Just how bad is 18-200?

My Nikon 18-200 doesn't do everything perfectly well and it does have barrel distortion at the long end (this is very easily fixable in 2-3 clicks in most PP applications). I am confused about the vignetting, becuase I have never ever seen any with my shots but I would be willing to try some test shots to specifically see if I can reproduce any (maybe try shooting into a blue sky at 18mm).

My version does suffer from lens creep if it is at anything more than 100mm but under that I can leave the lens pointing down for minutes on end without any change in focal point, however I do not climb many sail ship masts to take pictures one handed at 18mm so I find it a non-issue for me anyways.

Picture quality is not as good as my Sigma 18-50 F/2.8, but it is the perfect walk-around lens and quality levels are acceptably good.

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I agree 100%. I have a deposite on an 17-55 f2.8 so that + my 70-200 f2.8 will do it for me, but my 18-200 is the 1 lens wonderdawg for when I just want to have fun and not lug around a bunch of gear.

I also get the idea that the nay sayers out there don;t own one of these, and have never tried one of these so what the hell do they know? I gues they fallinto the LENS SNOB category and have endless budgets and/or never travel - poor souls. :lol:


Hey, I actually *AM* a lens snob, that is why I bought it... so I can have several choices in all focal lengths! lolol! Now that I am getting a D3,though, I have to get something to replace my 17-55... :(
 
One of the biggest draws to me in the dSLR world was being able to have choices. One of those choices was lenses and each and every lens I own has a very specific function and I love each lens for it's area of expertise.

The 18-200's is incredible versatility, light weight (for what it does), acceptable quality (for me anyways). I have other lenses for portrait or low light work... and likely in the new year I start aiming for a nice telephoto in the 300-500mm range.
 
eh, those pictures are pretty good

could somebody point out the flaws/limitations of them to me?
 
eh, those pictures are pretty good

could somebody point out the flaws/limitations of them to me?


You mean the flaws/limitations of the lens or the pics above? I can't comment on the pics, because I can't see them at 100%.

My experience with this lens, though, is that the advantages are - lightweight, can easily carry it around without breaking my back with five different lenses...instead, just one... but when I shoot with it, it obviously doesn't open up as wide as my better lens... but the biggest disadvantage I have found is that the images are not as sharp as with my better lenses. They are 'acceptable' for snapshots and such for me, but not for paid clients.
 
eh, those pictures are pretty good

could somebody point out the flaws/limitations of them to me?

well we don't know what sharpening or other post production was done to it, and it isn't large enough to judge on sharpness so no, I can't tell you.
 
My Nikon 18-200 doesn't do everything perfectly well and it does have barrel distortion at the long end (this is very easily fixable in 2-3 clicks in most PP applications). I am confused about the vignetting, becuase I have never ever seen any with my shots but I would be willing to try some test shots to specifically see if I can reproduce any (maybe try shooting into a blue sky at 18mm).

My version does suffer from lens creep if it is at anything more than 100mm but under that I can leave the lens pointing down for minutes on end without any change in focal point, however I do not climb many sail ship masts to take pictures one handed at 18mm so I find it a non-issue for me anyways.

Picture quality is not as good as my Sigma 18-50 F/2.8, but it is the perfect walk-around lens and quality levels are acceptably good.

833097574_84f9d6a448.jpg


832230437_e33de1ed13.jpg


1131625189_35b1c0779a.jpg


1131626749_8b9b2bca31.jpg


I see vignetting in all but the first shot....so I dno what you mean...lol.

Still a decent lens, though.
 
I just got the Nikon 18-200 VR and (so far) it has no lens creep. Either it starts happening after it loosens up or Nikon fixed the problem. Time will tell.
 
i bought one three days ago for the wife, if you put it at about 130ish and put the camera straight up you get lens creap. But I were shooting straight up on a tripod I would either be maxxed our or no zoom at all and lens creap does not happen at 200. it creaps from 130-70 and stops at 70 on my wife's.
 
i bought one three days ago for the wife, if you put it at about 130ish and put the camera straight up you get lens creap. But I were shooting straight up on a tripod I would either be maxxed our or no zoom at all and lens creap does not happen at 200. it creaps from 130-70 and stops at 70 on my wife's.

I tried what you said, and yep, sure enough, lens creep almost all the way to 18.

I would like to add that I am pleased with the lens, overall. But not real pleased with the bokeh it produces.
 
My wife uses the Nikon VR 18-200 as her standard lens on a D40. Wide range - good for kid shots and landscapes. No need to change lenses - a factor in the places we go.

But if you're doing a lot of cityscapes with straight lines you will notice distortion at either end with this lens. Vignetting was only a problem when stacking filters.

This range in one lens involves compromise. Alternative is a lot more money and more lenses.
 
......... I have to get something to replace my 17-55... :(

Why? I heard that the D3 will take ay of these lens from NIKKOR, going way back including the DX lens, ED etc etc..... Oh but if you do need to sell your 17-55... whatcha want for it.... I have a deposit down on one but it didn;t get to me b4 my trip to MAUI....
 
I see vignetting in all but the first shot....so I dno what you mean...lol.

Do you understand what vignetting is? It is when the corners (usually all 4) show a darkening or undesired increase in contrast. This normally happens when the 18-200 is at it's widest. None of them except maybe the first one are anywhere near that. I know that the 2 bottom ones are at 200mm... its very hard to get the lens to vignette at it's maximum zoom. I see no vignetting, even when blown up to 100%.

I am not saying that the lens/camera cannot do it... I am just not seeing any, and I am looking at the originals.

For the sake of conversation, the only things done to the originals is a 10% sharpness increase and to convert from RAW to JPG using NX. These were some of the first pictures I took with this lens and any advanced PPing was not in my repertoire at the time.

Concerning lens creep... since I shoot using 2 hands or if on a tripod, I do not shoot pointing straight down or straight up, its a non-issue for me, but I did test it and there is some, as I mentioned elsewhere.

The lens works very well, and the only way to see any quality difference is to shoot the same picture 2 times with diifferent lenses and place the pics side by side and start getting critical with your examination... otherwise, they look very good.
 
Do you understand what vignetting is? It is when the corners (usually all 4) show a darkening or undesired increase in contrast. This normally happens when the 18-200 is at it's widest. None of them except maybe the first one are anywhere near that. I know that the 2 bottom ones are at 200mm... its very hard to get the lens to vignette at it's maximum zoom. I see no vignetting, even when blown up to 100%.

Err all the images except the first do show vignetting, and it's totally false to assume vignetting only happens at the wide end. It depends entirely on lens construction and the 18-200 has worse vignetting at 200mm than 18mm at all usable apertures wider than f/11.

Anyway vignetting is a non-issue even the most basic of post processing software will allow easy vignetting correction.
 
Anyway vignetting is a non-issue even the most basic of post processing software will allow easy vignetting correction.

I don't understand it becuase at 100% there is none on the originals. I know that NX can address vignetting in 3-4 clicks, neer tried it yet, though... I just may have to experiment with these smaller images, just to see the effects.
 

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