Nikon AF-S 16-35mm 4.0 G ED VR

"Stuck in the middle" comes to my mind: The Nikon 16-35/4.0G VR has a lot going for it: the zoom range is very practical for a wide-angle zoom, and starting at 16mm, not 18mm as other alternatives do, is also a slight plus. Plus a constant aperture and image stabilization make it a proposition that would be pretty attractive had it not been for the somewhat disappointing performance especially considering the price. For a lens costing close to 1000 EUR I'd have expected a better image quality - simple as that. It's also not the lightest and smallest zoom in this range. Still, valued on its own it is a worthy compact wide-angle-zoom for those who start into FX-land or want to keep their options open for a future upgrade to an FX-body. It has a similar optical performance as the cheaper 18-35/3.5-4.5 plus offers image stabilization, a shorter 16mm plus constant f4 aperture for its higher price.

Nikon's 16-35mm F4 VR is the first true wide zoom to sport optical stabilization, but thankfully doesn't compromise imaging performance to do so. It's an excellent choice particularly for full frame users, but you do need to be aware of its pronounced barrel distortion at wide angle.