An ideal ‘crossover’ lens.

On the Nikon D2x.

By ‘crossover’ I mean that this current auto-everything lens provides a useful range of focal lengths for both full frame and APS-C frame Nikon bodies. On the cropped frame D2x it provides a full frame equivalent range of 24-52mm, ideal for street snapping.

I have been using mine for some nine months now and might as well start by saying what I do not like. It’s bulky, the gargantuan lens hood is needed to shade the exposed front element, it’s set in a yucky resin body and at 24 ounces it’s no featherweight. The maximum aperture of f/4 is relatively modest and you will struggle getting dramatic differential focus effects. Being a ‘G’ optic there is no traditional aperture ring, aperture control being solely possible from the control dial on the body. I prefer a ring on the lens. Finally, at just under $1300 it’s anything but cheap.

But there is a lot to like here. It’s a two-ring zoom, meaning zooming is done by rotating the rear ring rather than by push-pull. The focus ring does not rotate when the lens is used in AF mode. AF is stunningly fast on both the D2x and the D700, faster than with the older AFD lenses. AF is accomplished by a linear motor within the lens, rather than by the older ‘screwdriver’ mechanical coupling used in AFD optics. In AF mode you can simply override autofocus by turning the focus collar which is tolerably smooth, if nowhere near the quality you will find in the vast range of discontinued MF Nikkors. Into the sun the lens displays exceptionally low flare, maybe owing to Nikon’s new ‘Nano’ coating. VR is switchable and whatever Nikon’s claims may be I generally find it’s good for two shutter speeds – 1/60 without being much the same as 1/15th when VR is used. It’s not a panacea, but it helps to overcome some of the limitations of the slow f/4 maximum aperture.

The 16-19mm range shows strong barrel distortion on FF, and it’s still quite noticeable on APS-C. However, both PS and LR come with excellent lens correction profiles from Adobe which you can set to be invoked on import – and I recommend you do so – meaning that straight lines at the edges will once more be straight rather than significantly bowed. Essential correction for architecture snappers.

I have no hesitation in using this lens at its maximum aperture and probably do so half the time. The definition fully open is excellent, and any improvement with stopping down is barely noticeable. Best of all, paired with the older sensor in the D2x which does such a special job of rendering colors well, this lens really shines, even if the APS-C sensor is discarding a significant part of the image circle. Stated differently, if APS-C is your sole sensor use, you may be better off with a much smaller lens designed with this sensor in mind. Balance on both the D700 (with add-on battery grip) and the D2x (with integral grip) is outstanding.

Here’s a mix of recent images taken on both the D2x and D700 using the 16-35mm lens.