Nikon expands its 1-mount lens lineup by half
posted Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 5:54 PM EDT
Since its launch a year ago with the V1 and J1 compact system cameras, Nikon's nascent 1-mount has faced a challenge shared by several of its mirrrorless competitors: a rather limited selection of glass. The Japanese camera manufacturer has today indicated an awareness of the problem, though, and shown itself to be working hard to rectify the situation. As the Photoplus Expo kicks off in New York, the company has announced development of several new lens models that will increase the first-party lens selection for 1-mount bodies by half.
Revealed alongside the brand-new Nikon V2 mirrorless camera and also compatible with the earlier V1, J1, and J2, the three new lenses join six currently-available models. Detailed specifications aren't yet available, but we do know that two of the lenses are entirely new designs. These expand 1-mount opportunities for wide angle and wide aperture shooting, while the third lens is similar to an existing model, but provides a more consumer-friendly package.
The reworked lens is the new Nikon 1 Nikkor 10-100mm f/4-5.6, which is related to the existing 1 NIKKOR VR 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 PD-ZOOM. Compared to that model, the new lens will drop the power zoom control and replace it with a direct mechanical zoom, in the interests of a savings in size and weight. That should make it a better choice for travel photography, while videographers will prefer the existing variant for the ability to smoothly zoom without shaking the camera. However, even travel photographers may find the removal of vibration reduction to be something of a disappointment, especially on a lens with a 270mm-equivalent telephoto.
The Nikon 1 NIKKOR VR 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, meanwhile, allows ultra-wide angle shooting with a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 18-35mm. Until now, the 1-mount lineup has stopped at 10mm (27mm equivalent), so this new lens will make a huge difference for wide angle fans, even if it's not terribly bright. (It does at least offer vibration reduction, however, and this coupled with its wide-angle nature should make the aperture less of an issue.)
Finally, the Nikon 1 NIKKOR 32mm f/1.2 prime sets a new watermark for the fastest maximum aperture of a 1-mount lens, besting the earlier 1 NIKKOR 18.5mm f/1.8. The 35mm-equivalent focal length for this lens works out to a medium-tele 86.4mm.
Although the company has announced development of all three of these lenses, it has yet to offer any suggestion as to its planned pricing or availability. As soon as more details on these or product specifications emerge, you'll of course hear of it on our news page...
