I was flipping through an old Nikon lens brochure from 1982. There are 61 lenses. Nikon lists 83 lenses presently on their website, but a lot of those are MF and older D lenses, or DX lenses. If we narrow the search to only FX AF-S lenses, there are only 36.
Why?
Here's the 1982 lineup....
Normal Lenses
50 f1.2, 50 f1.4, 50 f1.8
Three 50 mm so about the same except now we don't have a modern f1.2.
Fisheye Lenses
6 f2.8, 8 f2.8, 16 f2.8
No modern fisheyes.
Wide Angle Lenses
13, 15, 18, 20, 24 f2, 24 f2.8, 28 f2, 28 f2.8, 28 f3.5, 35 f1.4, 35 f2, 35 f2.8
So not only did they have the amazing 13 and 15mm lenses, they had two 24s, three 28s, and three 35s and when you include the E series lenses that makes four 28s and four 35s (!!). Now we have one 24, one 28, and two 35s.
Telephoto Lenses
They had an 85 f2, 85 f1.8, then a 105 f1.8, 105 f2.5, 135 f2, 135 f2.8E, 135 f3.5, 135 f2.8, 180 f2.8ED.
So there were two 85s, two 105s, no less than four 135s, and a 180. Now we have two 85s and a 105 micro. No 135. No 180.
Ultra-Telephoto Lenses
The impressive line continues here. A 200 f4, 200 f2, 300 f2.8, 300 f4.5, 400 f3.5, 400 f5.6, 600 f4, 600 f5.6, 800 f8 and 1200 f11.
So they had two 200s, two 300s, two 400s, two 600s, an 800 and a 1200. Now we have two 200s, and one each of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800.
Zoom Lenses
More crazy stuff.
A 25-50 f4, 35-70 f3.5, 36-72 f3.5E, 50-300 f4.5, 70-210 F4, 75-150 f3.5E, 80-200 f4, and then the crazy ones.... 180-600 f8, 200-600 f9.5, 360-1200 f11. Look at the redundancy and overlap on the lower short to medium telephoto.
There are a total of 13 modern FX Nikkor lenses, as opposed to 10 vintage ones. This is where the modern lenses exceed the vintage ones and show a trend toward zoom lens product line expansion.
Reflex Lenses
Don't see these produced by the major companies anymore.
500 f8, 1000 f11, 2000 f11
No modern equivalents.
So I realize there are some obvious reasons, but I was going through this brochure and imagining how great it would be if Nikon actually still made such a large collection of modern lenses. What choices! What an amazing selection and collection of superb optics. And they don't even include masterpieces such as the later 300 f2 and 400 f2.8.
So? What are your thoughts about where Nikon has gone in terms of its modern lens production and why it lags so far behind their product line of years past.
Why?
Here's the 1982 lineup....
Normal Lenses
50 f1.2, 50 f1.4, 50 f1.8
Three 50 mm so about the same except now we don't have a modern f1.2.
Fisheye Lenses
6 f2.8, 8 f2.8, 16 f2.8
No modern fisheyes.
Wide Angle Lenses
13, 15, 18, 20, 24 f2, 24 f2.8, 28 f2, 28 f2.8, 28 f3.5, 35 f1.4, 35 f2, 35 f2.8
So not only did they have the amazing 13 and 15mm lenses, they had two 24s, three 28s, and three 35s and when you include the E series lenses that makes four 28s and four 35s (!!). Now we have one 24, one 28, and two 35s.
Telephoto Lenses
They had an 85 f2, 85 f1.8, then a 105 f1.8, 105 f2.5, 135 f2, 135 f2.8E, 135 f3.5, 135 f2.8, 180 f2.8ED.
So there were two 85s, two 105s, no less than four 135s, and a 180. Now we have two 85s and a 105 micro. No 135. No 180.
Ultra-Telephoto Lenses
The impressive line continues here. A 200 f4, 200 f2, 300 f2.8, 300 f4.5, 400 f3.5, 400 f5.6, 600 f4, 600 f5.6, 800 f8 and 1200 f11.
So they had two 200s, two 300s, two 400s, two 600s, an 800 and a 1200. Now we have two 200s, and one each of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 800.
Zoom Lenses
More crazy stuff.
A 25-50 f4, 35-70 f3.5, 36-72 f3.5E, 50-300 f4.5, 70-210 F4, 75-150 f3.5E, 80-200 f4, and then the crazy ones.... 180-600 f8, 200-600 f9.5, 360-1200 f11. Look at the redundancy and overlap on the lower short to medium telephoto.
There are a total of 13 modern FX Nikkor lenses, as opposed to 10 vintage ones. This is where the modern lenses exceed the vintage ones and show a trend toward zoom lens product line expansion.
Reflex Lenses
Don't see these produced by the major companies anymore.
500 f8, 1000 f11, 2000 f11
No modern equivalents.
So I realize there are some obvious reasons, but I was going through this brochure and imagining how great it would be if Nikon actually still made such a large collection of modern lenses. What choices! What an amazing selection and collection of superb optics. And they don't even include masterpieces such as the later 300 f2 and 400 f2.8.
So? What are your thoughts about where Nikon has gone in terms of its modern lens production and why it lags so far behind their product line of years past.
