Nikon has launched its AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens, whose development was announced in the summer of 2012. Already tested by professional sports photographers at the London Olympics, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR is a super-telephoto lens
featuring twenty elements in thirteen groups - including two ED and two
fluorite elements -, an iris diaphragm with nine rounded blades and
electromagnetic diaphragm control (hence the new “E” designation), and
Nikon’s critically acclaimed Vibration Reduction system. Every Nikon
AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens is supplied with the also-new
TC-800-1.25E ED teleconverter - the first teleconverter to employ an ED
glass element to correct chromatic aberration. The suggested retail
price of the new 800mm Nikon lens is £15,599.99/$17,899.95.
Nikon Press Release
Go to great lengths with Nikon’s new AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens and dedicated teleconverter
London, UK, 29th January 2013:
Nikon today launches a new super-telephoto, single-focal-length lens
with dedicated teleconverter; the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR with
AF-S TELECONVERTER TC800-1.25E ED.
The new lens 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 such as 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.
“This lens has been developed with the
demands of the most discerning professional photographers in mind,”
says Hiro Sebata, Product Manager, Lenses, Accessories & Software,
Nikon UK. “Not only is the lens lighter than most other super-telephoto
lenses, it is packed with new NIKKOR technologies and features 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.
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 centre 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.
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.
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
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
