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Nikon explains philosophy behind its lenses
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<blockquote data-quote="STM" data-source="post: 114071" data-attributes="member: 12827"><p>I hope I don't offend anyone with the following and if I do I apologize in advance, but I feel a rant coming on. It happens very rarely with me but this has been a real burr under my saddle for quite a while. </p><p></p><p>The one thing that really dismays me about the latest Nikon lenses, at least as far as the consumer grade lenses go but even with their more expensive ones, is their focus on making things cheaper and using more plastic, presumably to make them more profitable but under the guise of making them "lighter". I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses for almost the last 40 years and I can remember the furor which erupted amongst Nikon owners when Nikon came out with the Series E lenses, which were quite good lenses optically, because they had plastic aperture rings and a few other non-essential parts. The cry was these were not really <em>"real"</em> Nikons because they were not make to legendary Nikon standards. Nowadays those "cheap" Series E lenses could be used to beat a lot of their lastest ones <em>into little tiny pieces</em>. My jaw fell so hard that it broke my big toe the day I found out that Nikon was making bayonet mounts on some lenses OUT OF PLASTIC! And I got even angrier when I found out that some of them are even being made now IN CHINA! AYFKM??</p><p></p><p> Nikon was always the standard bearer when it came to mechanical excellence. It was one of the things that truly separated the Nikkors from Canon, their biggest rival. All of the lenses I own are either AI and AIS Nikkors. Most can be focused with <em>one finger</em>, I have handled <em>many</em> newer Nikon lenses and found that the traditional Nikon "feel" is for the most part, <em>gone</em>. They just feel, for lack fo a better term, CHEAP. Before I got my 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF AIS, I had the 300mm f/4.5 AIS. It was a great lens and served me well for many years but like most lenses of that focal length it had some magenta color fringing. You could turn the focusing ring to the minimum distance, set the lens on a table and watch the weight of the internals slowly and smoothly turn the focusing ring until it eventually stopped at infinity. My 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS will do the same thing but it takes longer because the internals are not nearly as heavy as the 300's were. Now THAT is hallmark Nikon quality and precision! How many of today's lenses could make the same claim? If I am still alive and able to shoot photos 25 years from now I will bet I will still be using those Nikkors, assuming Nikon does not make the EPIC MISTAKE of changing the F mount like Canon did, effectively screwing millions of their long time loyal FD followers. How may of today's lenses will still be in use 25 years from now? I bet a lot of them will either be in landfills or stuffed in the back of a closet or attic somewhere.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="STM, post: 114071, member: 12827"] I hope I don't offend anyone with the following and if I do I apologize in advance, but I feel a rant coming on. It happens very rarely with me but this has been a real burr under my saddle for quite a while. The one thing that really dismays me about the latest Nikon lenses, at least as far as the consumer grade lenses go but even with their more expensive ones, is their focus on making things cheaper and using more plastic, presumably to make them more profitable but under the guise of making them "lighter". I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses for almost the last 40 years and I can remember the furor which erupted amongst Nikon owners when Nikon came out with the Series E lenses, which were quite good lenses optically, because they had plastic aperture rings and a few other non-essential parts. The cry was these were not really [I]"real"[/I] Nikons because they were not make to legendary Nikon standards. Nowadays those "cheap" Series E lenses could be used to beat a lot of their lastest ones [I]into little tiny pieces[/I]. My jaw fell so hard that it broke my big toe the day I found out that Nikon was making bayonet mounts on some lenses OUT OF PLASTIC! And I got even angrier when I found out that some of them are even being made now IN CHINA! AYFKM?? Nikon was always the standard bearer when it came to mechanical excellence. It was one of the things that truly separated the Nikkors from Canon, their biggest rival. All of the lenses I own are either AI and AIS Nikkors. Most can be focused with [I]one finger[/I], I have handled [I]many[/I] newer Nikon lenses and found that the traditional Nikon "feel" is for the most part, [I]gone[/I]. They just feel, for lack fo a better term, CHEAP. Before I got my 300mm f/2.8 ED-IF AIS, I had the 300mm f/4.5 AIS. It was a great lens and served me well for many years but like most lenses of that focal length it had some magenta color fringing. You could turn the focusing ring to the minimum distance, set the lens on a table and watch the weight of the internals slowly and smoothly turn the focusing ring until it eventually stopped at infinity. My 180mm f/2.8 ED AIS will do the same thing but it takes longer because the internals are not nearly as heavy as the 300's were. Now THAT is hallmark Nikon quality and precision! How many of today's lenses could make the same claim? If I am still alive and able to shoot photos 25 years from now I will bet I will still be using those Nikkors, assuming Nikon does not make the EPIC MISTAKE of changing the F mount like Canon did, effectively screwing millions of their long time loyal FD followers. How may of today's lenses will still be in use 25 years from now? I bet a lot of them will either be in landfills or stuffed in the back of a closet or attic somewhere. [/QUOTE]
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