Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1
Canon IXUS 240 HS
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS
Nikon D800
Samsung DV300F
Nikon Coolpix P510
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Nikon Coolpix S9300
Olympus OM-D E-M5
The Importance of the Nikon 16-35mm f/4G VR
The recently announced Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens looks set to be an important milestone for Nikon for at least two reasons. Firstly, it is the company’s first professional AF zoom with a constant f/4 maximum aperture, putting aside the £4500+ AF-S 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED VR. Secondly, this is the first pro-grade non-telephoto FX lens with Vibration Reduction.
The fact that Nikon has come out with a pro f/4 zoom may bring hope to those users who have found the f/2.8 offerings too heavy or too pricey. At $1259.95/£1049.99/€1249.00, the new 16-35mm f/4G ED VR is certainly not cheap, but it’s still about 30% less expensive than the existing 17-35mm f/2.8D. It does not deliver so well on the size/weight front, as it is only lighter by some 50 grams, and actually longer than the f/2.8 lens. Still, the announcement may indicate that Nikon is thinking about coming out with f/4 versions of their 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses. Those would almost certainly be smaller, lighter and again cheaper than their f/2.8 counterparts, and if wide-open performance is good they may do their job just as well, as long as one doesn’t need the shallower DOF the extra stop of aperture provides.
The appearance of VR in a pro-grade wide zoom may also excite a number of photographers. So far, Nikon has reserved this feature for their telephoto lenses (at least as far as pro glass goes - they did include it in some consumer-grade optics such as the 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G and a few DX zooms). There are proponents of the theory that Vibration Reduction is really only needed with long lenses, but anyone who has ever used a wide lens on a camera with in-body stabilisation - such as the Sony A900, for instance - will likely agree that anti shake can come in handy regardless of the focal length you are shooting at. Given that Nikon isn’t likely to switch to in-body anti shake anytime soon - who’d buy all those existing VR lenses then? -, pressure has been mounting on the company to introduce professional-grade wide and normal zooms with Vibration Reduction. Whether the AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm f/4G ED VR will be followed by a 24-70mm or 28-70mm VR lens remains to be seen, but those who have been campaigning for VR in high-quality wide-angle Nikkors can chalk up a victory now.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 Review
Canon IXUS 240 HS Review
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Review
Nikon D800 Review
Samsung DV300F Review
Nikon Coolpix P510
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Fujifilm X-Pro1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
#1 Nikon Coolpix Reviews
VR is I think pretty useless because it doesn't help when the subject is moving in low light. I can always use support and lower iso if the subject is not moving. And besides the price is really high.
4:09 pm - Thursday, February 11, 2010
#2 Chris
I totally disagree. I recently photographed a moving car in low light from the back seat of a convertible. As we paced each other, the minor bumps in the road made for some shaky photos using the 24-70 f2.8. VR certainly would have made a difference in this situation.
5:29 am - Friday, February 12, 2010
#3 Sky
Yep, there are moments when you need stabilization even for fish-eye lenses (hooray for Sony/Pentax/43 owners). It doesn't help with moving objects - that's obvious, but it DOES help when you can't hold camera stable enough - like while shooting in uncomfortable positions, or after spending few hours on cold, or when you have "shaky hands" syndrome
8:35 am - Friday, February 12, 2010
#4 bariatric surgery
I taught myself, lots of trials and errors (even in the days of films
) – I guess the first lesson to learn is to learn how to hold the camera so as to minimise shaking 
More technical stuffs, it seems you are already reading/learning. But practising is the best way to learn. So just take lots and lots of pictures, plus you will have more reason to once the baby comes
9:34 am - Friday, February 12, 2010
#5 Eleanor Maw
That's going on my shopping list :D
4:31 pm - Tuesday, February 16, 2010
#6 Christian Yves
I have to agree with Chris on this one. There have been plenty of times VR would have been of great benefit to me in order to get the shot. I shoot a lot of weddings in very dimly-lit, almost completely dark banquet halls and church interiors where flash is not even an option. Shooting the 24-70mm at f/2.8 at a reasonably high ISO is not always an option since noise can become an issue even with the D700's sensor.
Short of buying the $2000+ 24mm f/1.4 I think the VR on the 16-35mm f/4 is something that would make me a definite buyer. I agree that it's not a feature everyone would use but the VR definitely makes the lens that much more useful to me--even more so than the 17-35mm f/2.8 or the 14-24mm f/2.8.
11:37 pm - Thursday, February 25, 2010
#7 Charles
I wish it had an aperture of 2.8, but then again, it would probably end up costing over $1800 if it did.
5:24 pm - Monday, March 15, 2010