Nikkor DX 16-85mm VR lens Review

As we said at the start of this page, the Nikkor DX 16-85mm VR is a quality general-purpose lens which delivers a useful range with decent optical and build quality, along with Vibration Reduction to combat camera-shake. In other lens catalogues, it would be a no-brainer for anyone looking to upgrade a kit lens or equip a new body with a quality option from day-one. But not all lens catalogues share Nikon’s wide array of general-purpose options for DX-bodies.

There are two main problems facing the DX 16-85mm VR: first is the simple fact Nikon’s current kit lenses are already pretty good so there’s less urgency to upgrade them, and secondly there’s the highly compelling DX 18-200mm VR available for only a little extra.

Tackling the first point, there’s little in the way of features offered by the DX 16-85mm VR that’s not already available on the current kit lenses. They already feature VR and SWM focusing and share the same f3.5-5.6 focal ratio, and while the build and optical quality are a step-up on the DX 16-85mm VR, it’s certainly not the difference of night and day, especially when compared against the DX 18-105mm VR. Sure there’s bigger differences when comparing the DX 18-55mm VR which has a rotating front section for instance, but how many owners of this or the DX 18-105mm VR really curse the absence of a metal lens mount or a focus distance window? More crucially if you own the DX 18-105mm VR or the earlier DX 18-135mm, it’s a bitter-sweet experience upgrading to a general-purpose lens which doesn’t zoom as close.

Moving onto the second point, the Nikkor DX 18-200mm VR is a tough rival costing only a little more, but boasting a much longer optical zoom range. If the DX 16-85mm VR were cheaper or significantly better, it would be a different story, but it’s uncomfortably priced at a similar point, and most would find an extra 115mm on the telephoto end more useful than an extra 2mm at the wide end.

So it ultimately boils down to how much you want or need 24mm equivalent coverage at the wide-end of your general-purpose lens. While it may only be 3mm wider in equivalent coverage to the wealth of Nikkor DX lenses which start at 18mm, it really does make a big difference. You can capture comfortably larger fields-of-view and enjoy perspective effects which aren’t as dramatic at even slightly longer focal lengths. As mentioned above, the range is also an ideal match for a twin-lens kit which includes either the 70-300mm or 80-400mm models.

Gordon Laing

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