If you love capturing images and video at dramatic wide angles, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR ($1,259.95) is a lens that should be on your radar. It's one of a trio of modern G-series Nikkor zooms that cover ultra-wide perspectives on full-frame cameras, sitting between the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED ($1,596.95 at Amazon) and AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED ($849.00 at Amazon) in terms of both angle of view and price. But the 16-35mm is the only one of the three to include in-lens vibration reduction, which leads to sharper stills and steadier video when working away from a tripod. The edges suffer a little bit at f/4, but narrowing the aperture to just f/5.6 improves them, and the lens always captures a lot of detail through most of the frame. There is a lot of distortion at 16mm, but that's not atypical for such a wide zoom, and is pretty easily remedied via in-camera correction or Raw processing software. The lens is an overall strong performer, and a solid choice if you don't need to go quite as wide as the 14-24mm.

The 16-35mm ($1,299.00 at Amazon) isn't a small lens. It measures 4.9 by 3.2 inches (HD), weighs 1.5 pounds, and uses large 77mm front filters. The lens barrel is hard composite plastic, and there's a gasket around the mount to prevent moisture and dust from entering the camera body. Control switches on the lens toggle the focus mode and turn the vibration reduction system on or off, and there are two control rings, both draped in tough, textured rubber. The zoom ring sits near the lens mount, and the manual focus ring is located toward the front of the lens. There is a focus distance scale, but no depth-of-field markings—the focus throw is fairly short, and when stopped down you're not going to have much control over depth of field when focusing at distance. The lens does have a decent close focus capability—11 inches. You'll be able to get a bit of background blur when working close to your subject and shooting at f/4. A reversible lens hood is included.

I used Imatest to check the sharpness of the lens when paired with the 36-megapixel D810 ($1,996.95 at Amazon) . At 16mm f/4 the lens scores 2,276 lines per picture height on a center-weighted sharpness test, which is well in excess of the 1,800 lines we look for in an image. That quality is there through most of the frame, but the outer edges are just a little bit soft at 1,444 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves things all around; the center-weighted score is 3,199 lines, and edges are crisp at 2,205 lines there. At f/8 the lens is at its best, showing 3,398 lines on the center-weighted test with edges that top 2,600 lines.

The story is the same at the midpoint of the zoom, 24mm. At f/4 the lens scores 2,380 lines on the center-weighted test, but edges are noticeably soft at 1,181 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves the score to 2,943 lines, and edges are much better at 1,821 lines. At f/8 there are no complaints thanks to a strong center-weighted score (3,398 lines) and tack sharp edges (2,547 lines). Peak resolution is at f/11 (3,492 lines center-weighted, 3,034 lines at the edges).

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At its maximum 35mm focal length the lens scores 2,253 lines on the center-weighted test, and shows decent wide-open edge performance, 1,321 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 improves the overall score to 2,627 lines, and edges show 1,567 lines. There's a marked edge improvement at f/8 (1,902 lines), and the center-weighted score is very strong (3,067 lines). At f/11 the lens is at its best (3,267 lines) with edges that top 2,300 lines.

Distortion is often an issue with ultra-wide lenses, especially zooms, and it's no different here. At 16mm the lens exhibits 5.7 percent barrel distortion, which gives images a semi-fisheye look. This goes away as you zoom; the lens is free of distortion at 24mm. As you zoom further in pincushion distortion starts to appear; it gives straight lines an inward bow. There's about 1.3 percent at 35mm, which, while not terrible, is noticeable in field conditions. Nikon SLRs offer in-camera distortion control when shooting JPGs, but you'll have to be careful using that, as correcting for the barrel distortion at the wide end can cut edges off of your composition, and the distortion adjustment is not visible through the optical viewfinder. If you shoot in Raw format, you can correct distortion with a one-click adjustment; if that's too extreme for your composition, you can use the Distortion slider to make less extreme adjustments, preserving detail at the edges and removing some of the barrel effect.

Whether or not the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is the right lens for you depends on your wants and how often you'll be reaching for an ultra-wide zoom. If you shoot a lot of video and want to work wide, its VR system is a boon. From an optical standpoint, the Nikkor 14-24mm is a better lens—it's sharper, wider, and captures more light—but its short zoom range and high asking price may be a concern. If you seldom reach for an ultra-wide lens, but want the option on occasion, the 18-35mm may be a better choice; it's smaller, lighter, and less expensive, but it lacks stabilization. Even though it's not quite as sharp from edge-to-edge at its widest aperture like the 14-24mm is, the Nikkor 16-35mm is an excellent choice if you're in the middle ground on wide-angle shooting.

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