Digital Camera World - UK (2020-03)

124 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com

K i t Z o n e

Nikkor

AF-P DX 18-55mm

f/3.5-5.6G VR

£209/$247

Cleverly compact and retractable

Nikkor

AF-S DX 16-80mm

f/2.8-4E ED VR

£989/$1,067

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Digital Camera verdict Digital Camera verdict

4.0 Excellent 4.5 Outstanding

Features Build & Performance Value Features Performance Value

handling

Build &

handling

Great for travel and

general shooting, it’s

a good performer and

terrific value. Fringing

and distortion can

be easily corrected.

Nikon’s 16-80mm

lens costs a lot more.

For performance

and versatility, this

is the best DX-format

standard zoom on the

market for Nikon SLRs.

It beats alternatives

from independent

manufacturers.

vailable as a kit lens with or

without VR, the stabilised

version is definitely the

one to go for. Both have a

retractable design that enables a small

carrying size. Unlike the previous AF-S

editions, the AF-P models use a quiet

stepping motor to drive autofocus,

like the competing Canon 18-55mm.

Unlike in previous designs, the

focus ring remains stationary

during autofocusing. However, neither

autofocus nor manual focusing works

with older Nikon SLRs. There’s also

no VR on/off switch: you can only

switch it off via the camera menu.

Performance

Nikon’s smallest kit zoom for SLRs

boasts fast autofocus speed as well as

four-stop VR. Outright image quality is

very good in most respects, although

colour fringing and barrel distortion

are quite severe at the short end

of the zoom range.

ew meets old in this lens:

it combines an effective

yet conventional ring-type

ultrasonic autofocus

system with a new-generation,

electromagnetically controlled

diaphragm. This helps to maintain

consistently accurate exposures

in rapid continuous drive mode.

The zoom range is an ‘effective’

24-120mm, which works out the same

in practical terms as Nikon’s full-frame

kit lens for the D750. However, while

that one has a constant-aperture rating

of f/4, the DX lens is up to a full f/stop

faster at short zoom settings. Like

current kit lenses for DX-format SLRs,

it has a seven-blade diaphragm

and a four-stop stabiliser.

Performance

Sharpness is exceptional at all but the

longest zoom setting. However, lateral

chromatic aberration can be visible

when uncorrected at the short end.

AN

Sharpness

There’s a relative lack of

sharpness when shooting

wide-open at 18mm.

Sharpness

The lens is super-sharp

at most zoom settings but

drops off at the long end.

Fringing

Short 4.66 Long 1.06

Uncorrected fringing is only

apparent at the short end.

Fringing

Short 3.29 Long 1.78

There’s noticeable fringing at

16mm, but it mostly dies away.

Distortion

Short -4.01 Long 0.27

There’s very little distortion

at mid to long zoom settings.

Distortion

Short -4.59 Long 2.26

Short-zoom barrel distortion

can be very noticeable.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

f/3,5 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

18mm 35mm

45mm 55mm

f/3.5 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

16mm 24mm

50mm 80mm

5.0 4.5 5.0

Group Test ³ɎƏȇƳƏȸƳɿȒȒȅɀ

4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.5