Nikon 16-35mm f/4G VR Announcement

Today Nikon announced a brand new FX lens – AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, world’s first ultra wide-angle zoom with Vibration Reduction technology. The lens is ultra-fast with AF-S silent-wave focus motor, has Nanon crystal coating against flare and is sealed against tough weather conditions. Unlike the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G lens, the new Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR has a 77mm filter thread, which is great news for landscape photographers.

Lens Specifications

Main Features:

1. Ultra wide-angle zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 16mm to 35mm
2. Vibration Reduction (VR II) enables sharper pictures while shooting at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than would otherwise be possible
3. The adoption of Nano Crystal Coat effectively reduces ghost and flare
4. An ultra wide-angle zoom lens that, while offering a wide angle view of 107°, is compatible with 77mm screw-on filters
5. Fixed maximum aperture of f/4
6. ED glass and aspherical lens elements are utilized for a new optical design that achieves high resolution
7. Quiet focusing with built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
8. Two focus modes selectable – M/A and M

Specifications:

1. Focal length: 16-35mm
2. Maximum aperture: f/4
3. Minimum aperture: f/22
4. Lens construction: 17 elements in 12 groups (with two ED glass and three aspherical lens elements, and Nano Crystal Coat)
5. Angle of view: 107° – 63° (83° – 44° with Nikon DX format)
6. Closest focusing distance: 0.29 m (1.0 ft.) at a focal length of 16mm or 35mm, 0.28 m (0.9 ft.) at a focal length between 20mm and 28mm
7. Maximum reproduction ratio: 0.25x
8. No. of diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded)
9. Filter/attachment size: 77mm
10. Diameter x length (extension from the camera’s lens-mount flange): Approximately 82.5 x 125 mm
11. Weight: Approximately 680 g/24.0 oz.
12. Supplied accessories: 77mm Snap-on Front Lens Cap LC-77, Rear Lens Cap LF-1, Bayonet Hood HB-23, Flexible Lens Pouch CL-1120

Compared to Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8

The MTF data charts from the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G and the older Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 suggest that the new Nikon 16-35mm has more contrast on both wide and telephoto side. The same is also true for sharpness and better handling of chromatic aberrations.

Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 MTF:

Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 MTF:

Although there are no direct sharpness comparisons available yet, the MTF data of the lens looks much better than the 17-35mm f/2.8 lens.

Price and Availability

The Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens will be available in late February 2010 with an estimated selling price of USD $1259.95.

B&H has the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens listed as “New item – no arrival date known”, but you can choose to get notified when the lens is in stock.

I think this lens is an excellent alternative to the already great Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 and superb Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 lenses. This is the first professional ultra wide-angle zoom lens that has VR II technology for image stabilization, which is going to have a 2-3 stop advantage over the older 17-35mm lens. Nikon specifically manufactured this lens at f/4.0 constant constant aperture to keep the price low. The current Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 is selling for approximately $1,760 and the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is selling for $1,830, so this lens is definitely the cheapest of the group. Just like the 17-35mm f/2.8, the Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 takes 77mm filters (unlike the 14-24mm f/2.8 that has no filter thread), which is great for landscape photography.

If real-world tests do not reveal any problems with this lens, it will definitely be my lens of choice for landscape and architectural photography, along with my favorite Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8.

Check out some image samples at Bob Krist’s Blog.