nikonrumors.com/2023/04/10/here-is-the-latest-nikon-z-lens-roadmap-version-5-3-as-of-january-2023.aspx/
Here is the latest Nikon Z lens roadmap version 5.3 as of January 2023 – there are now 6 upcoming lenses to be announced this year (2023):
NIKKOR Z 12-28mm DX PZ lens
NIKKOR Z 24mm DX lens
NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S lens
NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8 lens (non-S)
NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S lens
NIKKOR Z 200-600mm f/6.3 lens (non-S)
The 35 is the one I am looking at. The rest I am not so interested. The 135 could be a fantastic lens, but I am so happy with the Zeiss 135/2 I see little need to switch
The latest Nikon Rumors post is about the difficulty in predicting release dates. They are getting pretty desperate for content at this point. There was one earlier that most just said "expect future firmware updates" (paraphrasing) with no further specifics. I am kind of done with them.
The whole nikonosphere has been predicting something in the next 30 days for the last year. Nikon dragging out body releases makes it much harder for blogs like that to look like they know anything
Throughout 2022 into 2023, Nikon has introduced a lot of high-end lenses to accompany the Z9, including the 400/2.8, 600/f4, 800/5.6 ... Even the 400/4.5 and 85/1.2 are not exactly cheap. Otherwise, there are very few consumer, prosumer new Z items: Z30, 26/2.8 .... Various web sites just need to manufacture some news to generate web traffic, but after a few times when rumors don't pan out, people tend to dismiss further rumors. I have read so many times that some "Z8" announcement was "imminent" since July, August 2022, and every time it was delays by a month, and then another month .... It is a bit concerning that after the Z9 announcement on October 28, 2021, there has been only one new Z30 in terms of bodies.
I have not done a lot of longer tele shooting but after having a bit of a hellish year. Covid leading to hospital and then long covid with an apparently never ending list of complications before being released from hospital . A few days after getting home and still very weak , I managed to bounce down a full flight of stairs injuring my back ribs and multiple cuts and bruises :-) back to hospital. I am now slowly getting back on track. I am normally a very outdoor person and love hill walking etc . My main interests are macro shooting and I have been gradually developing an interest in tele shooting so the 200-600mm is the one that interests me most. As the higher end more pro grade tele's are pricey for such a casual interest
I got rid of most of my F mount gear and just { last week } picked up a Z9 fantastic bit of kit and as I recuperate I will have plenty time to RTFM and get to grips with it . I do like 135mm lenses but the size and weight of the fast high end options is off putting
Were you not aware of the price, size and weight of the lenses that best take advantage of the Z9 before you bought it?
I was indeed aware of the sizes of lenses , i was merely commenting on the lens selection mentioned above . I have been using Nikon Z gear since the Z7 first became available . I have no problem with larger lenses if they are useful to my interests , when it comes to 135mm I do not want a very fast , very large lens and would much prefer a lighter slower but still optically good choice. As I am just beginning to dabble with longer tele lenses I would prefer to start with a more moderate choice such as the rumored 200-600mm than jump in with a £15500 600mm F/4 . I also do a decent amount of video where the Z9 features are advantageous for all my lenses
85mm on crop is a great way to get 135mm equivalent FoV these days. Two first party native AF options in Z mount (compared to no 135mm lenses), and plenty of third party too (MF and AF). If 20MP is enough for the print size you're making, you'd struggle to find a smaller 135mm option than the Z 85mm f/1.8
I'll likely place an order for 200-600mm the moment it is announced. Sold my 200-500 last year and have suffered an annoying gap in my lens line-up (I have 70-200 and 800).
Another lens I'd order in an instant (not on this roadmap list) would be 200mm or longer macro. I have the 105mm macro which is great, but a bit too short for many wild critters I try not to scare away.
While I do find the roadmap changes interesting, I have chosen to go with the 400 f4.5 after selling the 200-500. I was interested in the 200-600, and I think it will probably be as good as the Sony one, but after I tried the 400 f4.5 I was sold. It is incredibly sharp and light, and with the Z TC14 it makes up for a good 560 f6.3.
I am more of a zoom guy, but this lens really is amazing and having already the 70-200 Z, I can add the TC to that, so I have 70-200 at f2.8, 200-280 at f4, 400 at f4.5 and 560 f6.3.
About the other lenses, I personally hope that Sigma will release f 1.4 Z native versiones of their 35 and 85 art. If I am right thinking that Nikon would allow only non conflicting lenses from 3rd party makers, this should be possible, and I think/hope I would find the f1.4 versions more than adequate for my needs...
A possible or probable addition is a 100 – 300 f2 .8 S
Canon has just announced a 100-300 f2.8 ML lens - and the Nikon 120-300 f2.8 F mount was recently deleted from www.imaging.nikon.com
100-300/2.8 would be amazing, but also amazingly expensive.
Also too much overlap with 70-200/2.8 which so many pros and enthusiasts already has.
Price wise the F mount 120-300 is about £9500 including 20% tax in the UK compared to Canon launch around £12,500.
Probably a similar £12,500 for a Nikon - unless Nikon include a built in TC 1.4x.
The 120-300 seems to sell relatively well despite the 70-200 being only about 30% of the price.
In the US, the new Canon RF 100-300mm/f2.8 is priced to exactly match Nikon's F-mount 120-300mm/f2.8, both at US$9500. The Nikon version happens to be the very last F-mount lens Nikon has announced (so far), in January 2020, i.e. 3+ years ago, in conjunction with the D6 apparently for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The main advantage for the Canon lens is that it is native for Canon R mirrorless bodies. The Nikon lens needs an adapter for the Z9, etc. Not sure Nikon will re-introduce a native Z-mount version of some zoom that covers 300mm/f2.8: www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/camera-lenses/20088/af-s-nikkor-120-300mm-f%252f2.8e-fl-ed-sr-vr.html
A 120-300 with a welded on FTZ would be a little pointless, but if nikon did make an adapted version then they'd have a lot of empty space at the back. It should be fairly simple to release a Z mount 120-300 f/2.8 TC that uses that space