Nikon is celebrating its first 100 years in style — or rather, with two new restyled cameras, a trio of lenses, and a telephoto lens. On April 3, Nikon officially announced the 100th-anniversary limited edition D5, D500, three f/2.8 lenses, and the 70-200E lens. The company followed with an official pricing announcement on June 15 while opening up pre-orders. The cameras and lenses are existing products, but with a new silver finish.
The products, first previewed during the CP+ show in Japan in February, commemorates the company’s centennial, which falls on July 25, 2017. The April announcement added additional product details, with the June announcement sharing pricing and availability. Pre-orders on the entire 100th anniversary series opened on June 15 with orders continuing through August 31.
The special edition D5 will be sold for $8,000 in a unique gunmetal finish, along with a matching case, 100th-anniversary body cap, and a special edition booklet detailing Nikon’s contribution to space exploration. A stamp on the bottom of the camera celebrates its contributions to space studies.
The D5’s little sibling, the D500, will also be released in a special edition version with the same gunmetal finish, in a smaller gunmetal case along with that same body-cap style. The gunmetal version sells for $2,800.
Nikon will also make three lenses with a matching finish, the 14-24mm f/2.8 ED, 24-70mm f/2.8 ED VR, and the 70 – 200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR ($4,000). All three are sold as a set with a gunmetal case for $8,000. The 70-200E will also be sold separately for $4,000, along with a special display case.
The Nikon D5 is the company’s current flagship camera, boasting best-in-class specs. The D500 carries a similar feature list and speed, but with a smaller APS-C sensor (and a smaller price). We named the D500 our camera of 2016.
Along with the cameras and lenses, Nikon will also release a special edition leather camera strap, two special edition binoculars, a decorative crystal reproduction of the Nikon Model I, a decorative miniature Nikon F, and a set of anniversary lapel pins. Unlike the camera gear, the binoculars will only be sold through the month of June. The full suite of products are available online and at select Nikon retailers, though availability may vary by region.
The special edition cameras add to a list of what the company has planned for its 100th year in business, including a display of prototypes from the past as well as a new category for its annual photography competition, now closed for entries but with winners are yet to be announced.
