Well, Valentine's Day is officially ruined. Nikon Japan has issued a notice that will likely frustrate Nikon Z users around the world. Apparently the long-awaited Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Z lens has been delayed and will not be shipping on February 14th, aka Valentine's Day, as previously promised.
The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Z lens was first announced on January 6th, making adopters of the Z mount breathe a sigh of relief that this essential lens was finally going to be part of the line-up. The Nikon Z6 and Z7 were released in September 2018, which means that Z-mount users have already been waiting a year and a half for a 70-200mm f/2.8.
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Part of what's considered to be the 'holy trinity' of lenses (including the 14-24mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8), the 70-200mm f/2.8 is perfect for portrait, wildlife and events photography. It's also highly regarded by pros due to its constant aperture of f/2.8 and flexible zoom range.
As reported by rumor website Nikon Rumors, the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 Z lens isn't the only item to be experiencing delays. Apparently, the Nikon LC-777B 77mm lens cap, the Nikon HB-92 lens hood and the Nikon CL-C3 lens case will also be delayed. While this isn't explicitly stated, we assume that these three additional items are simply the add-ons that come with the lens itself.
There isn't a specific explanation given for this unfortunate delay. The Google-translated version of Nikon Japan's statement simply says "Regarding the Nikkor Z lens 'Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S' which was announced to be released on February 14, 2020, the release time has been postponed due to production reasons."
When PetaPixel requested a comment from Nikon Inc., the company replied, "We apologize for the delay of the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens. We are currently making final adjustments as part of our production process in order to ensure the highest quality product. We will provide availability as soon as possible."
No matter how long it takes for Nikon to put the finishing touches on the Z-mount 70-200mm f/2.8, we'll be itching to get our hands on it at the DCW offices. We'll update you with any new shipping dates when we hear them.
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