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Nikon 10-18mm f/4
Forecast (2009 - )
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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 10-18mm f/4 G ED N. It helps me keep adding to this site when you use these links to Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Calumet, Ritz, J&R and eBay to get your goodies. Thanks! Ken. Ken.

June 2009      More Nikon Reviews

RUMOR: Looks good enough to me to run with it! Everything here is forecast

 

Optics:
Mechanics:
Ergonomics:
Usefulness:
Availability:          rumor
Overall:

Ideal Uses: Perfect for use on FX digital and film.

Not for: I wouldn't bother with this on a DX camera since it's too darn big. I'd use the 10-24mm D lens instead, which has the added advantage of taking filters as well as smaller size, weight and lower price.

 

Introduction         top

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Ritz Camera

I personally buy from Adorama, Amazon, Ritz, B&H, Calumet and J&R. I can't vouch for ads below.

 

Someone sent me some photos of the new Nikon AF-S Nikkor 10-18mm f/4 G ED N. I usually presume these are fake, but since I invented the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 9mm f/2.8 G ED N DX back in 2006, I'll bite on this one.

Nikon hopefully will be announcing this formally on 15 June 2009 to commemorate the world's first practical DSLR, the Nikon D1, which was announced on 15 June 1999.

The 10-18mm is a rectilinear (non-distorting) lens that will just happen to be the world's wider non-distorting professional lens, upsetting the 13mm f/5.6 which had the title since 1976.

 

Compatibility          intro     top

Everything works perfectly on every digital Nikon, both FX and DX, and even on Nikon's cheapest digital D40, D40x, D60 and D5000.

It's also perfect on decent or recent AF film cameras like the F6, F100, F5, N80 and N75.

The incompatibilities for older or cheaper film cameras are that:

1.) It won't autofocus with the cheapest new AF film cameras like the N55, but if you focus manually, everything else works great. Even if you lose autofocus, these cameras have in-finder focus confirmation dots to help you.

2.) Late 1980s ~ early 1990s AF cameras like the N90s, N70 and F4 will focus just fine and give Program and Shutter-priority modes, but lose Manual and Aperture-priority since you have no way to set the aperture on the camera or on the lens.

3.) You're really pushing it with the oldest AF cameras like the N2020, N6006 and N8008. You'll have no AF and confused exposure modes. Manual focus is fine, along with electronic focus indications.

4.) Since it has no aperture ring, it's just about useless with manual focus film cameras.

See Nikon Lens Compatibility for details with your camera. Read down the "AF-S, AF-I" and "G"columns for this lens. You'll get the least of all the features displayed in all columns, since "G" (gelding) is a handicap which removes features.

 

Pricing          intro     top

USA, 7/2009: $2,799 (target).

 

Specifications (target)        top

Name: Nikon will call this the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 10-18mm f/4 G ED N.

    AF-S and SWM: Silent Wave (focus) Motor.

    ED: ED Glass.

    G: Gelded for cost-reduction and removing compatibility with older cameras.

    N: Nano-particle coating for less flare and ghosts.

 

Optics

17 elements in 12 groups. Four aspheric elements and one with N nano-particle coating.

It's multicoated, which Nikon calls Nikon Integrated Coating.

 

Angle-of-View

On FX and film:

130º ~ 100º diagonal.

122º ~ 90º horizontal.

100º ~ 67º vertical.

(less on DX.)

 

Close Focus

0.9 feet (0.27 meters).

 

Hard Infinity Focus Stop?

No. You have to use AF for astronomy.

 

Focus Scale

Yes.

 

Depth-of-Field Scale

No.

 

Infra-Red Focus Index

No.

 

Diaphragm

9 straight blades. Stops down to f/22.

 

Aperture Ring

No.

 

Filter Thread

NONE.

Forget shooting with grads or for film.

 

Size

4.58" (116mm) extension from flange by 4.73" (120mm) diameter.

 

Weight

3.2 pounds (1,450g).

 

Hood

None.

The extensions you see are mostly to protect the front glass.

Thankfully, the nano-crystal coating should give great ghost and flare performance a la the 14-24mm.

 

Case

Semi-soft Case CL-M4, included.

 

Made in

Japan.

 

Recommendations         top

I want one; I'll let you know as soon as it becomes real.

Forget it for use with film because no filters fit. For film, use the 14mm f/2.8 AF, since you can use rear gels, or the 13mm f/5.6 which uses rear bayonet filters. Unless you're shooting color print film, you need color correction filters for transparencies and sharp-cut colored filters to get proper contrast with B&W outdoors.

I give this one about a 50% truth ratio. The pictures we've all seen look legitimate, however a 10mm f/4 FX zoom seems unlikely. Making a zoom go this wide and this fast (f/4) seem unreasonable when you understand just how excruciatingly difficult it is to make a lens this wide, much less make it zoom.

It would seem more fitting to the Nikon system, in light of the 14-24mm zoom, to make a smaller, lighter fixed 10mm lens.

Who knows. Rumors are fun because we can conjur up anything.

 

PLUG         top

I support my growing family through this baloney on website, as crazy as it might seem.

If you find this as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.

If you've gotten your gear through one of my links or helped otherwise, you're family. It's great people like you who allow me to keep adding to this site full-time. Thanks!

If you haven't helped yet, please do, and consider helping me with a gift of $5.00.

The biggest help is to use these links to Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Calumet, Ritz and J&R when you get your goodies. It costs you nothing and is a huge help. These places have the best prices and service, which is why I've used them since before this website existed. I recommend them all personally.

Thanks for reading!

Ken

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02 June 2009