Nikkor AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR

jonnyapple

Thanks for the update, @DaveyJ. I'm still very interested in this lens but probably won't be able to get it for a couple of years. What do you think the chances of a D7200+ this lens kit is? As it is, the D750 and 24-120 would only be a few hundred dollars more. I sold all my DX lenses with my D7000, so there wouldn't be anything holding me back from FX but cost.

DaveyJ

Personally I think the D7200 and this 16-80m would be my first choice in DX DSLR. I have already officially asked Nikon about that combo as a kit. I do tend to lean towards what many call a landscape or travel camera lens first. However the 55-300 lens I now rate as almost necessary. Yet above 300 mm I do not have. If I had that many great opportunities in 400-600 I would have them. I have been to places in Alaska where really big lenses were being used and since I won all the informal end of the day slideshows I concluded that real closeups of the face of a bear was not as important to me as scenes with the river, the falls and the numbers of bears there.

The best long zoom I know of is the Nikon 80-400 FOR ME. The price tag has held me back. I do feel this 16-80 is the overall best Nikon lens I have used. I was very fond of my 20-35mm f 2.8 on my Nikon F5. I still own both but don't use them as film is ancient history to me. And this one (16-80) wide is only comparable to say 24mm on full frame. Still the D810 looks wonderful as well. I also feel that DX or FX is probably nowhere near as important as being in a great place at a great time! IF THIS LENS and the D7200 is SOLD as a kit i would guess $200 of the price for the combo! At least!

Ironheart

I'm going to grab/order this lens tomorrow from my local shop. Speak now or forever hold your piece >-
My D7200 has been whining and pleading for this lens since it started shipping.

dissent

I'll be interested in hearing of your results with this combo, Ironheart.

heartyfisher

I'm going to grab/order this lens tomorrow from my local shop. Speak now or forever hold your piece >-
My D7200 has been whining and pleading for this lens since it started shipping.

It seems infectious.. my d7200 seems whiny too ...

I have been reading some user reviews ... comparing between it and the other 18-??? .. the 18-140 seems pretty close... except for the obvious advantages .. 16mm and wider aperture..

The not so obvious advantages are also interesting ... eg better contrast.. and active vr .. faster AF ...

It also seems like the 80mm end is less sharp comparing with the 18-140 at 80mm...

still it whines .... ;-)

spraynpray

I wonder how it will compare to the 17-55 f2.8 wide open?

Ironheart

Well they just had one delivered today, it had been on the shelf for 7 minutes before I grabbed it :-)
I'll let you know how it does wide open at 16mm. I'll shoot some stars and look for birdies (coma).

heartyfisher

Do you have any of the other 18-xxx to compare it with ?

Ironheart

i have the 10-24 and the 18-55 VR I. I'm actually pretty interested in how the overlap from 70-80 compares with my 70-300, or for that matter with the 55-200 (I have both). Anything else you have in mind? I can always rent/borrow...

heartyfisher

The 18-140 was the best dx "kit" that would be the most interesting to me .. some people who have "tested" the 16-80 say the 18-140 is "good enough".. esp for the price .. I have the 18-140 ..it is nice, IQ wise, compared with the old 18-200. The 18-70 has no VR .. but IQ is good too... But the build of the 18-200 is better.
So for me a nice comparison between the 18-140 with the 16-80 would be interesting ...

Some one said at 80mm the 16-80 is weaker than the 18-140 at 80mm .. but then its almost 1 stop difference in aperture at 80mm .. It would be interesting to have your view ..

Sports

The interesting question is ... when compared to "the usual suspects" (18-140, 18-200, 18-300, etc.), is the 16-80 in the same league, just faster? Or is its IQ one level higher, as we all hope for?

Not easy to reach a simple verdict, I guess, as it'll probably depend on focal length and aperture.
But 18 mm and 80 mm would be interesting to compare at the fastest aperture supported by the 18-xxx lens.

DaveyJ

I am myself waiting almost as never before on Nikon Rumors as Ironheart has had such interesting posts to date.....but this one will be getting noticed by me.....I will have a hard time concentrating on the work I am supposed to accomplish before dark at the farm. I have been AMAZED by the 16-80 lens myself. But the results many of you would have does mean a lot to me.

I do notice that Sports throws out the usual suspects lens. I own the DX 18-200 but not the 18-140 or the 18-300. I have shot with all of these lens. They did not get my vote as all that great. However put yourself in a place that almost screams for a 400mm lens.....and the 16-80 is at a disadvantage. WITHIN the 16-80 though it is wonderful! I tried the 18-140 and finally decided that I did not like the lens enough to buy it. Sad to say but I almost think though some love primes I do NOT.

But try to get too much zoom and I think you get disappointing results. I GAVE my 18-200 away. My grandson uses it a lot. He would way rather have the 16-80 and a 70-300. He is young and very talented. His U Tube video and results of being a part time pro are proof he does know what he is doing. He does a lot of his work in Key West that some refer to as "Living the Dream".

heartyfisher

Comparing the 18-200 with your 16-80 would be interesting too ..

I took only my 18-140 out with my D7200 recently .. Its nice... but I have also been using my 70-200 F4 and Tammy 24-70 F2.8 with it. the 18-140's range is nice but those 2 top class lenses are really magic on my D7200 ... Still with the 18-140 You can carry is all day and night and fits in my "LowePro Passport Sling" bag .. and you wont notice the weight. Still After looking and comparing IQ vs the 70-200 and 24-70 I am thinking maybe the 16-80 is worth looking at ... so will be keen for a comparison.

I also recently played with the 18-140 on My old S5pro.. and the images were awesome .. just superb ! I think It may have found a new home ..

DaveyJ

Still no reaction from Ironheart? I hope his new 16-80 is doing very well!

Ironheart

Ugh, I've been busy at work, no time to play, and the weather (clouds) haven't been cooperating at night. Say tuned!

DaveyJ

Sounds all too familiar!

DaveyJ

Wow! Still no verdict from Ironheart!!

heartyfisher

Wow! Still no verdict from Ironheart!!

LOL .. are we there yet ?

Ironheart

Heh folks. Nobody is more exited about this lens than I am, but work has intervened in the last few weeks. That's okay, because work is what pays for the toys!
TL;DR: Excellent Normal/Long DX zoom, sharp throughout the range and amazing wide open. A bit of coma at the wide end, but very tolerable.
The Good:
I haven't had a chance to really check autofocus fine-tune, but the lens is so sharp I feel like I am getting all 24MP on my D7200. The wider end photos are sharp all the way to 400%. It is truly amazing, just as sharp as any prime I can attach in this range. Contrast, resolution, sharpness, all excellent.
Low-light shooting wide-open, I was able to shoot almost 30 minutes later from the golden hour into the blue hour before the ISO was unusable compared to the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (1st gen VR) The 2/3rds of a stop advantage on the wide end is good, and the full stop on the tele end is better. The extra stop of VR (4 vs. 3) is great, all adding up to an almost 2 stop advantage across the range. CA and flare are both extremely well controlled.
The Bad:
Hard to say anything truly bad about this lens. The zoom ring is a bit stiff, but I'm sure it will be fine in a few months. There is a bit of barrel/pincushion distortion easily corrected if that bothers you. For astrophotography there is a bit of coma at the extreme edges, but fairly well controlled for a zoom and at 16mm f/2.8 it will do in a pinch for milky way shots.
The Ugly:
Nothing. The ugliest thing I can thing of is that I haven't had enough time to shoot with this lens yet. I want to do a bit of head-to-head with the 18-55 and look at how it compares in the 70-80mm range with the 70-300. Also I want to look at focus speed, bokeh, and check my focus fine-tune.
Summary:
All in all, I think a winner for Nikon. It seems made to be able to go on a high-speed high-resolution DX body, and seems sharp enough to get to the next few stops on the megapixel train. (D400 cough cough) Pairs extremely well with the D7200 and will likely be my new go-to zoom for events, walk around, and general shooting where a prime is a pain. I plan to shoot it more this week and post some stuff up here and on PAD shortly. I think I have a new crush :x

DaveyJ

@Ironheart: Excellent Post!! I will come back and read this post several more times! I actually am very relieved that you are happy......last thing I want to do is release a review as quickly as I did and be wrong!

I have used the lens on a wide variety of subjects and have been very amazed that the difference in sharpness is there! However.....realize i tend to stop down to the max as much as I dare to get results I AM LOOKING FOR.

There are guys and a few gals like msmoto that I have come to greatly anticipate their findings, etc. I also better admit right here when I was spending many thousands in photography that was in a past life when I was doing a lot more professional work and had 20 times the income I do now. I also was in beautiful places and with great people and scenes to work with.

I am glad I was after Nikon to produce this lens. Three years of letter writing about such a lens. I'll be back to study this post again!

Good luck to you all! I am also trying to assess what the new 200-500 Nikkor lens would do. It is frankly about the high end I can afford today. Donalddejose wrote that the FX Nikons are better....and I see his point, however having photographed with the leading Nikons like the 810 and BIG glass.... for me Ironheart's D7200 and the right lens is the SWEET SPOT for me. Big enough, good enough, and at some point it is like hunting with a rifle in a magnum caliber (like a .358 Weatherby Magnum I know a chap who shot one Cape Buffalo recently in Africa 10 times!! Myself I would have got 10 photos.... The Cape Buffalo would be happier and so would I!!!) designed for Elephants and Cape Buffalo)..... give me a .243 Model 70 Winchester but even that analogy fails here........I own some very nice rifles.....but ALL of my HUNTING is done with a Nikon DX CAMERA and the right lens.....I see this a "catch and release hunting!!!