A new 200mm micro in the horizon????

[PedroS]

http://nikonrumors.com/2016/07/05/nikon-af-micro-nikkor-200mm-f4d-if-ed-lens-listed-as-discontinued.aspx/

[Akira]

It is the last non-G Micro Nikkor for sure, and its renovation have long been due.

Considering the increased bulk and weight of VR Micro 105/2.8, the new AF-S 200mm VR Micro should be very bulky without any technological breakthrough like the PF element.

[benveniste]

It is the last non-G Micro Nikkor for sure, and its renovation have long been due.

The 60mm f/2.8D is still listed as a current model as well.

[Roland Vink]

Macro lenses are usually designed for outright optical performance, I think a PF design is unlikely since this is more of a concession for compactness and ease of handling.
But I'm sure we can expect AFS, G, IF, ED, VR, Nano, Fluorine coating, and maybe an E aperture. Hopefully it will have a good tripod mount since macros of this length can hardly be hand-held.

A while ago Thom Hogan hoped a replacement 200 micro would be f/2.8 to replace the 180/2.8 ED as well. I hope not, since it would be the worst of both worlds - for macro fast apertures are not usually needed, and it wouldn't be compact and affordable like the 180.

[Akira]

The 60mm f/2.8D is still listed as a current model as well.

Hi, benveniste, welcome to NG.  Yes, this older version of 60/2.8 is still on the catalog, but the current AF-S G version has long been in the list as well.  The current Micro 200mm is, on the contrary, still an AiAF version.

Roland, I named PF as an example of any technical breakthrough.  I would doubt if PF can make a 200mm micro considerably smaller like in the case with 300/4.0.

[benveniste]

A while ago Thom Hogan hoped a replacement 200 micro would be f/2.8 to replace the 180/2.8 ED as well. I hope not, since it would be the worst of both worlds - for macro fast apertures are not usually needed, and it wouldn't be compact and affordable like the 180.

I doubt any replacement 200mm Nikkor is going to be "affordable," but then again, at $1000 I'm not sure that a new 180mm f/2.8D falls into that category.  As for compact, a number of years ago I planned on swapping my 180mm f/2.8D for a Sigma 180mm f/3.5 macro.  After all, on paper the size and weight difference didn't look to be too bad.  It took me one outing to convince me otherwise:

[Roland Vink]

Maybe I should have said "relatively affordable", and it's quite easy to pick up good used AF 180/2.8 lenses at a much lower cost, unlike the AF 200/4 micro.