I Want This Nikon Speaker Lens More Than I Want A Nikon 1

Instead of a silent drive motor that focuses the lens with barely a whisper, this faux Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm lens packs a speaker cone and the requisite electronics to play your music. It’s also officially bumped the Nikon 1 off the top of my Christmas wishlist.

Like the Nikon and Canon mugs and thermoses that came before it, this lens was purpose built to serve as a speaker, instead of being retrofitted as an afterthought. The functioning buttons serve as playback controls since the speaker is able to natively play audio files from a microSD card, and I’m hoping the large zoom ring is turned to adjust the volume. You can also attach an included breakout cable to connect the speaker to a headphone jack, or to a USB port for power and charging its battery. It’s not known if these speakers were produced by Nikon as a promotional item, or by another company as a knockoff. But they’re hard to come by, mostly popping up on eBay from international sellers for around $US20. [eBay via Nikon Rumors]