Sharpness at 55mm

For this test, the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II lens was attached to a Nikon D3300 body, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Exposure delay mode was activated. Tonal and colour variances across the crops are due to changes in natural light during the session.

The full frame at 55mm

At the shorter end of the zoom range, sharpness is optimised for wide-open performance, at least in the centre. Centre sharpness remains high through to f/11, with f/16 being usable but being quite badly affected by diffraction. The borders aren't nearly as sharp as the centre though, with peak performance at f/8-f/11.

Aperture	Centre Crop	Edge Crop
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/22