Nikon AF-S DX 16-85MM

I first bought a D60 with the standard Nikkor 18-55mm VR kit zoom lens. I also had the Nikkor 55-200mm VR lens. Both are good lenses. I wanted a single walkround lens to cover >70% of my shots and the Nikkor 18-200mm VR seemed like the perfect solution - it wasn't. The Nikkor 16-85mm VR however, was.

Compared to:

Nikkor 18-200mm VR Zoom Nikon 18-200MM F3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
The 16-85mm VR offers far better sharpness and contrast than the Nikkor 18-200mm. I sold the 18-200 and kept the 16-85mm.

Nikkor 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 VR DX kit zoom Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Compared to the 18-55mm the 16mm wide end for me was VERY useful. The 85mm at the long end in place of the 55mm was also VERY useful. The contrast and sharpness is at least as good as the 18-55mm. The clutch override on the 16-85 also allows instant manual focus - the 18-55 doesn't offer this (must be switched over). I sold the 18-55 and kept the 16-85mm.

Nikkor 35mm f1.8 DX Prime Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f1.8G
The sharpness and contrast are a bit better on the 35mm prime, although not by a huge margin. For a zoom lens, the 16-85 provides the closest performance to the 35mm prime I have seen. I still carry the 35mm prime for shots where I need the wide 1.8 aperture for either bokeh or low light.

I find myself mostly shooting at the 2 extreme ends of this lens, 16mm and 85mm and I am very happy with the results and performance at both these focal lengths. I also carry the Nikkor 35mm f1.8 prime for low light and wide aperture shots and the 55-200mm VR f4-5.6 for more telephoto. The 16-85mm stays on my camera the majority of the time.

The switchable VR feature ( Normal to Active ) is useful, although in practice I don't use it often, it's mainly for shooting from moving vehicles. I leave the lens in Normal and often I switch the VR off completely and use a higher shutter speed. VR must be switched off for tripod use, it is only for hand holding, although this applies to all Nikon VR lenses and is not unique to the 16-85mm.

I like the solid build quality compared to the 18-55 and 55-200 kit zooms. The 16-85 is heavier than the kit zooms but not excessively so. It is around 500g where the standard kit zooms are under 400g.

The autofocus motor is built-in and fast, therefore it will autofocus on all Nikon DSLR's including the D40,D60,D3000,D3100,D5000, etc. It works great on the D90 and D300 too with excellent performance.

In summary, features I like (most important to me first): 16mm wide end, contrast, sharpness, 85mm telephoto, instant manual focus override, build quality, 67mm filter.

I thoroughly recommend this lens!

Bought with the Nikon D90 body as a DSLR "starter kit", but unlike the DX 18-105 mm VR kit lens the quality of this DX 16-85 mm VR really does justice to the capabilities of the D90. I admit that I was tempted by the all-singing, all-dancing Nikon DX 18-200 mm VR, but..... well, read on.

I intend to keep this 16-85 mm lens on the camera 90 % of the time, for general use outdoors, usually in good light. So far, the images it captures at all focal lengths are superb. It will accompany me on walks, mountain scrambles, holidays, visits, events, around the home..... in fact I might even take it to bed I like it so much.

For my money, this is the ideal general-purpose zoom lens to partner the D90.

- For mountain scenery I need the extra 7 degrees field of view this lens gives, compared with the realistic alternatives, which all have a minimum focal length of 18 mm.

- The D90 with DX 16-85 mm VR attached is compact enough to fit into a medium-sized holster, while in the hand the combination feels reassuringly solid and perfectly balanced (which helps when you are perched on a narrow ledge).

- This lens features VR II, a great aid when most shots are going to be hand-held. The first 200 exposures have convinced me how well Nikon's latest VR system works. In daylight it seems nigh on infallible.

- Outdoors I don't (yet) need a high speed pro lens, which would cost and weigh twice as much.

- This lens has a steel mount, not plastic as on the kit lens, plus a rubber seal around the mount to keep out dust and moisture.

- The zoom ring is certainly firm in operation, but is also smooth and controllable. I can't see lens creep becoming an issue. Autofocus works quickly and quietly.

So why did I not go for the stablemate of this lens, the DX 18-200 mm VR? It's popular, well reviewed and with the obvious advantage of a longer reach seems the more obvious choice for walkaround photography.
My reasons:

- When folded up the 18-200 mm is about 18 mm longer and 75 g heavier. Not much, but these do make a difference to portability on the hill.

- Having used and dearly loved a 24 mm F2.8 lens with my film SLR, I wanted the equivalent width of angle offered by the DX 16-85 mm. The difference between that and a 28/27 mm (DX 18 mm) is appreciable.

- I admit to being just a tad sceptical that anyone can make an 11 x zoom lens without incurring optical or mechanical problems somewhere along the line.

- If and when I get into wildlife photography with the D90, I'll set out armed with a longer zoom lens such as Nikon's DX 70-300 mm VR.

I'm very happy with my choice. The DX 16-85 mm on the D90 seems to me a great way to get into digital SLR photography.

Bought this over the 18-200 as previous experience with the longer zoom had put me off for good. The 16-85 is optically superior, slightly smaller and lighter, and is frankly the best 'standard' zoom I've ever used from Nikon. This goes back to 35-70, 28-85, 24-120 and the poor 18-200. This lens trumps the lot of them, and by a considerable margin.

Very quiet and quick AF, good zoom range and fabulous sharp results are the essence of this lens. I've generally been a prime lens person, and as another review has said this Nikon zoom shows just how far zoom quality has come on over the years.

For travelling, this sits on my D300, a polariser sits on the end of it and the hood is discarded. The results are terrific.

One slight problem (and not resolved by the hood) was some slight ghosting/sun spots when shooting side on from a strong sun at 50mm f11 ish, but nothing to write home about.

If you are in the market for a walkaround standard Nikon zoom, this is it.