Product ReviewsNikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens

Outstanding and Impressive All-In-One Glass

I grabbed this to take the place of having to carry both my Nikon AF-S 18-200mm and Nikon AF-S 55-300mm lenses and needing to switch them in order to capture certain shots, as well as opening up the possibility of contaminants infiltrating my gear during the change-out. What a dream! No it is not classed (nor priced) as a pro lens and will not outperform a prime lens but it certainly is great glass.

The 18-300 focuses faster than either my 18-200 or 55-300. I have not had any issues with hunting in low lighting (unless there is absolutely no contrast in what I am looking at, but that has happened with virtually every lens I have owned).

The sharpness at all focal settings is very good. Color and clarity are both quite good. My 18-300 is at least as good, if not better, at 300 than is my 55-300, and at the lower end, and has performed better than my 18-200. The autofocus works superbly and coupled with Nikon's Vibration Reduction II makes for perfect everyday shooting. However, I can also use this for close-up nature shots with excellent bokeh and clarity.

I have used this on both my Nikon D90 and my Nikon D5100 and it performs great on both. The lens lock comes in handy to avoid the dreaded lens creep.

The glass is definitely heavier than the 18-200, but that is to be expected with the added focal length. The build quality seems very good. The reversible lens hood is nice and, when reversed, does not interfere when focusing, as it did on my 18-200 a bit.

Overall, this is a very impressive lens. Definitely recommended as a one-lens solution, especially for travelling and day shooting when you do not wish to take a few pieces of glass with you.Read full review...

Lens a bit larger than expected but high quality components and photos

Nikkor lenses are pricey but definitely worth it !! This lens is a bit large and heavy but well worth carrying around, especially in nature or a city where you need a wide angle and a zoom. I find it more of a pain to carry a bag and having to change lenses. The lens is high quality and pictures come out great. Some people complain of edge blur at 300 zoom, but it's negligible unless you really blow up the photo. This can be expected with any zoom, but less so with this quality lens. If you need 300 plus zoom and absolutely no edge blur (ex: sports, wildlife, etc), then get a fixed length telephoto lens (the price just went way up !!). This lens will do in most circumstances though. It's a great all-around carry lens for a serious photographer. I also recommend getting a special wide angle uv filter that will not shadow the edges. Tiffen makes a good one for under $20.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: 949goldeneagle

Extra weight worth the convenience & cost.

I have not used this lens sufficiently to give a detailed review. That being said, I have taken some photos with this lens & so far I like it quite a bit. In one lens, this lens allows such a wide range of composition with just a slight increase in weight it's a major convenience, simplifying my picture taking. I enjoyed the 18-200 mm lens from Nikon for composition and convenience so much on our vacation to Yellowstone, that I believed I could do even more with this lens if I bought it. Indeed, it allows substantially more reach, without changing lenses. I owned a 18-70 mm & 70-300 mm set of lenses that I have been using for most of my photography. The few 300 mm pictures I've taken with this lens, are as sharp as those I've taken with the 70-300 mm that I used for the long distance shots in the past.

A couple of negatives:
1) It's a bit heavy, but for me, it's worth the extra weight to have the one versatile lens. It is only 10 oz. more than the 18-200mm. It is essentially the same weight as the 70-300mm. 2) For flash photography the in camera flash produces quite a shadow at the higher magnifications. Fortunately I have a flash to use for indoor pictures, the SB400 - small enough yet powerful enough for good flash effect without lens shadow, so far.
3) I unfortunately did not know that I could have bought the same lens directly from Nikon at the same price, because Nikon was having a special sales event.

Still worth the cost, no warranty, but so far no issues with Nikon lens so I hope to have no issues. The limited pictures I have taken are sharp, clear & good color.
We'll be going on vacation to see a graduation in May, I'll see how effective the lens/camera are, & if the extra weigh makes things too difficult.Read full review...

Monster zoom lens from Nikon!

Any way you look at it, a lens with an 18 to 300mm zoom ratio is awesome. The fact that it's the better of the two DX-series lenses made by Nikon is all the better! Yes, it's a bit heavy, but not so much that you can't use it for a "walking around" lens. Sharp optics and durable construction--just what you'd expect from the folks at Nikon. I had this product on my wish list for some time, long enough that Nikon has dropped it from their catalog. I was lucky to find a dealer on eBay that still had a brand-new one in stock, and I purchased it for myself for Christmas. I'm very happy with this monster zoom!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: 6ave

A very versatile lens

I cover local youth soccer leagues and was looking for a versatile length for my secondary body to have a lens that I could use for the closer subjects and the spectators shots. This lens on a crop sensor body was exactly what I needed to complement the 150-600!on the main camera. It is not a super-expensive lens or very fast, but it does its job perfectly. I have not noticed any distortion at the focal lengths unused it at, it is light and maneuverable, the VR stabilization allows for a couple of stops of shutter speed, which can offset the somehow narrow minimum aperture at max length. Overall a great value for what I needed.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: bluemoose359

My wife loves the single lens vs. 2 lens' to get the range

Nikkor are good lens, I wish the very end of the optical zoom marks were more separated to be able to more easily fine tune the focal point...as it is, the amount of rotation on the lens that is needed to get from 100x to 200x is about 1/2 rotation of the lens. However, from 200x - 300x the rotation drops to merely 1/5 of a rotation...making it impossible to get the exact focal point you desire, close of course especially if you turn it super slow...just poorly thought out. Otherwise, this lens is great, VR is awesome and the F stops are great. Too bad it's not a larger sensor for the darks.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: glendlane

The Only Lens You Need for Most Purposes

I bought this lens to replace two other lenses - an 18-55 mm zoom and a 70-300 zoom. Both produced good images, but there was a lot of lens swapping and that annoying 15 mm gap in a critical focal length range. This lens makes it possible to keep one lens on my camera most of the time and so far, I do not have any complaints about the image quality. The only slight drawback is that the lens is heavy compared to the lenses it is replacing, but it's not something that I find objectionable. I foresee only limited instances where I would need to have additional lenses. I will probably add a macro lens and perhaps a fast normal lens for use in low light situations, but for 95% of what I do, this lens will be just right. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: JzbrZzY_SAe@Del...

Stunning General Purpose Lens

I purchased this lens as a replacement for the original 18 to 200mm f3.5-5.6 ED VR II I purchased with my Nikon D7000. I loved that lens and took many memorable pictures with it. I finally decded that I wanted a little more distance and started looking at Nikon's 2 options for a 18-300mm lens. After much deliberation and hand wringing, I finally decided on this slightly faster and beefier f/3.5-5.6G model. It arrived today and I am impressed!. I was initially concerned that it was advertised as an 'import' lens, but when comparing it to my 18-200mm USA lens, they are in exactly the same packaging and come from the same factory in Thailand. For the $130+ savings off the USA version, for me, it's a no brainer. I would purchase again without hesitation. This thing is gorgeous, built like a tank, reaches way out to take the clearest, most beautiful pictures in my portfolio. I'm seeing sharp, individual hairs on the heads of the Gray Squirrels at our feeders at over 100'. I can't wait to actually spend time with the lens to learn it's little tricks to really make it shine. If this lens is on your wish list, do a month of arm curls and pull the trigger. You won't be disappointed. Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: 6ave

Overall excellent lens to cover all types of photography.

On the first take on this lens... it is heavy & bulky. May be it just me feeling since I was using 50mm so far. Apart from that , it is excellent. Excellent zoom which I feel covers everything from portrait to landscape photo. I am very happy with it. if you are mounting on the tripod , make sure you have that steady once because of the lens weight , it might fall forward.Read full review...

Pro lens at a fair price.

once you get this lens you will feel the difference from the standard lenses that typically come with a lower grade camera kit. the zoom is smooth and focus is quick. I under stand its not the best lens made by Nikon but for me its the one I can afford. also note it will add weight and bulk to your camera bag. Read full review...

Product Reviews Images

  Product Reviews Images

Previous Image

• 

Next Image

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: xthajamesx