Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8

My first-ever “major brand” zoom lens (though in fact Tokina, Tamron, and these days Sigma are “major” by any reasonable standards). So my first zoom lens made by a company that makes camera bodies. No, wait, Sigma makes camera bodies (and Vivitar did, back when they were “major”, may still). Anyway, my first zoom lens carrying the same brand as my camera does.

I got this because the Tokina 28-70/2.8 and the Tamron 28-105/2.8 were too long at the wide end to be comfortable as my main lens on a DX (1.5x crop factor) body. I had the Nikkor 18-70 kit lens for a while (bought used), but I got too much flare in situations that shouldn’t really have given me flare, and I fairly quickly bought this and sold the 18-70 on. This was a fine lens for me, and I regret selling it. I’ll regret it even more if I end up with another DX body after all; but I can’t afford to hold it unused while spending the money for the 24-70/2.8 that I’ve ordered.

Testing this is aimed at providing good examples.

I shot these tests on the D700 in DX mode, so the originals are only 5.1 megapixel images.

17mm f/2.8

Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/2.8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/2.8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/2.8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/2.8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/2.8

This ought to be the worst case, everything at its widest. Not bad, eh?

17mm f/8

Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 17mm, f/8

Still not truly wonderful in the corners; in fact not much improved from f/2.8. But I think that’s more to the credit of f/2.8 in this case.

55mm f/2.8

Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/2.8

55mm f/8

Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8, corner
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8, center
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8
Nikkor AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 DX at 55mm, f/8

Mmmm, sharp. Well, still far from perfect in the corner.