I haven't visited this website for several months. When I visted it this evening, I was surprised to see that no one has commented on the new 85mm T/S lens.

Three questions:

(1) I gather from the ads that it hasn't reached the retail market yet. Does anyone know when this is likely to occur?

(2) What is likely to be the starting price (recognizing that, assuming no exhange rate disaster, the price is likely to go down eventually)?

(3) Why did Nikon start with an 85mm? I, for one, would be more interested in a shorter focal length. I realize that Nikon sells a 28mm and a 35mm PS, but the big advantage to tilting is found in landscape pictures, for which I, at least, use a wide angle lens. Is there any word as to whether they will phase out the wide-angle PS lenses in favor of T/S?

Win Robins

-- Win Robins (suewinrob@banet.net), November 07, 1999

Answers

1) UK ads claim it is available. 2) UK prices are about GB#1200 i.e. about US$1200 at photographic exchange rates. 3) No autofocus 400mm F5.6 ! No affordable 20-35mm zoom. No short TS lenses. No non pro camera with DOF. Hohum.

Yours, Leif.

-- Leif Goodwin (goodwinl@uk.ibm.com), November 08, 1999.

In the Photo + Expo in New York a week ago (October 30, 1999), I saw the 85mm T/S, the new 17-35mm/f2.8 AF-S and the new digital D1 body at the Nikon exhibit. I think all three new products are available now.

-- Shun Cheung (shun@worldnet.att.net), November 08, 1999.

Hi Win, for your question (3), the lens in question is the PC Micro- Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D. Note that it's a *macro* lens with tilt and shift function, which means that it is primarily designed for used in commercial product photography. That's to say that it's not meant to replace the 28mm and 35mm PC lenses (which are primary meant to be used in architectural photography), but to complement them.

When used on the professional Nikon digital SLR D1, which has a 1.5x magnification effect on the focal lenght of 35mm format lenses, the 85mm lens becomes a 127.5mm, which makes it an ideal lens for portrait as well as product photography for used in advertising work.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), November 08, 1999.

The main reason for tilt is DOF control. DOF control is very useful for macro work. DOF control is also useful for landscapes, however with 28 and 35 mm lenses you don't have to stop down very much to get adequate DOF.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@nauticom.net), November 09, 1999.

I just noticed that the 28 and 35 PC lenses are no longer listed in the Nikon products list. Maybe their T/S successors are soon to be released?

-- chuck (chaohui@msn.com), February 21, 2000.

Chuck, they're both listed here http://www.n ikonusa.com/products/detail.cfm?id=159 but the 35 PC is missing from http://www .klt.co.jp/Nikon/Nikkor_Lenses/index3.html.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@nauticom.net), February 22, 2000.