"RichA" wrote:

I figure at least four up to the new f4.0 unit. Never well-regarded,
but the new one did allow Nikon to almost double the price from the
last one from about $700 to $1200.

It's good to see that in this Internet backwater, the standards of
accuracy and research remain at their historical levels. I
haven't been able to find more than three versions released
publicly, but I look forward to learning about the other versions
you know about.

As for "never well-regarded," that's pretty much true, especially
among people who never tried one. You may hear a different story
from a real photojournalist, tourist, or other photographer who
realizes a) the MTF and SQF of a missed shot are exactly zero,
and b) you shouldn't try to pretend a Swiss Army Knife is the
same thing as a K-Bar Army Knife.

All lenses are engineering compromises, and cost plays a part in
almost all of the tradeoffs. The f/3.5~5.6 versions traded off
some optical quality for savings in size, weight, and yes, cost.
The newer f/4 version chooses different tradeoffs at a different
price.

--
Mike Benveniste -- (Clarification Required)
Its name is Public opinion. It is held in reverence. It settles
everything. Some think it is the voice of God. -- Mark Twain