Nikon Announces AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm F/2G IF-ED Lens

Featuring Newly Developed 'Super-ED' Glass New Telephoto Lens Combines Fast f/2.0 Performance with the Precision of Super ED Glass and Innovative Vibration Reduction (VR)

MAY 28, 2004 - Nikon, http://www.nikonusa.com, the world leader in photography, today announced the AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED lens, developed for use with both Nikon digital and film SLR cameras. An important addition to the acclaimed range of Nikkor ED lenses, the AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED is crafted from Super ED glass - a significant new material that is more resilient than typical fluorite lenses and offers class-above optical qualities with exceptional consistency even at large apertures. With an ideal combination of Vibration Reduction (VR) technology and fast f/2.0 aperture, the AF-S

VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED is designed to offer photographers razor sharp images in the most demanding situations. "The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED has a myriad of applications for all kinds of photographers. Many will find uses for its expressive quality of emphasizing subjects in portraits by rendering background elements completely out of focus, while others will use it for its large aperture, superb clarity and immense potential with VR technology for shooting in low light conditions or from moving platforms," said Jerry Grossman, vice president for marketing, Nikon Inc. "Undoubtedly, this new lens lives up to Nikon's heritage as one of the finest optical manufacturing companies in the world," he added.

Super-ED Glass for Superb Clarity

Nikon's Super ED glass elements excel at correcting chromatic aberration and eliminating secondary spectrum to produce outstanding image resolution and clarity. While the optical properties of this new glass closely resemble those of fluorite, Super ED glass is more resilient to rapid temperature changes (thermal shock) and not as susceptible to cracking as the crystal structure of fluorite. Super ED glass also boasts a higher refractive index than fluorite, making it highly capable of correcting aberrations other than chromatic aberration. It also demonstrates less change in optical characteristics than fluorite when exposed to severe temperature variance, ensuring consistent performance even under extremely harsh shooting conditions. Additionally, the unique composition of Super ED glass ensures consistency in optical properties and performance, enabling applications in a variety of lenses including those with very large apertures.

Intelligent Design

The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED lens incorporates clever new features that are placed within comfortable reach of photographers' natural grip, helping them keep their eye on the subject. A switch located on the bottom of the lens gives swift access to the AF-L (Autofocus-Lock) function, which allows a desired focus position to be easily preset. The same switch can also be used to access the AF-ON function enabling photographers to achieve more subjective focus with fine manual manipulation. The switch can also activate the lens to revert back to the preset focus position whenever desired.

Vibration Reduction Technology

With a maximum aperture of f/2, the AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED is a very fast lens that when combined with the advantages of VR technology, offers photographers remarkable shooting capabilities that may not have been previously possible. Nikon's advanced VR technology eliminates image blur caused by camera shake, particularly when shooting in low-light conditions, allowing photographers to use shutter speeds up to three stops slower than they would ordinarily use to get sharp, well exposed images. VR performance is further augmented in the AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED by a VR selection switch that enables photographers to choose between two different VR modes to best suit the subject at hand - Normal mode is ideal for most common shooting conditions, panning, and use in combination with a tripod. Active mode, as its
name suggests, is better suited to conditions involving more movement, such as shooting from a moving vehicle or platform.

Seamless Compatibility with Teleconverters, Including new TC-17E II

The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED is compatible with all Nikon teleconverters, including the newly announced AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II -
the first teleconverter to offer 1.7x performance in a compact, lightweight package. Similar in design to the existing TC-14E II and TC-20E II
teleconverters, the TC-17E II can be used exclusively with AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses, and completes Nikon's lineup of 1.4x, 1.7x, and 2.0x compact teleconverters. The use of such teleconverters is an ideal way to extend a lens' focal length, and adding versatility without the expense and weight of additional lenses.The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED will be available at Nikon authorized
dealers starting Fall of 2004.

SOURCE Nikon USA