This is a rumor and usually I don’t spend much time speculating about this sort of thing, but I’ve been hearing this one a lot, it’s allegedly 100% confirmed, and very interesting: Nikon to release 16-35 f/4 VR and 24mm f/1.4 lenses tomorrow. The gear in and of itself sounds cool, but what’s more important is that if this is true, it’s a significant move by Nikon into Canon’s lens territory.

If you spend any amount of time researching the differences between Canon and Nikon, you’re guaranteed to hear the following in Canon’s favor:

• Canon has a strong line of high-quality f/4 zoom lenses, many of which feature image stabilization.
• Canon has a solid lineup of fast, high-quality wide angle prime lenses.

The f/4 zooms are lightweight and versatile. The 24-105 f/4 L is the kit lens for Canon’s prosumer EOS 5D line, and considered one of the best all-around lenses one can purchase. And then there’s the fast, wide primes — lenses like the 24mm f/1.4 L and 35mm f/1.4 L are pretty much like carrying around night vision for your camera.

So now Nikon is rumored to be coming out with a 16-35mm f/4 VR and a 24mm f/1.4. If that is so they are doing a great job of listening to the photography community and using that information to close up whatever gaps their may be between them and their main competition.

So … when will we see a full-frame professional body from Canon with a high frame rate and mind-bending ISO capabilities?

Link via Calanan Photography.

Update: The rumors were true

It turns out the rumors were true and Nikon did release these two lenses. If you’re looking to pick these up when they become available, consider getting them from B&H:

• Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED Wide Angle Lens at B&H
• Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR at B&H

I don’t have a review of these lenses available and I don’t plan on buying them (seeing as I shoot Canon), but if you plan on it I suggest B&H. That’s where I get most of my equipment.