New Nikkor lenses: 800mm/5.6 and 18-35/3.5-4.5

Nikon just announced two new lenses. The long awaited AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR super tele and an all new AF-S Nikkor 18-35 f/3.5-4.5 wide angle zoom. These new lenses can be used on both FX (full frame) and DX (crop) camera bodies.

AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR

This is currently the longest lens in the NIKKOR lineup and delivers 800mm of full-frame super-telephoto power with a large maximum aperture of f/5.6 (1200mm equivalent on a DX body). If that isn't enough reach for you, Nikon also includes a specially designed TC800-1.25E ED teleconverter with this lens, giving you a whopping 1000mm (1500mm equivalent on a DX body) without losing too much light.

Even with the long reach, Nikon has been able to keep the weight down: the new lens only weighs 4590 gram and is much lighter than the 600mm/4!
Lens and TC comes at a hefty price: $17,899.95/€17,129.00 (suggested retail prices) and will be available beginning of April.

Personal note: I, personally, do not see the benefit of a 800/5.6 as compared to a 600mm/4; coupled with a 1.4 teleconverter that lens gives you about the same reach with more flexibility and at a much lower price (half). So I'm not sure what the exact market for this type of lens is…

AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

The AF-S NIKKOR 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED is a new wide angle zoom option in the Nikon line-up. With a 18-35mm (27-52.5mm on DX), it offers a much used focal range at a relatively big maximum aperture (varying between f/3.5 and f/4.5). If you don't already own a quality (zoom) lens in this range, or want to improve on your current lens, this new option may be just right for you.

Suggested retail price: $749.95