Do Not Buy this: OBSOLETE

I'm sure this is a good lens but DO NOT BUY IT, there is a new identically priced version with VR shake reduction, make sure yours has this feature as it will make all the difference at telephoto.

Nikon HB-25 Bayonet hood

Needed it for my Nikon 24-84 f/2.8-4 lens. Better than a screw hood, easier to reverse and pack away with camera.

Great Standard Zoom

Bought this over the 18-200 as previous experience with the longer zoom had put me off for good. The 16-85 is optically superior, slightly smaller and lighter, and is frankly the best 'standard' zoom I've ever used from Nikon. This goes back to 35-70, 28-85, 24-120 and the poor 18-200. This lens trumps the lot of them, and by a considerable margin.

Very quiet and quick AF, good zoom range and fabulous sharp results are the essence of this lens. I've generally been a prime lens person, and as another review has said this Nikon zoom shows just how far zoom quality has come on over the years.

For travelling, this sits on my D300, a polariser sits on the end of it and the hood is discarded. The results are terrific.

One slight problem (and not resolved by the hood) was some slight ghosting/sun spots when shooting side on from a strong sun at 50mm f11 ish, but nothing to write home about.

If you are in the market for a walkaround standard Nikon zoom, this is it.

The perfect Lens for the wide angle nutter

This is a truly great lens, whisper quiet, fast focusing and you'll cut yourself on the results. Preferring the wide side of life this lens is rarely off of my D3 it just ticks all the boxes. Bright and with super Nikon build quality you can certainly buy this lens with total confidence. And if you ever did think of selling it check out the second hand prices, superb. A short review and no need for a cons section, all good. Baz Griffiths.

Great to do business with...

The item was dispatched really quickly, it was exactly as described and a pleasure to do business with!
Nikon Hb-23 Lens Hood For Af-S 17-35/18-35

Ultra clear and saved my lens from being damaged

This lens filter is fanatastic!

It doesn't add anything to the current lens on my Nikon D40 SLR.
But it provides the best protection for the lens, keeping dust and other particles from affecting the lens.

It saved my lens recently on my last trip, as my camera bag took a tumble, with the SLR inside.
The lens filter cracked, but my lens was safe and sound.
The only problem was trying to finding a camera store, which was able to remove the damaged filter.
You definitely need a filter wrench to get the filter off.
In the end I was able to find a nikon repair store, who were able to remove my smashed filter.

I would definitely recommend this product and will be purchasing another one, to replace the one I lost.

No sale happened

There was second hand Nikon Drop-in circular polarizer type C-PL1L advertised on Amazon. I placed an order, i was charged for goods and notification of delivery was sent, however i was refunded 2 days later - item was apparantly not in stock.

Fails me to figure out while Amazon ask me now to provide review.

Nikon C-Pl1L 52Mm Drop-In Circular

Need a hood ?

Need a lens hood, then get the real thing from Nikon - well made and not too expensive if you shop around !

Good lens

I'm pretty positive about this lens; good build quality, good range and good quality optics. It is, perhaps, just a tad slow at focussing, which can be a pain.

Well worth buying if you need a medium range telephoto.

The most important lens for Nikon Digital SLRs

If you bump into a press photographer who uses Nikon, chances are that they have this lens on their camera. If not, they probably have it in their bag.

Nikon Digital SLRs multiply the focal length of the lens by 1.5 compared to film, so, in old 35mm terms, this lens is equivalent to 24-82, which is by far the most useful range for general work.

This lens is aimed fair and square at the premium professional market. The 2.8 constant maximum aperture is fast enough for most light conditions, and makes for excellent differential focus. The controls are smooth, and the overall impression is one of sturdy workhorse reliability.

In designing this lens exclusively for digital, Nikon have accepted that we now require far greater sharpness across the entire picture than we did previously. However, this sharpness comes at a price -- this lens is not suitable for 35mm film photography, and anyone still using a DSLR with, say, an F5 or F6 will need to get the more expensive and less optimised 17-35 if they want to use it on both cameras.

The filter size is 77mm, which is identical to the 80-200 AF-D, which is (in my opinion) the ideal partner to this lens. 77mm makes for expensive filters, though, especially since any depth at all is likely to cause vignetting on the shorter focal lengths. We use Lee 105 mm filters, but even then there is a limit to the number of filters you can put on before vignetting occurs.

This is by no means a small or unobtrusive lens. Price aside, it is not really suited to anything but professionals and the most committed of amateur enthusiasts.

Alternatives which are worth considering are the Nikon 18-55 mm f3.5-f5.6, which is smaller and lighter, and much cheaper. People who use the 18-55 argue that there is no discernible quality difference. However, anybody who shoots in low available light or who needs differential focus will regret the extra 2 stops of light that the 18-55 loses in its middle range.

Sigma and Tamron also make equivalents for this range and specification, both substantially cheaper than the Nikon. I've always been very pleased with Sigma lenses, and many free-lance photographers prefer them because of price. However, if I was only going to own one Nikon lens, and fill out the rest of my kit with Sigma, I would choose this one.

If you are considering this lens, you probably also want to know what G ED-IF AF-S DX stands for.

G - G type lens without on lens aperture settings. Since the DSLRs require the on-lens aperture rings to be switched off, G is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage

ED - Extra Low Dispersion. Previously ED was the mark of Nikon premium glass. However, almost all new Nikon zooms now have varying combinations of ED elements. This particular lens is in fact a premium zoom, something which you can see by looking at the lens and noting that the lens name is picked out in gold paint.

IF - Internal Focussing. The lens doesn't spin round when you focus, thereby preserving your careful filter positionings, especially when using polarisers and grads.

AF - Autofocus. This lens would still function on a manual focus camera, though, and of course on a D SLR's manual focus setting.

S - Silentwave. A more economical auto-focus motor which is marginally less noisy than its predecessors. I've never really noticed the noise on other lenses, but it certainly speeds up auto-focus and saves battery life.

DX - Digital Exclusive. This lens does not have the coverage at its full aperture to respond properly on 35mm. This wouldn't stop you trying, of course, but that isn't what the lens is for.

My recommendation: if you make your living from photography, and you use Nikon, get this lens. If you don't, at least try it in a shop before you order it -- you may regret carrying it around for half a day.