Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Nikon Forum | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2015 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???

  
 
HS-LD
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


So the Photozone and Lentip have pretty mediocre reviews for this lens. There are forum posts everywhere about how this lens can be "underwhelming."

Yet the user reviews on Fred Miranda are kind of glowing, and Grant Hugh Jones uses this lens almost exclusively. Camera labs gave the lens a pretty good review as well.

So what's the story? Another complex wide angle that's a good design with poor execution/production resulting in some very good copies and a higher percentage of duds?



Oct 29, 2015 at 05:13 PM
CanadaMark
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Well you're asking on FM where you already know the reviews are pretty good

My copy is outstanding, very sharp right to the corners at landscape apertures and it's probably my most used lens. The VR is simply invaluable (for me) as well. The reviewers I trust seem to agree the lens is best from around 18-24mm, and as good or better than the 14-24/2.8 from about 20-24mm. This matches my experience with the lens as well. I doubt sample variation is worse than any other zoom lens Nikon makes but I'm sure there's the odd lemon.

One thing you will find people criticize it harshly for is distortion at 16mm, but it is extremely easy to correct in post and takes no time at all. That might be one reason you see comments about underwhelming performance, since it has above average distortion at 16mm.

It's also fully weather sealed, doesn't change shape when zooming, has nanocoating, and accepts standard 77mm filters. Along with VR (which gets me shots all the time that I simply wouldn't have otherwise) those things have made it the no-brainer landscape lens for me personally.

Sounds like you are on the fence, so instead of taking anyone's word for it maybe you can borrow or rent the lens to see for yourself if the advantages outweigh the compromises.



Oct 29, 2015 at 05:49 PM
jtra
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Get 18-35G then. It is pretty good and I have not seen much complaints about bad copies.

http://jtra.cz/stuff/review/nikon-d90+10-24-dx-vs-d610+18-35g-fx/index.html

Btw, when I tried to compare WA choices as I investigated them before buying, I wrote about 16-35vr: "VR may be advantage for say Museum that does not allow tripods use. A lot of complaints of users that their first copy was bad. On paper it should be better than 18-35G, but certainly not all copies are. Some this may be attributed to field curvature."



Oct 29, 2015 at 06:02 PM
Steve Perry
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


I've tried two of them and neither was very good. Not anywhere close to my 14-24. OTOH people like Mark have grabbed really good copies. So, yes, I think there is some sample variation.


Oct 29, 2015 at 06:15 PM
RobCD
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


jtra wrote:
Get 18-35G then. It is pretty good and I have not seen much complaints about bad copies.

http://jtra.cz/stuff/review/nikon-d90+10-24-dx-vs-d610+18-35g-fx/index.html

Btw, when I tried to compare WA choices as I investigated them before buying, I wrote about 16-35vr: "VR may be advantage for say Museum that does not allow tripods use. A lot of complaints of users that their first copy was bad. On paper it should be better than 18-35G, but certainly not all copies are. Some this may be attributed to field curvature."


No doubt the 18-35 is a great value. I think that the extra 2mm on the wide end of the 16-35 might be more valuable to some users than the VR.



Oct 29, 2015 at 06:58 PM
Dpedraza
Online
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Like Steve my copy wasn't anything impressive. When I bought my 14-24 my 16-35 looked terrible so I sold it off.


Oct 29, 2015 at 07:22 PM
sjms
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


It may have somewhat of a user variation too.


Oct 29, 2015 at 07:41 PM
jhinkey
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


I tried one and compared it to my 17-35/2.8D AFS and it was not a clear winner for sharpness at all so I've never looked at one again. I hope there are good copies out there better than the one I tested.


Oct 29, 2015 at 08:06 PM
Brandon Dube
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Little to no sample variation in the 10 I measured.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/MTF.aspx?Lens=689&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=689&FLIComp=2&CT=VAR



Oct 29, 2015 at 08:11 PM
johnctharp
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Nikon may have worked to get a handle on their (already fairly well controlled) sample variation issues like Canon has lately.


Oct 29, 2015 at 08:20 PM
pbraymond
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Returned the first copy within the 30 day return period, it was uneven across the frame. Second one was even across the frame. I like the sharpness of my second copy, don't quite know how to rate it on an absolute scale but I am happy with it in real life shooting.


Oct 29, 2015 at 08:23 PM
HS-LD
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Well I ordered one, it will be here tomorrow.

It feels a lot like the Canon 17-40. I have seen those that were awful and had one that was tack sharp in the corners wide open and super sharp everywhere else.

I'll just make sure I test it for faults fairly critically... and hope I get lucky!



Oct 29, 2015 at 08:54 PM
JimFox
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Mine is sharper then my 14-24mm. So not sure about other people's experience, but I love mine and it's my most used lens.

Buy one and try it. If you don't like it, return it. If you are basing your decision to buy it on other people you are making a mistake since there is differing opinions. So just buy it and try it and decide for yourself.

Jim



Oct 30, 2015 at 12:54 AM
Chris Dees
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


I had one for years and I was very satisfied with my copy (before that I had the 14-24; my best not used lens )
As CanadaMark already stated the heavy distortion on the wide end is not an issue.
My biggest drawback was it's size (I use it most of the times when traveling).
This summer I got a 18-35G and after a couple of test rounds I sold the 16-35.
When I really need the 16-18mm I'll stitch 2 images. A pitty I had to sacrifice the VR



Oct 30, 2015 at 02:38 AM
elkhornsun
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


Although not a big fan of DXOmark they also rate this lens below both the 14-24mm f2.8 and the 18-35mm f3.5G which I agree with completely. You need a basis for comparison and I had shot with the 12-24mm f4 DX lens and thought it to be a mediocre lens. After I got the D3 and the 14-24mm f2.8 I realized just how bad the 12-24mm DX lens actually was as I had the images from the 14-24mm to use.

I got a 16-35mm lens and did a lot of test shots in various environments and shot at the same time and same scenes with the 14-24mm so I would have side by side comparison shots, and not test charts but landscape and cityscape scenes and fruit displays in a market for the wide angle closeups. The 16-35mm did not compare favorably with the 14-24mm lens and so I returned it. Had I not had the 14-24mm lens for comparison I might have been OK with the 16-35mm lens which is not a bad lens like the Canon version but simply not as good as the other two ultra wide angle lenses from Nikon.



Oct 30, 2015 at 01:31 PM
HS-LD
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 16-35mm F4 VR sample variation???


JimFox wrote:
Mine is sharper then my 14-24mm. So not sure about other people's experience, but I love mine and it's my most used lens.

Buy one and try it. If you don't like it, return it. If you are basing your decision to buy it on other people you are making a mistake since there is differing opinions. So just buy it and try it and decide for yourself.

Jim


I had a 14-24 back in my D700 days and it was pretty much flawless, even wide open in the corners.

The 16-35 I received today is mush in the extreme corners on a D810 wide open and gets a little better stopped down. The rest is pretty sharp. It's a usable lens, but not a "legendary" lens.

Is yours sharp wide open in the corners? Just curious if I might do better sending this one back and trying a 2nd copy.

This one is good but not great. Wondering if that's just par for this course.



Oct 30, 2015 at 01:55 PM





FM Forums | Nikon Forum | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.