Nikon 18-200.

[danir]

Does anyone have any experience with this lense: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor D 18 - 200 mm f/3.5 - 5.6G DX ED IF VR?

Is it as good as the reviews say it is?

Thanks,
Dani.

 

[JIP]

There have been many discussions about this lens on the forum and the bottom line is stay away. With a lens like this it is hard to stay sharp at the long ends of the zoom and for the money you can get much better albeit shorter glass.

 

[fmw]

Does anyone have any experience with this lense: Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor D 18 - 200 mm f/3.5 - 5.6G DX ED IF VR?

Is it as good as the reviews say it is?

Thanks,
Dani.

It would depend on what you want. I haven't tested the lens so there isn't much point in my making any specific comments on its performance. However, I can tell you from experience that a 10X zoom is going to have serious optical issues. That results from the laws of physics not the manufacturer's ability to make lenses. I wouldn't buy the lens personally because it has more zoom range than a lens designer can handle effectively. Most amateurs would buy it because it has a long zoom range. So what is important to them is different than what is important to me.

Most internet reviews are not really reviews. They are writings of people who bought something and are expressing joy or excitement over a new purchase. These folks don't have much of a basis of experience for making comparisons to other products. For the most part, you can ignore them. If you see a review with descriptions of specific performance factors or measurements such as MTF, then those reviews might be valid. The huge majority of internet "reviews" are worthless, I'm afraid.

Having said all that, the lens may be just dandy for you even though it wouldn't be for me. I'm sure it is competent. I'm almost sure it isn't a strong performer optically just because of the excessive zoom range. Sorry, I have no specfics for you.

 

[The_Traveler]

I have one and it is a magnificent walk-around lens - it is excellent at 30-150 (good clarity, good saturated colors), but, as others say, it is bit soft at the extreme long end.

Look at the Laos pix linked in my sig. All of those were with the 18-200, all taken this Jan/Feb.

I am considering selling mine to finance another lens I need more right now (a gold-ring 17-55) - if you are interested send me PM.

 

[JIP]

I am considering selling mine to finance another lens I need more right now (a gold-ring 17-55) - if you are interested send me PM.

That should tell you something about the quality of the 18-200.

 

[The_Traveler]

That should tell you something about the quality of the 18-200.

Actually, it tell you more about the fact that I don't use the 100 - 200 range and I could use the $ (now that I've committed to the 17-55).

 

[danir]

Thanks for the information.
Is there anyone else who has used this lense?

Dani.

 

[ANDS!]

No experience - but a great majority of professional (meaning they get freebies or can pay for this stuff) camera reviewers have NOTHING but praise for the lens. For 700 bucks and a good return policy, it can't hurt to try it out if you want to. Nothing stops you from having other lenses that are sharper and more focused in their range, but from what I hear - its a great wide-range lens to have.

 

[JIP]

No experience - but a great majority of professional (meaning they get freebies or can pay for this stuff) camera reviewers have NOTHING but praise for the lens. For 700 bucks and a good return policy, it can't hurt to try it out if you want to. Nothing stops you from having other lenses that are sharper and more focused in their range, but from what I hear - its a great wide-range lens to have.

Really? when I originally did a search for reviews of this lens (last time we had this discussion) I saw mostly negative reviews.

 

[PushingTin]

I own this lens, and well I was really impressed with it. It gave a good range and decent photos...... since then I got the 70-200 VR and well it blows the 18-200 away! Since having the 70-200, i choose hardly to use the 18-200.

So I guess it depends what quality you used to, and what quality you expect from this lens. I will keep the 18-200 purely because its small, light, compact, has VR and will make a great travel lens. But if I go out shooting, the 70-200 is the one I will use.

Thats why I am looking to now fill the gap of the 18-70 range to give me the same quality I get from my 70-200.

Bottom line, budget dictates: If this is the best lens you can afford, by all means it wont let you down, but if you can afford a more professional lens, I would recommend a f2.8 lens.