Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
by Nikon
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Customer Review: Incredibly Versatile Lens
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my 18-200mm lens for a little over a year now and can't imagine what life was like before I bought mine. The range is great and covers most of what I want to shoot. Sure, there are times when I want something wider or longer but that'll always be the case. This lens covers a very large percentage of what I need and keeps me from having to continually swap lenses.
You could go with the two kit lenses that cover the same range. They're lighter (individually, not together) than this one and they use the 52mm diameter filters. But you're back to lens swapping. The 18-200mm lens is as fast as the two kit lenses (f/stop), the focus motor is possibly faster and definitely faster than swapping lenses.
The VR on this lens is incredible. Once you get used to it, you'll never want to back to a non-VR lens. Enough said.
Couple of drawbacks: The lens is a bit larger than either of the smaller kit lenses. Personally, I don't see this as a problem as one lens is much easier than carrying around two.
The other issue has to do with zoom creep. Supposedly this has been fixed in the later lenses but mine does tend to creep a bit. Wrapping a rubber band around the lens solves this problem handily.
Oh, and 72mm filters tend to be a bit more expensive than the 52mm ones that fit the kit lenses.
I'm giving this a 5 star rating. If I were rating the lens I own, I'd give it 4.5 stars for the lens creep but, seeing as Nikon has supposedly fixed the problem (and Amazon doesn't do half stars), I'm going with 5.
Customer Review: Great Overall Lense. Very good in lower lighting. Must have.
Summary: 5 Stars
This lens exceeded all my expectations. I used it with a Nikon D40X. I have taken several thousand pictures with the lens in RAW format. Excellent photos from a trip to Italy. The lens and camera without flash pulled out fantastic color from paintings that were hung in dark churches and galleries. The fact that I never had to switch lenses during the trip was so convenient and kept out all dust that might have been introduced. This lens is a "must have" for anyone that records their journeys via photos.Customer Review: Absolutely wonderful, versatile lens but with some limitations
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a perfect lens for all-around scenic use giving you everything from nice wide angles to just about all the focal length you'll need in most situations for scenics. It focuses fast, and makes a much better "only" lens than the lenses included with most camera bodies.
However, you do need to be aware of its limitations; specifically at full zoom there is quite noticeable light fall-off in the corners that becomes especially obvious if the image is enhanced at all or if you process the RAW data from your camera. The practical effect is that full zoom shots are less than useful if you need any of the image in the corners of the frame unless you're willing to do some manipulation to even out the exposure in the corners.
Still, it's hard to beat especially at the price. For those buying D40s and D60s it may be hard to justify a lens that costs nearly as much as the camera body, but take a look at the four figure prices you'd need to spend to get something better.
The absolute best thing about the lens is the VR feature; I've been able to take some handheld shots with razor sharpness in conditions that normally would have required a tripod - especially good when taking nighttime "city lights" shots.
In short, if you're looking for say, an 18-190mm lens, this is a great buy. If you need the 200mm length to be absolutely perfect, choose a different lens.
Otherwise, despite its drawbacks, I'm quite happy to leave this lens attached to my camera 99% of the time.
Customer Review: Great walkaround lens
Summary: 5 Stars
Terrific all-purpose lens for DX format.Very sharp with reasonable AF speed in most lighting conditions and good reach on the 1.5 crop make this a very useful piece of glass.Many thanks to the ever-readable and never less than amusing Ken Rockwell at www.kenrockwell.com for the constant source of wonderful technical hints and reviews of all things Nikon.Customer Review: Great one Lens does All
Summary: 4 Stars
I wanted the full range in one lens. I'm more or less a dilettante when it comes to photography but it more than serves my needs. Yes, it's very expensive, but now, I can get by with just one lens. It performs quite well over the whole range. Be aware that it is quite heavy compared to the basic lenses. Overall, I'm happy I got it.