AF-S NIKKOR 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR is coming
Gary Irwin wrote:
I think Nikon would have been smarter to have released a super-light (if not compact) fixed 300mm f2.8 rather than the still-heavy-zoom. Sans their 300PF and 500PF, I'm wondering if Nikon recognizes that LIGHT WEIGHT has become THE defining attribute of the next generation of superteles. Maybe sports pros don't need that or care as much, but the not-insignificant enthusiast market certainly does.
Agree fully!
The overwhelming incentive for LIGHTER telephotos is the growing market in Flying Naturalists, and also those who will pay for lighter gear for other reasons, provided it's of excellent optical quality. In not very distant past, pre 2020, the increasing numbers taking up photo tours to desirable destinations packed at least one telephoto.
The 300 f2.8G is popular because it's (1) relatively affordable (especially Used) (2) works well with teleconverters, and it is the exotic many of us can handhold, especially in vehicles/hides. It is often the first Exotic owned by the emerging wildlife photographer, even if they already own a 200-500 f5.6E or a Sigma supertele zoom. The 300 f2.8 is distinctly end-heavy and a FL upgrade will be better balanced, besides weighing slimming down close to 2.5kg: thus similar to the 200-500 f5.6 Nikkor (which many can handhold).
The other new reality Nikon cannot afford to ignore is the latest primes by Canon and Sony. Their respective 400 f2.8 and 600 f4 are significantly lighter. The lighter honeycombed chassis as well fluorite combine to slim down these exotics. These innovations really show up the obsolescence of Nikon's thinking that the Super Telephoto = sports and used in Olympic class stadia particularly. In this respect, if they had strived to use a lighter chassis for the 120-300 f2.8E SR, it would have weighed < 3kg.
Jun 13, 2020 at 07:53 AM
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