Check out the 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX. It’s more than a bunch of fancy letters.

Nikon has been known to pair lenses specifically for cameras. This one is specifically designed for the D300. But is it worth the buy?

Here’s the skinny from The Star Online:

Would I recommend the AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR?

Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that clear — on one hand, I really have no complaints about the quality of the lens. You won’t have to worry about the sharpness even when shooting at the widest aperture at any focal length.

However my concern is that at a list price of RM2,388, the 16-85mm is a tad expensive (although it is about RM800 cheaper than the 18-200mm) when compared to the budget-priced yet excellent 18-70mm or the 18-135mm which are both very sharp lenses in their own right, although they lack VR.

Nevertheless, having gone through a week or so of shooting in various situations, I did like the 16-85mm VR a lot — picture quality was good enough that I didn’t have to worry about shooting at the widest aperture at any focal length (something which I cannot do with the 18-200mm) and the lens is very compact.

Pros: Sharp at all focal lengths, even wide open; optical image stabilisation.

Cons: A tad expensive; a little bit of chromatic aberration visible.

If you want even more info from The Star Online, head on over to this page for the info on the new lens.

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