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Nikon Releases "What makes NIKKOR lenses so appealing?" Vol. 1-2
Nikon has just released a couple of insightful videos where lens designers are asked various questions about NIKKOR lenses and lens design. I believe there's an error in the second video (1:00 mark) where the "#5 Favorite Lenses" title is used instead of a more appropriate one ("Favorite Lenses" is already covered in the first video).
However, the information following "#5 Favorite Lenses" is very poignant as the designer compares the design process to climbing a mountain.