Nikkor 18-200mm...

[phiya]

I found an ad local to me and I'm thinking about jumping on it... I already contacted the guy and he said he would meet me tonight.

The lens is the Nikon 18-200mm VR (the original). It states that it comes with the caps, soft case and the lens hood for $350. I know this is a great deal on this lens, but is there anything I should look for/be careful of before handing over the cash? I was planning on sticking it on my D80 and making sure everything worked (autofocus, zoom, etc). Any other suggestions before I buy a used lens?

 

[KmH]

You've got the right plan. Also put it in manual focus mode and make sure the focus ring works smoothly.

Just so you know, DP Review said about Nikon's 18-200:

Just occasionally, the old cliches are still the best, and with the 18-200mm VR the phrase 'jack of all trades, master of none' springs immediately to mind. It's a lens which delivers somewhat flawed results over its entire zoom range; where it's sharp, it has heavy distortion, and when that distortion comes under control at the long end, it loses sharpness.....

added emphasis

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX Lens Review: 4. Conclusion & samples: Digital Photography Review

 

[phiya]

Yeah, I understand it's not the Be-All End-All of lenses, but it is a very versatile one for your average carry around type lens. I find with the kit lenses I have now (listed in my signature), that with the wider one on I have very little reach should I need it, but with the telephoto on, I have no "think wide" options. This is kind of a stop gap for that situation at a place like Disneyland for example. I still have tons of lenses on my wishlist, but if I can get them at deals similar to this one, I could save a ton of money.

 

[sobolik]

Good plan - make sure it works. I have the lens and all that distortion and stuff is for people who sit around and wish they could be pros. Pros might have more money in gear and lenses that I have in a house. They would not use this lens unless they were on vacation. Vacation from work and vacation from lugging around enough gear to sink a boat. This lens gets the job done just fine for souvineer photos. It does have some differences from the kit 18-105 for my D90 that I'm not sure I like. I am fixing to one of these days do a shoot off and identify exactly what and if I like or don't like. I might end up preferring the kit lens for weddings. I have noticed some color differences etc. But for travel it is the way to go.

 

[dustin0479]

Take a LED flashlight or something with good clean light along with you and check for "Fungus" inside the lens.

 

[IgsEMT]

Actually, that lens does a decent job if you know how to work around its default:
*It sux at anything wider then f/5.6 - so don't shoot at f/5.6.
*Don't shoot at widest 18mm and tightest 200mm BUT you can shoot at 20mm and 190 to get optimal quality of extremes.
*If shooting JPG, boost the sharpness in-camera to about 6-7 and enjoy it.

The 2nd generation is sharper in default but everything above is pretty much consistent.