New patent from Nikon (55-300 f:2.8-4)

Often but not always a new lens arrives about 15 months after these patents get published.

300mm (actual in the patent 296mm) divided by f4 is 75mm - so not less than a 77mm front filter size.

Optical quality is unknown - the more complex optical design implies better than the 70-300 VR. Nikon's full aperture MTF at 10 and 30 cycles are a good guide and are are published the day Nikon make the official announcement at www.nikonimaging.com

If it is VR III it will be an interesting option, delivery maybe around the end of 2013.

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Leonard Shepherd
Many problems turn out to be a lack of intimate knowledge of complex modern camera equipment.