Lenses

HAL 9000 is one of cinema's most iconic villains. The all-seeing computer eye from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Oddysey is as famed for his cool demeanor as for his baleful red glare. But that smooth piece of glass that made up HAL's eye into the corridors of Discovery One? It turns out that's a far more familiar — but still rather rare — piece of hardware.

In 1932, Nippon Kogaku K.K. registered the NIKKOR trademark, shortly shipping the Aero-Nikkor aerial photographic lenses in 1933. Since then, Nippon Kogaku K.K. has become Nikon, but the lenses still say Nikkor written across them.

Tokina revealed two new lenses at the CP+ photography show in Japan today. While the company hasn't announced the price, availabality, or even the mounts for which they'll be available, the full frame 70-200mm f/4 and APS-C 12-28mm f/4 are both bound to generate some interest.

 Nikon has been on a bit of a lens tear lately and they apparently have no intention of stopping. Now, they have a new super-telephoto lens and a budget-friendly wide angle zoom to add to the Nikkor line-up.