Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Lenses
I chose the 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 Nikkor as a general purpose, walk around lens to cover most day to day photos. In this respect, it is one of the better general purpose lenses available due to the 11x zoom range and Nikon's VR image stabilization. Size and weight should be reasonable for anyone who isn't used to keeping a basic prime lens or an inexpensively manufactured kit lens on their camera at all times. Construction rubustness and heft is greater than most consumer grade lenses, but still has a plastic external barrel and still uses externally extending elements to alter zoom range (with a good deal of lens creep between 24 and 135mm), which is perfectly acceptable for any non-professional lens. Sharpness is well within the range of acceptability for an 11x zoom lens and overall image quality is above average as well. The strongest merit of this particular lens is naturally the zoom range that will cover the majority of focal lengths for most shooters, making it ideal for vacations or any situation where carrying three lenses isn't practical. Being able to leave the same lens on the camera also means fewer missed shots. VR is an excellent feature that provides a good 3-4 stops worth of camera shake reduction (handheld shots at 1/30 and even 1/15th provide acceptable sharpness) which means far less dependence upon tripods (again, great for light travelers). The lens also features a flip switch lock in the 18mm position that prevents the lens from extending if hanging from the shoulder while moving about. A simple rubber band covering the gap between the focus ring and the lens barrel effectively prevents the aforementioned lens creep from 24-135mm. The key negative would be value for the money considering this consumer grade lens retails for almost $900, only offset by the fact that it effectively replaces 2-3 consumer grade lenses. It's a Nikon (manufactured in their Thailand factory), fine. It's also one of the few 11x zoom lenses, but construction, lens speed and sharpness don't really seem on par for what the lens retails for. The only other potential negative is the slower aperture at longer zoom ranges (F5.6 at 200mm). But again, a professional lens this was never intended to be.Read full review
Got this through Cameta Camera and firstly I have to say the lens is a re-furbished as advertised by them. After receiving the lens I would not be able to tell the difference between brand new and this one. So this is a good deal from this seller. The lens is big and heavy (and it's not even metal). Most enthusiasts and experts agree using prime lenses is the way to go with maybe one multi focal lens. This lens works very well from a layman's perspective, takes very good pictures for a biggie. I find the auto focus somewhat more cumbersome (noisier, slower) than Canon lenses, as I have owned several canons over the years and this is my first nikon (D7000). I would likely prefer this lens for sports photography outdoors, as it needs more light than some other lenses. However for a tourist trip in a foreign country or something I would prefer a lighter, smaller lens as the weight of this could be something of an issue. Good all-round lens, not particularly cheap, big, heavy but lets you have a broad range from wide group shots of people to some great zooming in on particular subjects from far away.Read full review
I bought the 18-200mm so that I could leave 1 lens on my camera for all purposes and not be switching between wide-angle and long-distance zoom. I had not thought, originally, that the switching would bother me, but it seemed I inevitably had the wrong lens when an opportunity presented itself and I had little time to change lenses. This lens fills that function perfectly. Amazing that one lens can cover such a range of focal lengths and do it well. Another positive - although not the main reason I bought the lens - is the greater flexibility in manual focusing. With the 55-200, I had to flip a switch on the lens to change to manual focus. With the VR on/off switch nearby, it was hard to find the correct switch in a hurry while looking through the viewfinder. So, I'd have to bring the camera down off the subject, change the focus mode, etc., and hope that the subject stayed still - didn't always work well with birds or animals. With the 18-200mm, I can set it on AF/M and it will autofocus by default, but I can override any time by just grabbing the focus ring and focusing - like when the auto focus thinks I should be focusing on the bird's tail instead of head because the tail is closer! Also, the focus ring on the 18-200 is larger and easier to use. I was going from a VR lens to another VR lens, so I won't discuss that - except to say that the VR function is worth it. You give up a little speed in autofocus, but it really does take care of a lot of out-of-focus blur. As for the negatives: It is much heavier than the 55-200mm I had been using for most purposes. From the specs it doesn't sound much heavier, but in practice it certainly feels like it. I'll need a better camera strap to save wear and tear on my neck. On the other hand, it also feels like a much more solidly built, quality lens with the metal connection collar to the camera instead of plastic one on the lighter 55-200mm. It's not going to break if I quickly pick up the camera by the lens at an awkward angle. Minor negative: the reviews I had read are correct that the bokeh is not nearly as good with the 18-200mm as the 55-200mm. I do occasionally like to do an extreme close-up subject with the out-of-focus background and the 55-200 handled that beautifully. With the 18-200mm I need to do a little PhotoShop work to make the background pleasantly blurred. In summary, it is not perfect, so I didn't give it an excellent. But, I am very, very pleased with it. On the whole, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives for me.Read full review
What I liked the most from was my experiance with the transaction. There were no "Hitches". Everything went exceptionaletly well. As for the product, it's a great way to have the focal length's available in such a wide range. If I need to have a wide angle, I can use the 18mm (I know that the 18 is more like a 35mm lens when used with a digital camera.)But the main advantage is that when I needed to change a lens I would be exposing the CCD chip. The last digital camera I owned was (Kodak n14) everytime you changed the lens, you opened up the possibility of getty dirt and dust into the camera. Everytime I had a shoot, I needed to take it in to be cleaned. That is why I made the purchase of the 18-200 lens, the dust factor as well as having the use of one lens that covered everything from 18-200mm. I just returned from Tasco Mexico, where I really put the lens through it's paceses and everything came out beautifully.Read full review
I am not a professional photgrapher, I am an enthusiast who takes pictures of my kids' games and our excursion trips. The performance of the lens is flawless, I have taken city light pictures with absolutely no lens creep thanks to the VR II feature. The zoom lock keeps the lens in place if you are walking fast on stairs whith the camera on your neck (my previous 50-200mm lens would extend while in motion)This lens has allowed me to take pictures of landscapes and focus on particular areas with the zoom. It is great for taking videos, it focuses better than the kit lenses that come with the D3100 ir D7000 and is quieter so you dont hear the annoying clicking/whine as with the kit lenses. I previously owned a 18-130mm. I used the lens for portraits in the range of 35-85mm and most everything but had to switch to the 50-200mm to take outdoor sports and nature images. With the 18-200mm VR II, I don't have to change lenses anymore, but it is a heavy lens to carry around on the field and you will feel the strain on your neck after a few hours. It also has a hard time focusing while taking portraits in very low light (at parties on the dance floor). I purchased a 50mm 1.8D to enable me to take portraits in low light, so I ended up with two lenses in my kit as before, other than that it is great. The weight factor is something I did not even look at before buying as well as its ability to focus in low light (I may have not done the investment if had done so) if you can live with that, this lens is for you, otherwise the two lighter lenses is a better solution. Another selling point is that if you dont switch lenses, there is less chances of getting dust into your camera, but at least for me, my D3100 and D7000 have a dust cleaning feature that takes care of dust on the sensor so dust in the camera is a lesser factor.Read full review