maybe this is the reasoning behind their pricing :shrug:
 
Actually, it's more expensive than I said in the OP :(. I was converting the Euros price into pounds, but now that Warehouse Express in the UK have it listed for pre-oder (Link ...), I can see the (initial) UK price is going to be £1,049.00.

Still, the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII was initially offered at £1,995.00 and soon came down to around £1,700 :shrug:.
 
Naboo32 said:
Actually, it's more expensive than I said in the OP :(. I was converting the Euros price into pounds, but now that Warehouse Express in the UK have it listed for pre-oder (Link ...), I can see the (initial) UK price is going to be £1,049.00.

Still, the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII was initially offered at £1,995.00 and soon came down to around £1,700 :shrug:.
Click to expand...

Mifsuds is also charging £1049.
I recently got an 18-35 f3.5-f4.5 Nikkor from One Stop Digital for £387 (sells for £529 here).
No way I'd fork out another £600 for 2mm at the wider end.
 
arclight said:
Mifsuds is also charging £1049.
I recently got an 18-35 f3.5-f4.5 Nikkor from One Stop Digital for £387 (sells for £529 here).
No way I'd fork out another £600 for 2mm at the wider end.
Click to expand...

That was a good price :thumbs:. I paid £330 for my used example and it didn't even have a box :( (mug).

Actually, I thought that the new (metal) 16-35mm was designed to replace this (plastic) model, to encourage more D700 owners to choose it over a Sigma/Tamron/Tokina W-A FX lens - but at £1,049 :shrug: !?
 
desantnik said:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=204978
Click to expand...

Hmm, sorry, I didn't see that thread, or I wouldn't have started this one :|.

I suppose one up side of this news f/4 lens is that it should be a fair bit smaller than the alternatives (14-24mm and the 17-35mm) :shrug:!? If you're a wedding tog, for instance, and are mainly using a 24-70mm, something like this might be nice to slip into the bag, whereas carrying the 14-24mm around is a major commitment ;).

I quite like the concept of this lens and, of course, the more choice that Nikoln give people, the better. It's just the price that leaves me cold :(.
 
BouncyMelons said:
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
Click to expand...

Still no good. Still cant place an ND110 10 stop ND on this lens.
 
BouncyMelons said:
Spoke to Lee filters this week about their prototype filter system for the 14-24mm and it's a goer :) They have taken it to a couple of shows now and received good feedback so there will be a filter system for the 14-24mm in the not too distant future.

I'm on their email list for any updates and I'll let you know as soon as I get anything from Lee on production :)

Good news!
Click to expand...

Just had this email back from Lee Filters :clap:

Dear Simon

LEE Filters successfully tested a prototype holder at a recent trade
show and we should be due to launch this product in the near future.

It will cover FX lenses without vignetting and take resin graduated &
standard filters.

To keep up to date with all new products please send an email to
register@leefilters.com

Kind Regards
Shona Thomson
LEE Filters - Central Way, Walworth Industrial Estate, Andover SP10 5AN
UK - sales@leefilters.com
Tel +44 (0)1264 366245 - Fax +44 (0) 1264 355058 - www.leefilters.com
- skypename leefilters
Lee Filters Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 8.45am-1pm & 2-5.30pm. Fri
8.45am-1pm.
 
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