DxOMark published the second part of their Best lenses for the Nikon D800 camera series and this time they are covering telephoto lenses:
“The best lens tested is a Nikon model, but it is not the most expensive model. In Overall scores, the Nikon 70-200mm f/4G ED VR comes out on top, with a score of 28. With a price of $1399 this makes it not only the top choice, but also a good value for money option – as much as a lens costing over $1000 can be considered value for money.”
| Lens | Price ($) | DxOMark Score |
| Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II | 2699 | 29 |
| Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR | 1399 | 28 |
| Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED | 1850 | 26 |
| Tamron SP AF 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD (IF) MACRO Nikon | 770 | 26 |
| Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO OS HSM Nikon | 1699 | 25 |
| Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO Macro HSM II Nikon | 949 | 25 |
| Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO HSM Nikon | 880 | 23 |
“Of the four lenses, the Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED comes out as the top choice for two reasons – firstly, it has the highest sharpness score of the quartet, managing 12P-Mpix and secondly, because it features Nikon’s Vibration Reduction system. With such a long focal range, having VR is a real benefit in achieving sharp shots while handholding and so this lens makes the best choice.”
The Nikon Coolpix A compact camera started shipping today and is currently in stock at Amazon and B&H. As of today there is no sign of the $200 price drop that published on BestBuy website two weeks ago. This is the last product release from the multiple Nikon announcements that happened in the first three months of the year. 2013 started as a very busy year for Nikon, let’s see how it will end.
Update: the “street price” of the Nikon Coolpix A accessories is actually lower than the prices from the official announcement:
Nikon announced the establishment of a new manufacturing facility for DSLR cameras in Laos. The factory will have 800 employees, 10,000 m2 floor space and is scheduled to start operations in October 2013:
Nikon MB-D15 battery grip for D7100 is now shipping in the US and is currently in stock at B&H.
The Nikon Coolpix A will start shipping today or tomorrow – it is already en route to retailers. This is the final product release from the recent series of Nikon announcements. I expect the next few months to be quiet in terms of new product announcements. The rumor mill will probably heat up again during the summer.
The Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens started shipping today in the US and is currently in stock at Amazon from several third party reseller. Here is a quick size comparison between the Nikkor 200-400mm VR, the original 80-400mm, the new 80-400mm, and the 70-200mm VRII lenses:
Credit: Christophe Racat
Several readers emailed me their ideas of what the Nikon Coolpix A camera should have been. If you have your own photoshopped concept of a mirrorless/compact camera, add it to the comments section (yes, you can upload images in the comments section).
Credit: Ken
Credit: Al
What everyone really wants is a Nikon S3 digital rangefinder:
