Sharpness at 55mm

The sharpness tests for this review were carried out using a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II lens was attached to a Nikon D3300 body, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Exposure Delay Mode was activated. Slight tonal changes are due to slight changes in natural light during the session.

The full frame at 55mm

The lens is a little soft wide open in the centre, but sharpness is very good from f/8 through to f/16, with f/22 to f/36 slightly worse due to diffraction. The edges aren't quite so good, with the best results obtained from f/11 to f/16.

Aperture	Centre Crop	Edge Crop
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16		`
f/22		`
f/32		`
f/36		`