Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80 mm f/2 : worth it

November 23, 2019

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80 mm f/2 : worth it

Great clarity and produces true colours.

I purchased this lens for my d7200 and i’m really pleased. Used it on holiday taking some great pics at pompeii , ace representation of painted walls and the wide angle scenery also great snail pic in garden at night with flash detail superb.

It’s heavy, expensive but gives a quality picture head an shoulders above all the other nikon lenses in this focal range. An ideal partner for the d500. I have many other lenses in this range some faster than this one but none of them match it for focussing and picture sharpness. I don’t really understand why it should performer better of worse than my 50mm f1. 4 at the same focal length even when both are stopped down to f8 say but it does. Worth the money if you are an exacting photographer. Good at landscapes, portraits and buildings and even gives my macro a run for its money for flower close ups.

Was bought to replace an older 16-85mm lens which i unfortunaly dropped about 5 mtrs while climbing and damaged beyond economical repair. This is my favourite walk around dx focal length preferring it to my 18 -200 in most situations. Have used with d7100 which i recently also procured for a good price replacing my old d50 which also suffered some limited damage at the same time though the latter is presently under repair as has some sentimental value as a 50th birthday present almost ten years ago. Performance of the 16 -80 is good with the low light ability of d7100 with this lens a big improvement over either my older d50 or d300 using 16-85. I mainly use for technical inspection work i carry out on board ships where wide angle is required especially in enclosed spaces some of which are dark and unlit where i also carry either a 10 -24 or a 10. For holidays – wildlife i would carry this lens along with an ultra wide angle and either 70 -300 mm or if im feeling strong and know i will need it my 300 f2. 8 plus maybe d700 and other appropiate fx lenses. Only reason for giving this lens 4 stars instead of 5 is based on high cost for a limited improvement over the older 16 – 85mm along with loss of 5mm at the long end.

The pictures with these lens are amazing. What a quality and sharpness.

Very light and comfortable on my nikon d500. I can shoot a full wedding with just this lens and that saves me from carrying additional lenses. If you shoot weddings then this is a great buy and also get the 85mm f1.

It might be overpriced, but the quality does not disappoint. Initially i was put off by the noticeable noise the motor makes when focusing but once i saw the shots on my pc, it’s worth it. It comes with a bayonet which is easy to fit and secures well, good quality. Speaking of quality, the lens coating is great, i’ve only ever wiped it down once due to greasy fingerprints but all it took was one wipe with some cleaning solution and it was crystal clean. I actually use this lens on a d3300, which is the entry level for nikon dslrs. With that being said, just look at the picture’s i’ve took. There is notieceable distortion at the widest aperture but once you’re zoomed in, it’s pretty much as good as you can get. The bokeh effect looks great, it’s actually decent for closeups and is surprisingly great for portraits. Obviously it’s aimed for wide angle shots ironically, something i haven’t used it for, yet. Anyway to cut this review short here’s a list of ratings;build quality – 7/10 (zooming ring isn’t consistent in movement, the motor is noisy for this price)photo quality – 8.

8 year old 16-85 that I subsequently at a good price to offset the cost
A very good general purpose lens on the D7100
Incredible lens but a little pricey in the UK.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80 mm f/2.8-4E ED VR Lens

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Ultra-light, ultra-versatileMeet the world’s lightest 5x zoom lens with an f/2.8-4 aperture*, which is excellent for softening foregrounds or backgrounds and highlighting your subject. On a DX-format camera, it’s zoom range is equivalent to Nikon’s 24-120mm FX lens (35mm format), a staple in many pro camera bags.
Pro-grade image qualityUnleash the power of your high-resolution Nikon DSLR. Nano Crystal Coat virtually eliminates glare, while Extra-low Dispersion Glass and Aspherical elements reduce color aberration and enhance sharpness and contrast. Capture vibrant colors, rich tonality and a level of detail that’s staggering.
4 stops of Vibration ReductionIn low light situations, the 16-80mm’s VR image stabilization lets you shoot handheld up to 4 shutter speeds slower to gather more of the available light without causing blur. There’s even a specialized Tripod VR mode, a first for this zoom range*, that eliminates the effects of tripod vibration.
Ultra-fast precisionNikon’s DX and FX DSLRs can freeze action with fast continuous shooting speeds; this lens can keep up. A specialized electromagnetic diaphragm mechanism operates in precise sync with the camera’s shutter for reliable exposure control during high-speed sequences.

I know some will find three stars a bit hard but although this might be nikons best offering for dx i am not that sure that it is the best lens for dx full stop. Comparing it to nikon 16-85 or 18-140(135) or sigma 17-50 f2. 8 or 18-70 ( i have never tried the tamron competition) it has a lot to do to justify its sky high price as someone who likes to snap flowers and insects between mountain landscapes so far my version of the 16-80 on a d7200 falls short of the sigmas ability and i have noticed since buying the lens that i cannot find any image samples that challange the sigma for close focus, infact the only way so far that i can be sure of a sharp shot is to use liveview (i am runing latest firmware on d7200 and have no problems with sig 17-50 f2. For close up shots on lanscape i will say that i am impressed a small improvement over the 16-85 and the sigmas wide open but i have images from all three that are the same iq wise. The vr on this lens is very impressive and is the best i have had on a lens. Focus is fairly fast and accurate except for very close up but is certainly not as silent and as quick as it should be for the price (£550) i do not claim to be a great photographer but i have a shed load of dx and ff lenses and 5 cameras and for the money i paid for this lens and the hype that it has enjoyed i expected some sort of wow factor like when i first used my 35mm g1. 8 or 180 afd and many ,many othor nikkor and pentax lenses (28–105) but here i just feel that it is a very good lens at a very high price and that even the fantastic vr is not so fantastic with the newer high iso sensors on offer. I sold my 24-120 f4 vr that i had used on my d600 as i had thought this lens and a d7200 might be a lighter combo for hiking and walking about but i cannot say that there is much in it iq wise, i will say now so you can judge accordingly i have never been fully impressed with the 24-120 lens and have had 2 copies. So to sum up a very nice lens with a good focus range ,great vr and very good iq,ok build but poor (imho) close up ability and iq that is almost equeled by its older 16-85 stablemate and the same as the sigma offerings-ok there maybe a half or stop advantage here and there but for the difference in cost you can add a couple or three old nikon primes that will blow it out the water.

Cracking dx lens which i use with a d7200 body. Compared to all the kit type lenses that i have owned before, the picture quality of this pro dx (gold ring) lens is far superior. I did hesitate over buying this as i wondered about the 18-200mm instead, but i’m glad i purchased this one to be honest and i do not miss the extra reach. The 16-80 has a good wide angle and a very useful zoom range. The lower f stop makes it great for low light use or indoors. My images are a lot brighter as a result. It is a well built lens and you can feel the quality in the weight. It literally never comes off the end of my camera and has made my other lenses largely redundant. The only draw back is the price but more often than not with photography you need to spend a bit more for quality. I purchased mine as a white box lens.

I generally used the kit lens and a nikon 70-200 f4. It felt like i was using two different cameras, the longer lens producing far better images than the kit lens. So i went into a department store and tried the 16-80 with a d500. The distortion was horrendousthen i remembered that my d7100 could reduce the distortion significantly if i added firmware versions c1. I then set auto distortion control to on in the shooting menu. The distortion was then removed for normal shots. Luckily, i also use capture nx2.

Have you seen a nikon lens that can change aperture in liveview?. Its a very sharp lens, good image quality. In my first trials, i have found some vignetting but that can be corrected in post. The only downside is the price, otherwise this is the best walkaround lens.

Purchased this lens as an upgrade to my 8 year old 16-85 that i subsequently sold at a good price to offset the cost. Many have said it’s not worth upgrading due to the cost. . I’ve found it a worthy upgrade and the f4 does come in handy in low light and at night when handheld with the added benefit of improved vr. The contrast is an improvement on it’s predecessor and though i found the 16-85 was sharp across the image, this is razor sharp. Not too heavy though the lens cap is bit big in comparison but nevertheless still fits comfortably in my camera bag. Yes, it is expensive but what is’nt these days particularly with lenses and bodies across the board. I can only highly recommend this lens and assure you, you will not be disappointed.

Only used it once so quick review its expencive but its worth it.

A great lens and so good in low light.