In summary
Essentially this lens will appeal to Nikon DX camera owners who want a standard zoom lens that covers a wider zoom range than the regular 18-55mm kit zooms supplied with Nikon DX cameras. In both specifications and price, this lens is a cut above the standard kit lens.
For owners of older Nikon DX cameras, which can’t use the new lens, an alternative is the earlier AF-S DX-Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, which is less sophisticated optically and lacks the electromagnetic diaphragm but has been considered a benchmark lens since its release in 2008. It also claims four stops compensation for its built-in VR system and is significantly cheaper than the new lens.
The new lens is two-thirds of a stop faster than the 16-85mm lens at the 16mm focal length and a full stop faster at the 80mm position. It also focuses three millimetres closer and is five grams lighter.
The 24-120mm (35mm equivalent) focal length range will suit all genres from landscape to portraiture and most types of subjects in between. Close-up shooting is also catered for with a minimum focusing distance of 35 cm across the zoom range.
Full review
Most photographers love standard zoom lenses for their versatility, coupled with modest size and weight so, with its focal range of 24-120mm in 35mm format, it’s easy to see why the new AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR has attracted interest among Nikon DSLR users. Designed specifically for DSLRs with APS-C sized sensors, the new lens features a fast maximum aperture range plus built-in VR stabilisation.
Angled view of the AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR lens without the bundled end caps and lens hood. (Source: Nikon.)
Announced in early July 2015, the new lens is the first Nikon DX lens with an electromagnetic diaphragm, which enables users to control the aperture in Live View.
Unfortunately, this makes it unsuitable for cameras released before about 2007 (such as the D90 and D3000) which can’t control the diaphragm, thereby forcing users to shoot wide open. Full functionality is assured on the D300, D7000, D5000 and D3100 and subsequent iterations of each of those lines.
The optical design is relatively complex, with 17 elements in 13 groups, which includes four ED (extra-low dispersion) elements, three aspherical elements. Nikon’s proprietary and elements with Nano Crystal Coat coatings have been applied to some elements to minimise ghosting and flare. In addition, front and rear elements also integrate a fluorine coating to make it easier to remove dirt, moisture and smudges from their surfaces.
Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilisation technology claims up to four f-stops of image stabilisation and the system includes automatic tripod detection to counteract vibration when the camera it’s attached to a tripod. The relatively large f/2.8 to f/4 maximum aperture range provides flexibility for shooting hand-held in dimly-lit situations as well as enabling depth-of-field control.
Who’s it For?
Essentially this lens will appeal to Nikon DX camera owners who want a standard zoom lens that covers a wider zoom range than the regular 18-55mm kit zooms supplied with Nikon DX cameras. In both specifications and price, this lens is a cut above the standard kit lens.
For owners of older Nikon DX cameras, which can’t use the new lens, an alternative is the earlier AF-S DX-Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, which is less sophisticated optically and lacks the electromagnetic diaphragm but has been considered a benchmark lens since its release in 2008. It also claims four stops compensation for its built-in VR system and is significantly cheaper than the new lens.
The new lens is two-thirds of a stop faster than the 16-85mm lens at the 16mm focal length and a full stop faster at the 80mm position. It also focuses three millimetres closer and is five grams lighter.
The 24-120mm (35mm equivalent) focal length range will suit all genres from landscape to portraiture and most types of subjects in between. Close-up shooting is also catered for with a minimum focusing distance of 35 cm across the zoom range.
No claims are made for weather resistance but the presence of fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements will make it easier to keep out dust, grease and moisture, although you’ll still need to be careful when changing lenses while you’re working outdoors.
Build and Ergonomics
The new lens is made in Nikon’s factory in Thailand and its build quality is much as you’d expect for a mid-range lens. Size-wise it’s a good match for the D7100 body that was supplied with the lens for this review but would probably be a bit ungainly on smaller D5500 or D3300 bodies.
This lens has a solid metal mounting plate but is mostly made from high-quality polycarbonate plastic. There’s a very thin rubber gasket around the lens mount to keep out dust and moisture but the lens is not actually weatherproof. Internal focusing prevents the front of the lens from rotating, allowing angle-critical filters to be used without the need for re-adjustment.
Zooming from the 16mm to the 80mm position extends the two-stage inner barrel by a total of just over 40 mm. The action is a little stiff but the inner barrel on the review lens extended smoothly with no detectable wobbling.
The front element is relatively flat and sits just behind the filter ring, which accepts 72 mm diameter attachments. A small indicator mark on the outer edge of the filter ring provides a guide for attaching the supplied bayonet-style lens hood, which is large and butterfly-shaped. A button on the side of the hood releases the locking tab.
The zoom ring is roughly 20 mm wide with a 15 mm wide broadly-ridged rubber grip band. Its trailing edge carries indicator marks for the 16mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 80mm focal lengths. These are lined up against a white dot on the fixed section of the lens barrel that carries the focusing ring.
The maximum aperture changes with focal length as follows:
- 16mm = f/2.8
- 24mm = f/3
- 35mm = f/3.3
- 50mm = f/3.5
- 80mm = f/4
Immediately behind the zoom ring is the distance scale, which is located beneath a transparent window. It is marked in metres and feet, ranging from 0.35 metres to infinity. There’s no depth-of-field scale, however.
The focusing ring sits just behind the distance scale. It’s approximately 102 mm wide and most of its surface is clad with a ridged rubber grip band. Behind the focusing ring is a fixed section of the lens barrel that carries the focusing mode and stabilisation sliders.
Two focusing mode settings are provided: MA and M. Manual focus over-ride is available in the MA mode. The stabilisation slider also has two positions: on and off. A third slider lets you choose between Normal and Active stabilisation modes. Nikon claims shake compensation of up to four f-stops for the system in the lens.
There is no focus limiter and none appears to be needed as the moveable components are quite tightly constrained. The lens barrel steps in abruptly towards the mounting plate. The only feature in this area is the reference dot for mounting the lens on a camera.
In use, you can see how tight the image circle of this lens is by the slight darkening of the corners and edges of the frame, particularly at each end of the zoom range. This is further confirmation that this lens should not be used on cameras with FX sensors.
Performance
The focusing and zoom rings operated smoothly and although the zoom ring was slightly stiff, it was well damped with just enough resistance in the system to prevent the barrel from extending when the lens is carried facing downwards. (No locking switch is provided.)
The focusing ring felt looser than the zoom ring and didn’t provide a lot of tactile feedback. However, the ultrasonic Silent Wave Motor made single-servo autofocusing reasonably fast and very quiet, and almost silent, although hunting was common in low light levels when focus was shifted between near and distant subjects, particularly when the camera was used in Live View mode. Continuous AF was competent when shots were framed using the viewfinder.
Our Imatest tests showed the lens to be capable of meeting expectations for the 24-megapixel sensor in the D7100, although only in the centre of the frame. At shorter focal lengths, curvature of field produced visible edge softening. The best performance occurred at the 16mm focal length with an aperture of f/3.5.
Diffraction began to reduce resolution from f/8 and there was a steep plunge between f/8 and f/22. We wouldn’t recommend using apertures smaller than f/8 with this lens. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.
Lateral chromatic aberration was negligible all focal length settings, as shown in the graph below. The red line separates negligible and low CA.
We found no evidence of coloured fringing in shots taken with the lens on the review camera. All current Nikon DSLRs provide automatic correction for chromatic aberration in JPEG files, so it’s unlikely to be a problem for most potential users.
In-camera corrections are also provided for vignetting and rectilinear distortions. We found slight vignetting at all the focal lengths we tested in raw files and also JPEGs when the in-camera correction was disabled. It’s more noticeable towards the ends of the zoom range than in the middle.
Distortion is a more serious problem. It’s evident at all focal lengths, with noticeable barrel distortion at 18mm, which swaps to slight pincushioning between 24mm and 35mm and becomes more visible at 80mm. The degree of distortion across the zoom range is slight enough to make it easy to correct while editing; but this adds another step to the editing workflow.
The built-in VR stabilisation was quite effective. We were able to shoot with the lens hand-held at shutter speeds as slow as 1/5 second with the 80mm focal length and get more than half of the shots taken acceptably sharp.
Flare was generally well-controlled and only an issue if the camera was pointed directly at a bright light source. The generous lens hood supplied makes it possible to take flare-free backlit shots with the sun just outside the edges of the frame.
The seven-bladed iris diaphragm produced attractive bokeh at wide aperture settings with subjects in which contrast was constrained. But the bokeh deteriorated at longer focal lengths in contrasty conditions and outlining was at times so pronounced it almost resembled the donut effect produced by mirror lenses. (An example is shown below.)
Conclusion
The AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR is a natural successor to the AF-S DX-Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR and between 2/3 and a full stop faster than its predecessor. Positioned as a ‘professional quality’ option for owners of Nikon’s DX-format cameras, the new lens is a good match physically for the D7*** series bodies.
Image quality in the centre of the frame was good enough to allow this lens to be used with Nikon’s 24-megapixel DSLR cameras. But edge softening is visible at wider apertures and diffraction reduces sharpness somewhat sooner than we would expect from a lens at its price point.
With roughly AU$500 difference in their price tags (in favour of the 16-85mm lens), we would expect a few other things about the new lens to be better. The mostly plastic build is a bit of a let-down for an AU$1200-plus lens, although we have few complaints about overall build quality and handling.
Autofocusing was also not quite as good as we expected, particularly in Live View mode. It’s fast enough if you shoot with the viewfinder ““ but not exceptionally so. It might have been better with a more recent D7*** camera, which has a slightly improved AF system; but without being able to compare the lens on different cameras we just can’t say.
Finally, there’s the issue of the E designation (electronic aperture control), which is probably a minor consideration for most potential purchasers. But anyone with an older digital or film camera body that uses mechanical aperture control should probably give this lens a miss, even if they only use that body occasionally.
SPECS
Picture angle: 83 to 20 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/22-f/32
Lens construction: 17 elements in 13 groups including 4 ED elements, 3 aspherical elements, and elements with Nano-Crystal or fluorine coatings
Lens mounts: Nikon F mount, DX format cameras
Diaphragm Blades: 7 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: Silent Wave Motor (ring-type ultrasonic motor)
Stabilisation: VR (Vibration Reduction)
Minimum focus: 35 cm from focal plane
Maximum magnification: 0.22x
Filter size: 72 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 80 x 85.5 mm
Weight: Approx. 480 grams
Standard Accessories: 72 mm snap-on Front Lens Cap LC-72, Rear Lens Cap LF-4, Bayonet Hood HB-75
TESTS
Based upon JPEG files captured with the lens on a D7100 body.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 16mm f/2.8.
Vignetting at 35mm f/3.3.
Vignetting at 80mm f/4.
Rectilinear distortion at 16mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 35mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 80mm.
16mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/9.
35mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/60 second at f/9.
80mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/60 second at f/9.
16mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/200 second at f/7.1.
35mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/9.
80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/6.3.
Close-up at 16mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/80 second at f/4.5.
Close-up at 80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/4.
Strong backlighting at 16mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/4.
Strong backlighting at 80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/800 second at f/4.
Crop from the above image enlarged to 100% to show bokeh outlining.
80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/6.3.
Stabilisation test: 80mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/5 second at f/4.
80mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/100 second at f/9.
56mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/400 second at f/11.
80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/400 second at f/5.
80mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/8.
25mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/10.
72mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/640 second at f/6.3.
80mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/4.5.
80mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/125 second at f/4.
16mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/250 second at f/8.
A five shot panorama assembled from sequential images taken with the review lens. 55mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/320 second at f/9.
Rating
RRP: AU$1255-1400; US$1066.95
- Build: 8.5
- Handling: 8.8
- Image quality: 8.8
- Versatility: 8.8