Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 macro lens delayed

UPDATE: Nikon Japan has released an official apology for the delay of the new Nikon Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S macro lens, stating:

“Thank you for your continued patronage of Nikon products.We have received a large number of reservations for the Nikkor lens “NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f / 2.8 VR S”, which is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2021 (Friday).

We may not be able to deliver the product on the day of release to some customers who are currently making reservations. In addition, it may take some time for the product to be delivered to customers who make reservations in the future, as it will be delivered in sequence.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to customers who are waiting for our products. We will do our utmost to deliver the product as soon as possible, and we appreciate your understanding.”

Nikon Rumors suggests that, due to the global parts and chips shortage that many companies are struggling with, this new 105mm Z lens could be out of stock until the end of 2021. While this will come as a blow to Nikon Z mount photographers who had been looking forward to getting their hands on this new piece of glass, it might not come as a total surprise, considering how many Nikon products are currently out of stock. 

With Nikon having previously insisted that there is "no delay" on the 12 new Z-mount lenses that are expected by March 2022, it will be interesting to see whether we'll see any other new releases from Nikon soon.

ORIGINAL: There had recently been reports that Nikon was struggling with delays for its latest Z-mount lenses. This was partly due to the fact that Nikon had only made a single development announcement for the upcoming Nikon Z9 – but hadn't mentioned anything about the planned Z-mount lenses that were due for announcement. 

However, TechRadar recently asked Nikon how much truth there was to these rumors and received a definitive answer, being told that "there is no such delay". 

TechRadar then followed up by asking Nikon if it was still planning to release 12 new Z-mount lenses by March 2022. Nikon confirmed: "We are planning on expanding the Nikkor Z lens lineup to approximately 30 lenses by the end of the fiscal year 2021". 

As reported by Nikon Rumors, it was previously believed that the company is now concentrating mainly on the forthcoming Nikon Z9 as it races against Canon in a bid to release its professional mirrorless camera first (after the Canon EOS R3 was announced hot on the heels of the Nikon Z9, which was unveiled on 9 March).

The Nikkor Z lenses that had been expected and are now set to be delayed include:
• the Nikon Nikkor Z 105mm Micros S;
• the Nikon Nikkor Z 100-400mm S and/or Nikon Nikkor 200-600mm; and
• One or two new APS-C mirrorless lenses to complement the rumored new APS-C mirrorless camera.

Some of the above lenses were initially supposed to be released last year; now it looks as though they have been delayed again, with no release date on the horizon.

Nikon had originally planned to have 27 lenses and two teleconverters on the Nikon Z lens roadmap by 2022. However, the company currently only has 18 lenses, including two teleconverters. Nikon's last new products were introduced in September/October 2020 – the Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm f2.8 S and the Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f1.2 S.

It seems we could potentially be expecting a flurry of Nikon Z lenses to be released this year if Nikon is planning to release 30 lenses before the end of the year. If they fail to appear, frustrated Nikon Z mirrorless camera users may opt to invest in third-party prime lenses for the Nikon Z system from the likes of Samyang, Laowa and 7artisan instead.

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