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Colorado Adventure and Editorial Photographer

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Nikon 18-35mm F3.5-4.5G ED

September 30, 2013 • Blog, Gear Talk

I’m always in search of lighter lenses for backcountry and travel photography.  I now am using a lot of F4 glass when weight is paramount.   Who wants to hike 5 miles in with lots of weight or lug huge photo backpacks through airports and hotels?  For a lot of my travel shooting I am using a 24-120mm and 70-200mm F4, perfect for trips where I don’t need fast 2.8 glass.  But I still was waiting on a quality wide angle zoom, and Nikon came through with their new 18-35mm.  This FX lens weighs less than one pound and feels more like a 50mm  than a zoom lens.  Some reviewers have mentioned how the build didn’t feel strong….I have been shooting rock climbing and landscapes in the backcountry with this lens with no issues.  The lens has a 77mm front, so all my filters work.  The real question is performance.  I have the 14-24mm F2.8, which leads wide angle lenses in performance.  But the 18-35mm is sharp, with minimal distortion and vignette issues.  Many reviewers have said the 18-35mm has similar performance to the 16-35mm, but 18-35mm is $500 cheaper and over a half pound lighter.  The 18-35mm doesn’t have VR, but I never worry about this with wide angle shooting. If you want a featherweight wide angle zoom that performs great, take a closer look at the new 18-35mm.  I have been shooting this on my D800, and have no complaints.  Image above shot with D800, 18-35mm, ISO 100 at F8 1/400.

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