Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR review

The Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR is a high-tech, high-performance standard zoom for APS-C format DSLRs

Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR
(Image: © Nikon)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Nikon makes some pretty spectacular DX (APS-C) format DSLRs, like the D7500 and D500. If you’re lucky enough to have one, it’s only natural that you’d want a high-performance standard zoom to match. The AF-S DX 16-80mm ticks almost all of the right boxes. It doesn’t have the constant f/2.8 aperture preferred by many but is still pretty fast, rated at f/2.8-4, complete with 4-stop VR (Vibration Reduction). It’s super-sharp and, while lateral chromatic aberration and distortion can be noticeable at the short end of the zoom range, these can be corrected in-camera. All in all, it’s the best standard zoom on the market for Nikon’s DX format DSLRs.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent sharpness

  • +

    4-stop VR

  • +

    Fairly compact and lightweight

Cons

  • -

    Not a constant-aperture zoom

  • -

    Quite pricey to buy

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The Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR replaces the obsolete AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED VR. The older lens was never the sharpest tool in the box but this newer, faster zoom is a much more up-market affair. 

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.