Should I keep my Nikon 18-55mm if I buy the 16-85mm for a D5100?
Asked 11/23/2012
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I use a Nikon D5100 with the AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G kit lens and am considering the AF-S DX 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G VR. Since the 16-85mm overlaps and extends the 18-55mm range with the same maximum aperture, is there any practical reason to keep both lenses? In the shared 18-55mm range, would I notice differences in image quality or performance? I’m also wondering generally about similar overlapping zooms, such as 55-200mm vs 55-300mm.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Usually design compromises have to be made when making a lens with a larger zoom range, so all else being equal you could expect poorer performance. However, in this case all isn't equal, the 16-85 is a higher grade lens than the 18-55 kit lens. Testing by photozone.de indicates the 16-85 gives a sharper at 16mm and 50mm than the 18-55 does at 18mm and 55mm respectively. See:
- http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/758-nikkor18553556ii?start=1
- http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/635-nikkor16853556vr?start=1
Therefore optically the 18-55 is redundant, the only arguments for keeping it are
- It's smaller/lighter.
- Being a kit lens you'll get very little for selling it.
- It's always good to have a spare available.
Photozone don't have a test of the 55-300 so I can't say for sure if the 55-200 has an advantage in resolution, but as it costs half as much I can't imagine it significantly outperforming the 55-300.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For the D5100, the 16-85mm generally makes the 18-55mm redundant. Although longer zoom ranges often involve more optical compromises, the 16-85mm is a higher-grade lens than the 18-55mm kit lens, and users report it is a bit sharper and more consistent across the frame over the overlapping focal lengths. There may be slightly more vignetting at the wide end, but it evens out quickly as you zoom in.
So in normal use, you’d likely choose the 16-85mm over the 18-55mm almost all the time. The main reasons to keep the 18-55mm are practical rather than optical: it’s smaller/lighter, resale value is usually low, and it can serve as a backup if your main lens is unavailable.
The same general idea applies to overlapping telephoto zooms: compare actual optical quality and handling, not just focal range. A longer range does not automatically mean better, but a higher-tier lens can still outperform a cheaper shorter-range one.
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