Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR Nikkor Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras by Nikon
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Digital camera reviews of Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR Nikkor Wide-Angle Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: Excellent all purpose Nikon DX lens
Summary: 5 Stars
Nikon 16-85mm is a general purpose lens designed for Nikon DX camera. DX camera is camera that use APS-C size sensor. There are plenty of DX cameras in the market from beginner (D3000, D5000) to advanced (D90, D300s). The focal length is equivalent to 24-127mm. It is capable to take wide landscape or very tall building in one frame without panorama sticthing. It is also long enough for close-up portrait or pulling subject from 20 meters away.
Like other non-kit lens, Nikon 16-85mm has metal mount. The outer shell are made by combination of metal and plastic. It is very sturdy and well made. Nikon 16-85mm comes with a plastic bayonet type lens hood.
Nikon 16-85mm features VR (Vibration Reduction) which stabilized the image sensor to prevent blurring on images due to camera shake. This lens also features AF-S SWM, which ensure fast and silent auto focus.
The lens is almost perfect but I wish it has constant aperture like f/4 or even f/2.8. But I understand it might increase the size and double the price.
Many people might compare this lens to Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras. Here are some differences:
Nikon 16-85mm vs Nikon 18-200mm
* Nikon 16-85mm is a bit wider, so it is better for landscape / architecture photography.
* Nikon 16-85mm is more compact (85mm x 72mm / 3.4 in. x 2.8 in. vs 96.5mm x 77mm / 3.8 in. x 3.0 in.)
* Nikon 16-85mm delivers more consistent result especially wide open at f/3.5-5.6, however this advantage diminished when you shoot at f/8.
* Nikon 16-85mm is slightly cheaper. (Approx. 20% cheaper)
* Nikon 18-200mm has a much longer telephoto end, thus more versatile in various shooting condition.
Based on what I read, the 18-200mm is more popular than 16-85mm because of its zoom power, but professionals might prefer 16-85mm because of its consistent result across focal length and aperture.
Nikon 16-85mm like other Nikon DX lenses is also mountable in Nikon full frame camera. But because it is designed for much smaller image sensor, you will lose 50-60% image resolution.
Overall this is an excellent walk around lens, it delivers consistent high quality result in all focal lens and great for casual and professional use.
Tips: when you use built-in flash with this lens, you need to remove lens hood because it obstruct the light.
Additional tips: The size and weight balance very well when used with Nikon D80 or Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
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Digital camera Review: Excellent lens
Summary: 5 Stars
This is exactly the type of versatile lens I needed for shooting events. The wide-angle is great for capturing a room or landscape and the zoom lets you get close up portraits. The quality and sharpness is excellent.Digital camera Review: Excellent lens
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros: sharpness, consistent output, quick focus, light weight, useful zoom range, build quality, VR
Cons: none yet
Best uses: general purpose walk-around, travel, landscapes, portraits, outdoors
This lens is a solid step up from the typical kit lenses supplied with Nikon DSLRs. Extremely happy with the purchase.
Digital camera Review: Excellent lens
Summary: 5 Stars
After being an avid Nikon products user for well over 30 years, I must admit that this lens holds no disappointments for me. The extra 2mm from the 18mm to the 16mm is considerable. It's worth the extra money for the extra consideration. I don't think anyone would regret buying and using this lens.Digital camera Review: Excellent replacement for the 18-200mm VR
Summary: 5 Stars
I carried an 18-200VR for a year and half and, though I loved it, I was often dissappointed by what I perceived as a kind of softness. Reading reviews of this lens led me to try it as a substitute. I have yet to be disappointed. I perceive an almost twofold increase in overall image sharpness, often able to make out the individual hairs in pictures of my baby where the 18-200 would "muddy" them on occassion. The additional 16-18mm on the wide end comes in handy as well.
The lens itself is a bit smaller than the 18-200 and feels "better" on my D300, putting the center of gravity closer to the body (a personal preference, to be sure) and being a bit more compact. It is quite responsive, perhaps more so than the 18-200 because it has a shorter range to cover. It is also not subject to the lens creep that plagued the 18-200.
Though I bought the 18-200 well before the 16-85 was released, if I was doing it "today," I'd skip the 18-200 altogether and grab the 16-85 and save the difference for the 70-300mm. I'm not knocking the 18-200 which is the ultimate "walk around" lens (I can't even begin to count the number of times I took a shot at 18mm and then zoomed in 200mm the next minute), the loss of image quality wound up being the deal killer for me. Though I've sacrificed the 85-200 range with this lens, the added sharpness more than makes up for it and the 16-18 range means I change to my wide-angle a bit less frequently.
All-in-all, I feel like this lens may have been the best value in a "workhouse" lens for my purposes.