Many Nikon Nikkor F-mount DSLR lenses discontinued

[jduncan]

Hi,
It's a sign of the times.
I really like the idea of using the same lenses with my digital and analog cameras (Nikon D100) but the writing was in the wall for a long time.

35 Nikon Nikkor F-mount DSLR lenses discontinued - Nikon Rumors

In the past few months, I have been reporting about all the discontinued Nikon F-mount products. AP has been tracking the availability of Nikkor F-mount (DSLR) lenses and concluded that over the last three years Nikon has discontinued 35 F-mount lenses. Here is the list: Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 G ED...

nikonrumors.com

There are some that make sense, but the passing of the. 105mm f2.8 micro if confirmed means Nikon F no longer has a native macro lens (correct me if I am wrong).
The Z platform is not competitive with Canon and Sony just yet. One can have Z9 class AF for less than 3K with Sony and Canon, faster lenses, and momentum. (important for investment).

The following act to the Z7 II could compensate for that (and a killing 85mm f1.2 ). For people still waiting it's important to have a viable F-based platform.

There are still plenty of lenses, and I understand that Nikon is a tinny company with no consumer electronics division with the photo division to share costs with. They also have to buy the sensors from Sony so another expense. That being said, it's a little bit sad.


Mirrorless is the culmination of the WYSIWYG race for portable cameras, so it's a natural step I support. IF cameras are going to survive as different devices, AI will have to play a role at some moment.

Best regards,

 

[Jan Brittenson]

Looks to be mainly AF-D and DX lenses. I'm actually surprised they still had this many AF-D products... thought that was mostly discontinued a long time ago.

Of these, only the 200/4 AF-D Micro is really much of a loss.

 

[jduncan]

Looks to be mainly AF-D and DX lenses. I'm actually surprised they still had this many AF-D products... thought that was mostly discontinued a long time ago.

Of these, only the 200/4 AF-D Micro is really much of a loss.

I will add the. 105mm f2.8 as a loss, but people buying still have the Sigma. So I agree that the 200mm f4.0 Micro is unique.

 

[Darin Marcus]

It seems that Nikon has been in a controlled downsizing for a while now. What is different from their past cycles of contraction/expansion of consumer products is that this time people have a very good alternative for basic photography needs in their smartphones. So Nikon is now focused on the smaller market for pros, hobbyists and advanced amateurs. It will take a significant advance in photographic capabilities (that cannot be matched by smartphones) to bring consumers back in large numbers, and mirrorless isn't it. Neither is AI, IMO - smartphones are ahead here, and I think they will stay ahead at least for the foreseeable future (economies of scale and early expertise/investment in AI technologies).

So Nikon closed and wrote off production facilities, simplified/unified designs, optimized manufacturing, reduced costs, and seems to have turned the page (see the recently reported good financial results for the imaging products division). They are now fully invested in their Z mount product lines. They are releasing great lenses that are hard to find in stock, so it makes less sense to maintain old production lines occupied with manufacturing F mount lenses that are sought by fewer and fewer people. They want to close the book on the F mount as soon as possible. The recent Nikkei "rumor-based" article about Nikon ending their work on SLR products rings true, even if Nikon quickly stated that it is not based on an "official" announcement. And now the Asahi Shimbun interview (https://dot.asahi.com/dot/2022072200069.html?page=1) with Tetsuro Goto, the retired head of Nikon development responsible among others for the development of the Df (hat tip to Nikon Rumors), seems to confirm this, and also mentions that the chances of releasing a D900 are slim... Again, not the official position of Nikon, but there is no smoke without fire...

Another interesting topic mentioned in this interview is the continuing search for a way to differentiate products from competitors in the mirrorless age - harder to do with cameras, but easier (IMO) with lenses. This brings us back to the discontinuations of F mount lenses. I do believe that Nikon made a great choice with the Z mount, even though its impact on lens design is not yet fully reallized. There have been a number of wide angle lens designs that impressed almost everybody, but I expect much more will impress in the future.... And in order to focus on Z lenses, Nikon has to give up the F ones. The good news is that almost all Z lenses released so far are very good, if not great. Try the Z 105mm f/2.8 MC - I owned the 105mm f/2.8 G Macro in the D700 era, and the Z version is better in almost every way, even on a 24MP Z6, not to mention the higher MP cameras.

In closing, I have to add the following disclaimer : there are a few F mount lenses with special rendering that, IMO, will not be replicated in Z mount (either for technical reasons, or for lack of willingness). Among them are the 58mm and the 105mm f/1.4. Hold on to your copies if you love them....

 

[KeithL]

...In closing, I have to add the following disclaimer : there are a few F mount lenses with special rendering that, IMO, will not be replicated in Z mount (either for technical reasons, or for lack of willingness). Among them are the 58mm and the 105mm f/1.4. Hold on to your copies if you love them....

Agreed!

 

[Wall-H]

Looks to be mainly AF-D and DX lenses. I'm actually surprised they still had this many AF-D products... thought that was mostly discontinued a long time ago.

Of these, only the 200/4 AF-D Micro is really much of a loss.

Nikon AF 135mm f/2 D DC is amazing when it connects as well. I literally bought D850 so i can continue using 200 and this 135