Nikon today announced a new lens, the 105mm f/1.4E ED, which Nikon cited as both the world’s first digital full-frame f/1.4 of this focal length, but more interestingly: “the culmination of Nikon’s expertise in lens design.” The new lens covers both the DX and FX frame, and becomes a very interesting portrait candidate for the FX bodies, a fast moderate telephoto for DX bodies.
As with most recent Nikon fast prime designs, there seems to be an emphasis on bokeh, in particular the transition from focus to defocus, which Nikon and others tend to associate with “three-dimensionality.” I’d put it another way: the lenses tend to better mimic how our eye/brain deal with focus as a depth cue, and have minimal artifacts that call attention to themselves in things like out of focus highlights.
Most of the features of the lens are to be expected: use of ED elements and Nano/Flourine coating, Nikon’s simple-yet-effective prime design, and an E-type aperture that works better with video and Live View. The 82mm filter ring is a bit big, but seems to be Nikon’s new “normal” for “fast” lenses. The new lens is US$2200 and will be available at the end of August.
I was expecting Nikon to also introduce the new 70-300mm models with the 105mm (VR and non-VR models), but it now appears that those will be announced later, probably with the D3300 replacement.
Nikon also announced that Nikkor lens production hit the 100m unit mark (cumulative) in July:
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