I have been playing with the new Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR lens and I must say, this thing is sweet! The first thing that wondered me when I grabbed the lens, was to see if VR is truly useful on an ultra wide zoom lens like this. Well, after some quick tests, I must say that VR truly does work the magic!
Take a look at this shot at 1/10th of a second that I shot hand-held in a very dark restaurant:
Nikon 16-35mm f4.0 VR - 17mm, 1/10 @ f/4.0, ISO 3200
As I have noted before, Nikon is currently offering rebates for customers who are buying a DSLR together with a lens. Although not all Nikon lenses are available with this offer, some of the best Nikon lenses such as Nikon 70-200mm VR, Nikon 70-300mm VR and Nikon 24-70mm are available for an instant rebate.
NOTE: All camera and lens rebates have expired.
If you have been wanting to buy a DSLR with a good lens, then wait until this Sunday. Nikon is announcing great rebates on some of the best Nikon lenses, including the new Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II and the outstanding Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lens that I use primarily for my landscape photography. The recently reviewed Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR lens is also going to qualify for an instant rebate, as outlined below:
These are some great incentives by Nikon and the first three are definitely great performers and Nikon’s best lenses. It would have been even better if the incentives were for the lenses only, but those deals do not normally happen until around Christmas time, or when Nikon needs to clear out the shelves.
NOTE: A full review of this lens can be found in my Nikon 24mm f/1.4G Review article.
Along with the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G VR lens, Nikon has also announced the new super-fast AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4G ED prime lens. It is a replacement for one of the sharpest Nikon lenses ever produced – the discontinued Nikon 28mm f/1.4 lens. This new lens sets a new standard on contrast and sharpness, because it beats the older 28mm f/1.4 lens in all aspects.
Today Nikon announced a brand new FX lens – AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, world’s first ultra wide-angle zoom with Vibration Reduction technology. The lens is ultra-fast with AF-S silent-wave focus motor, has Nanon crystal coating against flare and is sealed against tough weather conditions. Unlike the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G lens, the new Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR has a 77mm filter thread, which is great news for landscape photographers.
Nikon 16-35mm f4G ED VR
This test shows focal length comparison on a 1.5 crop factor camera (all Nikon DX cameras) from 12mm to 500mm. All images were taken on Nikon D300 with ISO 200, f/10. The focal lengths are not 100% accurate because of different lens sizes and mounts (when short lenses such as the 50mm f/1.4 were used, the camera was mounted on the tripod, while zoom lenses had to be mounted via lens collars). The tripod was never moved (just slightly re-adjusted to focus on the top-left portion of the blue ornament). The 420 and 500mm shots are a little soft because of slight vibration and use of a teleconverter.
The shots were taken indoors because it was too cold outside :)
