Product Description

Highly portable powerful zoom lens with high-quality optics designed for use with Nikon DX Format digital SLRs. With a 5.3X zoom and 16-85mm focal range this lens delivers superb versatility for a wide variety of shooting situations. Equipped with Nikons second-generation Vibration Reduction (VRII) system and exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM) it offers superb performance in low-light delivering steady images to both the sensor and viewfinder and features fast quiet autofocus. An ideal all-round lens for todays high-resolution SLRs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31072 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: B0013A1XDE
• Released on: 2008-07-22
• Dimensions: 3.40" h x 2.80" w x 2.80" l, 1.07 pounds

Features

• Nikon&rsquos AF-S DX VR 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED is a powerful zoom lens covering a wide focal range. The AF-S DX VR 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED is equipped with a 5.3x zoom and a lens construction that includes 17 lenses in 11 groups, which adapt to all shooting conditions. It also has a second-generation vibration-reduction system and a silent wave motor for fast, noise-free focusing. Designed for high definition SLR cameras, the AF-S DX VR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED performs brilliantly, even in low lig
• hting conditions.
• NIKON AF-S DX VR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Lens for Nikon DX series digital SLRs Lens for Nikon Camera Lenses
• Lens for Nikon

Customer Reviews

The perfect "stock" lens...
You really don't want to keep swapping lenses unless you have to and with this one... you don't have to. Covering the most used and useful focal lengths from 16mm (24mm old style), which is probably as wide as you want to go in everyday shooting, through to 85mm (128mm old style), which is in the most popular mid-range telephoto length, it's all here in a single lens.

Size wise it's a bit bigger than a standard 18-55mm lens; weight wise it's quite a lot heavier; but despite its weight it's still small enough and (just) light enough to be used as a "stock" lens. Maximum aperture of 3.5 to 5.6 is good and its VR (vibration reduction) system not only completely compensates for any aperture restrictions but very significantly extends your camera's versatility by allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without a tripod. And... the pictures it produces are, to me, indistinguishable in quality from my other Nikon lenses.

Sure you can get all of this much cheaper, but only if you're prepared to cart at least two or more lenses around with you and regularly swap between them. What you're paying for here is the speed & convenience of a genuinely portable solution to probably 99% of your photo requirements: other than where you need A2 size or larger photos at exhibition quality levels, you don't need a longer zoom lens given the pixel resolution of current Nikon SLRs and the fact that you can enlarge sections of their photos to almost double their size without any noticeable loss of quality, you only need a wider angle lens for specialist, ultra-wide shots, and - because of its VR system - you only need a wider aperture lens in equally specialist situations where absolutely minimal depth-of-field is critical.

Problems? Only one: at its widest angles the lens blocks part of the illuminated area when using the built-in flash on my Nikon D40X producing a black shadow in the lower part of the picture. This is easily avoided by zooming in to around 20mm (30mm old style) and, of course, isn't an issue when using a separate flash unit, but... it's annoying if you're in point & shoot mode and forget to correct for it and, the same problem may well occur with the built-in flash units on other Nikon bodies.

However, other than this minor niggle this is a superb, if expensive, replacement for your stock lens which once on your camera will rarely come off. Brilliant!

The new best 'all rounder'?
I've not had wide experience of nikon lenses, but have had several nikon digital cameras, because I like the image 'straight off the card'. The contrast and colour balance is similar to the fuji slide film I used to shoot with my SMC pentax lenses & bodies. I have a D80 now and have been using the nikon 18-70 dx, which was commonly held to be one of the best of the kit lenses.

Last month I traded up to the 16-85 with VR to try & beat the current round of price rises. I've now had the chance to take it on a trip to Cornwall for a couple of days and I have to say I am stunned at the detail in the images I have come back with. The sharpness is way better than the 18-70 at all apertures and the colour saturation and contrast are also improved. Bar a little distortion at the very wide end and a little vignetting evident when shooting plain subjects wide open, this lens is a steal! You'd have to be very hung up on performance testing to be worried about these compromises when out taking photographs. Hand held images of waterfalls at 1/8th sec using VR have to be seen to be believed. Beautiful misty water and pin sharp rocks & foliage.

The D80 battery doesn't last as long now, but with VR on and hence less flash, 250 shots per charge are no problem. If the widely discussed shortcomings of the 18-200 VR bother you, try this. Yes, its not that fast, but for me to be so pleased when my film favourites were a 50mm f1.4 and a 135mm f2.5, and I would not even consider a zoom lens, just shows how far modern lens design has come. IMHO it is unbeatable as a single walkaround lens.

Excellent "kit" lens to get the most from your Nikon DSLR
Long time Nikon photographers might view the Nikon AF-S DX VR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G with a little suspicion - as it is encroaching on the territory of an old friend, the 18-70DX which is considered a classic by many.

The 16-85 has to step into some big shoes and deliver the goods if it hopes to be as dependable a lens for many photographers.

Firstly, what does that name mean?

AF-S = Auto Focus, with a Silent motor
DX = designed for cropped cameras, rather than full frame
VR = vibration reduction
16-85 = the zoom range of the lens, although with the cropping factor it's actually 24mm-127mm in 35mm film terms (about x5 zoom if you're used to compact camera marketing)
f3.5-5.6 = the "speed" of the lens, from the widest setting to the highest zoom setting...this is average for a "consumer lens"
G = a G lens has no aperture ring on the lens itself, it is controlled by the camera


A sign this isn't a proper "pro" lens is that the bulk of construction is plastic - but it's still hard wearing and solid. Importantly, it's got a metal mount and some weather sealing.

The zoom and focus rings are tactile and responsive, with a good grip.

Thanks to the VR system, the lens has a few more buttons and switches than some photogs might be used to - but these are well placed and intuitive to use without taking your eye from the camera with a bit of practice.

The lens comes with a hood, which fixes on a bayonet style mount at the front of the camera and usefully can be reversed over the front of the camera for storage.

As with all Nikon lenses, you also get a high quality front lens cap and rear cap included with the lens. And a nice gold logo and printing to reassure you your money has gone on a Nikon lens.

In use, the zoom range of the lens is nicely chosen - covering both wide landscapes and giving you close up options. It's the sort of lens you can safely leave on the camera, or when travelling light, rely on it for all occasions, without feeling the need to pack a bag with alternatives.

Marking it out from other "kit lenses" is the relatively wide 16mm end - which gives you more flexibility, although look out for "fish eye" style distortion in some circumstances.

However, if you're into more specialist photography, you will hit limitations. But bear in mind, no general zoom lens delivers these specialist needs and you'll always have to invest in extra lenses to achieve these shots.

The size and weight of the lens also make it an ideal walkaround lens - not too heavy to carry mounted on a camera all day and unobtrusive enough on the front of the camera not to scare potential subjects.

Focus is very quick and as billed, near to silent. Accuracy obviously depends greatly on the camera, but I've seen no problems or instances when the lens has missed focus in an alarming (and non-user caused) way.

Optical quality remains good through the range and certainly never produces any worrying results. Any zoom is a compromise and you will get some distortion at the extremes.

Color reproduction is also good, with no huge surprises about rendition - as some lenses sometimes do!

It's nice to have the VR, but don't expect miracles - and you'll still have to consider light and technique to avoid blurring. It does give you a welcome helping hand in some circumstances however.

While a bit pricey, this lens is value for money. It will remain on your camera 99 per cent of the time and be responsible for 99 per cent of your pictures. The build quality is not far off professional standard. It is well designed and offers a range and feature set which makes it very attractive to the keen amateur Nikon user and is a fine addition to a D80/D90 or D300.

This is a worthy successor, and a big improvement on the respected18-70.