Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras
- One-lens solution adept in a wide variety of situations
- Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) image stabilization
- Two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements; three aspherical lens elements
- Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC); exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
- Focus to 20 inches for extended versatility
Product Description
f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX wide-angle to telephoto zoom lens * Vibration Reduction II allows in-focus shots with longer exposure times (up to four stops slower shutter speed) * 35mm equivalent focal length of 27-300mm * contains two ED (extra-low dispersion) and three aspherical lens elements for high resolution and contrast * Silent Wave Motor for fast, quiet focusing *… More >>
Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras
Lens still creeps. So the $200 increase in price, despite the weakening of the dollar, is unjustified.
Rating: 1 / 5
Sad to say this new lens still creeps
the lock only works at 18mm which to me is useless since when the lens is down to 18mm there is no creeping.
Rating: 3 / 5
I’ve used this lens and its predecessor extensively and I’ve been happy with both. They are clear, accurate, and focused. You can find a zillion reviews talking about how awesome this lens. I’m going to highlight the lens’ shortcomings. This is not a be all, end all lens. Don’t get me wrong, this is my walkaround lens and it stays on my camera 75% of the time. But it’s important to know what this lens won’t do.
1. Low light. This is a problem that plagues any reasonably priced long-range zoom. If you’re going to be doing much shooting indoors, at night, or twilight with this lens, invest in a good quality flash.
2. Bokeh. The majority of the out-of-focus fields look great. However, if you’re shooting wide open (low f stop) and there’s a lot going on in the background (long grass, trees, etc) some of the finer details can be blurred or occasionally have a weird halo look to them. It’s not that big of an issue, but it does happen from time to time.
3. Distortion. Very manageable and hardly noticeable for the most part, but when you shoot things that are obviously supposed to be very straight (buildings, roads, etc)at less than about 50mm there is some pincushioning. This is easily correctable in photoshop.
4. Light falloff. In low-light and long-exposure pictures, you can clearly see some falloff in the corners. Again, hardly a big deal for most photography.
5. Weight. If you’re not used to big lenses, this will take some getting used to, especially if you’re upgrading from a kit lens.
6. Filters. The 72mm size is getting more popular, but there still aren’t nearly as many filters available as some other sizes. There are resizing rings to compensate if you already have some larger rings, or are eyeballing something in particular.
Ok, this was not meant to turn you off of this lens, only to give you a grounded sense of what this lens has to offer. It is a great walkaround lens for everyday use. It is also a great lens for people looking to get their foot in the door with high quality lenses without having spend too much. This won’t replace prime lenses, fast lenses, and superzooms. This is a perfect lens to buy if can only afford, or only want one lens. I would still hate to be without this lens. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4 / 5
The Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S ED VR II (they must come up with a better naming system) gets five big stars for convenience. When I hike or travel light, this is the only lens I take. The small size and great zoom range are fantastic.
But lets be clear, the lens has many flaws. It is slow (f 5.6 is SLOW). VR is great for decreasing camera shake, but does nothing to stop the action. The lens has significant chromatic and geometric distortion. The geometric distortion is enough that you will not want to take architectural pictures with this lens (LensFix by Kekus can fix this). At the long end the contrast the color rendering decrease dramatically. The bokeh (the quality of the out of focus rendering) is rather busy and not too nice. When the lens if fully extended it is quite flimsy. The lens hood is not well attached (I am on #3).
All of that said, I am very happy with this lens. I am very glad I have it.
Rating: 4 / 5
I’ve had this lens for less than a month. I replaced one Nikkor 18-55 and one Nikkor 55-200. Now I have more versatility to take pictures without having to carry or change lenses, that special picture not always waits. It’s the first time I have a lens with such range (18-200). When using wide angle pictures are not distorted and when using 200 zoom it gives the impression you are using a 300. I use a Nikon D40x and works great, and think about upgrading to another camera to fully take advantage of the quality and flexibility of this lens. The lens feels comfortable in the hand and is very silent. I’m very pleased, it’s pricey but well worth it.
Rating: 5 / 5