fcotterill
Well-known member
This post is prompted by Nikon's (off-Roadmap) release of the 600 PF, albeit there has been no lack of forum speculation about the need for such a prime telephoto in the "Compact, Affordable Guild". Two questions arise:
These innovations probably complement the primary weight-cutting innovation, which is the optical design. Phase-fresnel elements are obviously the keystone, however the optical formula of the 400mm f4.5S surprised many of us, who'd anticipated a PF design....
Nikon must have begun this strategy - at least a decade back, considering the 300 f4E PF launched in January 2015, and lens designs typically have development times of 2 years or more.
Nikon has made a significant effort to design compact, affordable telephoto prime lenses. Who is the target market for these lenses?
Telephoto demand was conventionally for high quality. At the same time, there was a clear segment who voiced that they would like to have more compact lenses, even if they had to sacrifice a little bit of the f-stop range (especially with the improvement of camera high-sensitivity performance), and at the same time, be more affordable. The 500mm F5.6 PF for F-mount was this type of lens and was well-received. Based on feedback and demand, we built the 800mm F6.3 and the 400mm F4.5 for the Z-mount.
The target market for this type of lens tends to be for photographing birds, motorsports or airplanes. But since these lenses are lighter and can be carried to different places, we believe they can be used in a wider variety of scenes for shooting varied subjects.
What's the most challenging part of designing these compact telephoto lenses? Are there any tradeoffs you had to make?
We didn't want to sacrifice the lens's optical performance when aiming for a more compact size. To do that, we had to consider the design of the lenses very closely, optimizing the positioning of the lenses and the selection of materials to be used.
We didn't want to sacrifice the lens's optical performance when aiming for a more compact size.
Also, through efforts such as considering ways to make the lenses thinner during the manufacturing process, as well as adopting lightweight materials such as magnesium and molded plastic for mechanical parts, contributed to making the products lighter. Additionally, by utilizing a simulation for structural strength, we were able to optimize the thickness and shape of parts, resulting in lightness.
www.dpreview.com
- Is there a gap for another PF Prime?
- Might Nikon design a PF Zoom, particularly to cover a suite of longer focal lengths (such as a 300-800)?
These innovations probably complement the primary weight-cutting innovation, which is the optical design. Phase-fresnel elements are obviously the keystone, however the optical formula of the 400mm f4.5S surprised many of us, who'd anticipated a PF design....
Nikon must have begun this strategy - at least a decade back, considering the 300 f4E PF launched in January 2015, and lens designs typically have development times of 2 years or more.
Nikon has made a significant effort to design compact, affordable telephoto prime lenses. Who is the target market for these lenses?
Telephoto demand was conventionally for high quality. At the same time, there was a clear segment who voiced that they would like to have more compact lenses, even if they had to sacrifice a little bit of the f-stop range (especially with the improvement of camera high-sensitivity performance), and at the same time, be more affordable. The 500mm F5.6 PF for F-mount was this type of lens and was well-received. Based on feedback and demand, we built the 800mm F6.3 and the 400mm F4.5 for the Z-mount.
The target market for this type of lens tends to be for photographing birds, motorsports or airplanes. But since these lenses are lighter and can be carried to different places, we believe they can be used in a wider variety of scenes for shooting varied subjects.
What's the most challenging part of designing these compact telephoto lenses? Are there any tradeoffs you had to make?
We didn't want to sacrifice the lens's optical performance when aiming for a more compact size. To do that, we had to consider the design of the lenses very closely, optimizing the positioning of the lenses and the selection of materials to be used.
We didn't want to sacrifice the lens's optical performance when aiming for a more compact size.
Also, through efforts such as considering ways to make the lenses thinner during the manufacturing process, as well as adopting lightweight materials such as magnesium and molded plastic for mechanical parts, contributed to making the products lighter. Additionally, by utilizing a simulation for structural strength, we were able to optimize the thickness and shape of parts, resulting in lightness.
CP+ 2023: Nikon interview - 'Everybody can become a content creator'
After the recent CP+ expo in Japan, we traveled to Nikon headquarters in Tokyo to learn more about the design process for its Z9 flagship camera, how its transition to mirrorless is progressing, and why video is vital to Nikon's future.
www.dpreview.com
