The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED ($749.95 direct) is a wide-angle lens with a modest aperture and zoom, intended for use with full-frame Nikon cameras. Although its zoom ratio isn’t substantial, the change in field of view is quite noticeable, as the ultra-wide field of view captured at 18mm is drastically different than the more moderately wide 35mm. The f-stop isn’t the fastest in the world, but it helps to keep the cost, size, and weight of the lens down. It’s a sharp lens, but it does show a lot of distortion at its widest angle.
The lens is fairly compact, measuring just 3.7 by 3.3 inches (HD), and light at 13.6 ounces. It includes a reversible lens hood and a carrying pouch, and the front element doesn’t rotate so it’s possible to use a 77mm polarizing filter. The minimum focus distance is short at 11 inches. It’s not that far off in size or weight to the AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens. That zoom is just 3.2 by 3.1 inches and about a pound in weight; it covers a slightly longer focal length and also adds vibration reduction, a feature that is often absent from wide-angle lenses like this one.
I used Imatest to check the performance when paired with the full-frame Nikon D800. At 18mm it blows away the 1,800 lines per picture height required for a sharp photo, scoring 3,096 lines at its maximum aperture. Edges are sharp, but there is a very significant 3.5 percent barrel distortion. This isn’t quite fisheye, but straight lines are noticeably curved. You can correct this in Lightroom, but doing so will slightly narrow the lens’s field of view.
Zooming to 28mm narrows the maximum aperture to its smallest f/4.5, and reduces distortion to 1.6 percent. It scores 3,274 lines here, but edges are a little soft at 1,628 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 boosts the score to 3,486 lines and improves edges to 1,914 lines; they’re nearly as detailed as the center, but are quite acceptable for printing. At 35mm the lens scores 3,332 lines at f/4.5, and the distortion is down to 1 percent. Edges are still an issue here, they’re only 1,490 lines at f/4.5, but if you stop down to f/8 you’ll be able to improve them to 1,930 lines.
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED is impressively sharp, light, and compact, but it’s not perfect. The aperture is rather narrow, the zoom range is a little limiting, and distortion is very noticeable at the widest angle. If you don’t need to go quite as wide, consider the 24-85mm lens as an alternative; it has the same distortion issues, but its slower aperture is offset by the addition of a vibration reduction system. If you want to get a Nikkor lens that covers such a wide angle and captures more light, you’re going to have to spend a lot more money—the 17-35mm f/2.8 lens is priced just under $2,000. But if you’re in the market for a compact zoom lens for your full-frame Nikon camera and you tend to drift toward the wider angles in your photography, the 18-35mm is worth a look.
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