Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

Every DSLR owner knows that the real cost is in the lenses, not in the camera body. Lenses are expensive - pro f/2.8 lenses made by Canon and Nikon are north of $2000 in almost every case...but that glass is so utterly amazing for photos, you want to have if you're shooting an important event. So what do you do? You rent it. Borrow Lenses is a site that allows you to rent lenses (yeah, their site name is a bit misleading) for surprisingly affordable rates. For instance, the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 lens is about $2400 MSRP, but you can rent it for three days for $64 USD. Not bad at all - especially if you're a pro making money off a shoot. Eventually the rentals costs catch up to you, but this is a very cost-effective option for anyone that wants to use the best lenses on the market today, but doesn't have the money to buy them outright. This site is US-only, but odds are good there's someone in your country offering a similar service, so it's worth looking into!

"Mississauga, ON, July 30, 2009 - Nikon Canada today announced the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR II and the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II. Further refined to provide photographers with exceptional optics for outstanding image clarity and sharpness, the two new telephoto zoom lenses feature Vibration Reduction (VR) II optical image stabilization. The 18-200mm, one of Nikon's best-selling premium high-ratio zooms ever (11x), offers enthusiasts excellent versatility.The 70-200mm f/2.8 retains its status as the preeminent choice fordiscerning professionals in a multitude of disciplines.

Both of these lenses use Nikon's VR II image stabilization technology, which is engineered specifically for and optimized to function most effectively for each lens design to substantially reduce camera shake-related image blur. VR II allows photographers to shoot handheld at as many as four shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, better assuring dramatically sharper images - even in challenging lighting conditions. Two VR modes are available:"Normal" mode, ideal for everyday use and panning a subject; and "Active" mode to reduce more extreme instances of camera shake."

OK, now this announcement gets me excited! I've had my eye on the 70-200 f2.8 Nikkor for many months now, but in the back of my head I kept thinking "You know, this lens hasn't changed since the late '90s 2002 - surely they're going to update it for the digital era?". Well, looks like they have now! No word on pricing, but I expect it to be in the same painful range as the previous lens - about $1900 CAD. The 18-200 lens is a bit of a puzzle though - it's the same f3.5-f5.6 as the lens I already own, and I didn't think it was released more than three years ago. No word on the pricing on this lens either. The full press release about both lenses is after the break. Read more...