Are there any rumors of Nikon producing an "S" version of the 80-400 VR or a similar lens in an "S" version?

-- Bob Labuski (bobl@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002

Answers

The only rumour I've heard about this is that due to the architecture of Nikon's lens mount, they've made it impossible to have both a silent wave motor and VR in the same lens.

But I stress that this is just a rumour that I've read in the newsgroups. It may or may not be true.

-- Steve Dunn (steved@ussinc.com), January 25, 2002.

Another RUMOUR (and I will stress this VERY strongly, as I've only heard it from a single source) is that Nikon licensed VR from canon, and then made changes, which weren't part of the agreement. Canon got upset, and refused to give nikon license again, so there will be no more VR licenses.

I suspect this is untrue, because Nikon produced a VR compact camera circa 1994, before Canon even unveiled their first IS lens. Take-up of the compact was very poor, and nikon shelved the idea, which, in retrospect, was obviously a mistake.

However, I have also heard the rumour mentioned above, that nikon can't produce an AF-S VR lens without making changes to the lens mount (again). It wouldn't seem too big a deal to do this anyway, as the whole F mount is now rife with incompabilities anyway, why not add another for a reasonable benefit?

There is some discussion of this whole topic in the Canon V Nikon section of this forum, in the IS vs VR thread.

-- Isaac Sibson (isibson@hotmail.com), January 26, 2002.

I have seen a lot of these Nikon-lens-mount rumors over the years, since the mid 1980's in rec.photo. There have been constant rumors that Nikon would have to change the F mount, partly because they could not put an AF motor inside the lens with the F mount. In the late 80's a Nikon rep actually told me the same thing but couldn't provide a satisfactory explanation when I probed further. Some people even claimed that they had "insider" information from high-level Nikon executives in Japan that a new mount would be introduced within a year; that was back around 1990.

A few years later, Nikon introduced AF-I lenses and the rest is history.

-- Shun Cheung (shun@worldnet.att.net), January 26, 2002.

So finally Nikon announced a 70-200mm/f2.8 VR AF-S. So much for those "rumors."

-- Shun Cheung (shun@worldnet.att.net), March 03, 2002.