Maybe the moderator will permit some playful speculation on what major new products Nikon is planning to announce on February 18. If so I will take a shot at what I think we will see:

1. 400mm f/5.6 IS AF-S lens (OK, maybe this is wishful thinking)

2. Digital F5 or F100

3. New APS point and shoot (not SLR as in the Pronea)

4. N70 replacement

-- Stanley McManus (stanshooter@yahoo.com), February 10, 1999

Answers

Okay I'll bite. The following is totally speculation plus day dreaming. How about a:

1. F5s camera 2. Coolpix 1200 - 2048X1536 - 64Mb flash card 3. 16-50mm F2.8 IF ED AF-S Lens 4. 100-400mm F4.0 IS AF-S Lens 5. N80 camera 6. 300mm F4.0 ED IF Micro Nikkor AF-S 7. New Nikon Speedlight Handle mount flash Gn 240 at 50mm

-- Gary Wilson (gwilson@ffca.com), February 10, 1999.

I'd love to see a Af 400/5.6, or a AF 200-400/4. And they wouldn't have to be 'AF-S', or 'IS' either.

-- Jim Bridges (jcbejb@worldnet.att.net), February 10, 1999.

What I expect to hear about:
N80 -sucessor to N70.
F5 focusing screen that lights up selected AF sensor.
AF-S zoom based on old big MF zoom (i.e. 200-400 4 or 50-300 4.5, etc).
AF-S 300 1.8 (heard rumors about this one a year or so ago).
AF(non S) TCs (or TCs that relay electronic info to body).

What I'd love to hear about (but not holding breath waiting for):
F3 with spot meter (or MF F4).
AIS lenses converted to AI-P.
Tilt/shift lenses (or new PB-4 type bellows that tilt & swings and new bellows mount lens(es).
AF SLR cheaper than N90 with DOF preview.
Entry level AF SLR that can meter with AI lenses and drive AF-S lenses.

Knowing my luck they'll announce new AF IX-Nikkor (APS) lenses. --Jeff

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@pgh.nauticom.net), February 10, 1999.

Since this is just a speculation page I'll give it a one week life, as long as it stays more or less flame free that is.

-- Brad Hutcheson (reloader@webtv.net), February 11, 1999.

Optimistic: a 300/4 AFS IF, N 80, TC 14 AF, TC 20 AF.

To be pessimestic: 2 lenshoods for their new AFS lenses.

-- Ivan Verschoote (ivan.verschoote@rug.ac.be), February 11, 1999.

Thanks Brad for bearing with us. Now time for a reality check. They will probably announce some more APS cameras and lenses and a 15% increase across the board to all their photographic equipment.

-- Gary Wilson (gwilson@ffca.com), February 11, 1999.

There is quite a bit of gossip about a new digital camera that will out pixel the current crop of mega-pixel cameras.

I can't help but think that the F100 while heavily rumoured was kept under pretty good wraps for quite some time. So was the 28-105 lens. The 80-200 AF-S was expected for quite a long time as everybody and her brother was clamouring for the thing.

Maybe Nikon will announce fully functional autofocusing, metering extension tubes???

Or that IS Macro lens they just patent protected in the USA?

I wish.

-- Stanley McManus (stanshooter@yahoo.com), February 11, 1999.

I forgot about that patent that Nikon filed. Hmmmm. Maybe a 300mm F4.0 ED IF IS Micro Nikkor AF-S may not be far fetched.

-- Gary Wilson (gwilson@ffca.com), February 11, 1999.

Nikon F101.

A new F100 that has a list price of free.

-- Habib (poorhabib@hotmail.com), February 12, 1999.

How about Nikon needing 1000 betas testers for their to be released next year F200.

-- Gary Wilson (gwilson@ffca.com), February 12, 1999.

I would really like to see just plain regular AF TC's and AF extention tubes.

-- John Foster (fostjoh@sc.llu.edu), February 14, 1999.

I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of Tilt Shift lenses.

-- Geof Grieble (ggrieble@gte.net), February 15, 1999.

I think the above shows that Nikon need to make some changes (I am a Nikon user BTW). Some stuff is just wish list gadget mania but some would be very usefull.

-- jason elsworth (jason.elsworth@vuw.ac.nz), February 15, 1999.

Goto photodo.com that maybe a for taste of what's coming. A professional digital camera and coolpix 700 and 950.

-- Gary Wilson (gwilson@ffca.com), February 16, 1999.