The shape and handeling of this lens reminds me of one of my all time favorite Nikon lenses, the 17-35 f2.8. The fact that it is lighter and cheaper is a good thing for me and the kind of shooting that I do at this focal range. The best news is that it has better edge-to-edge sharpness than that lens. IQ wise it falls between the great 16-35 VR and the venerable 14-24 lenses, but of course once again in a more compact and lighter package. It certainly cannot compete with those lenses for lower light shooting and their pro-grade build quality, but on my D600, that has such an amazing useable, ISO range, this lens works quite well for me. The build quality is definitely in the pro-sumer range, but given the light weight, it has a very nice "feel" as the zoom ring is perfectly damped. If the choice was available, I would give this unit a 41/2 star rating. I am very pleased with this product and it's price/quality ratio. Well done again, Nikon.