AF-S DX Nkr 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

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Lets just get to the punch: this is a great all-purpose walk-around lens. It has generally good sharpness throughout the range, it has a GREAT range, has a pretty wide end, and, to boot, is relatively reasonable in price. Yes, you can quibble about barrel distortion at certain zoom levels, can probably find some image softness at certain points, and, yes, there is a bit of lens creep once you get the lens broken in, but if what you are looking for is a single lens that lets you walk around and concentrate on learning how to compose and shoot photos, this one is hard to beat. I have had the lens for a few weeks now, and have shot both indoor and outdoor (I am using the lens with the new Nikon D7000), and have been startlingly pleased with the results. The D7000 tends to overexpose in outside shots, but thats not the fault of this lens, which really does a good job of handling its whole range from 18 to 200 mm with little lens flare, overall good sharpness, and just generally good image quality. Its not going to outperform a prime lens, but I might have to assume that anyone even investigating a zoom lens like this one understands the optical compromises which must be made in order to produce a lens like this. Having said that, with some finessing and the right technique, you can churn out some pretty impressive shots with this lens, both indoors and out (the aperture maxes at f/3.5, but if you are using one of the more modern cameras, this limitation can be somewhat overcome by increasing ISO, something the D7000 does admirably). The lens is a tad on the heavy side, but nothing like the constant f/2.8 units that are on the market: this one you can carry around all day, that is, once you get used to its reasonable weight. Constructional quality seems good (my unit was manufactured in Thailand), including a solid feel during zoom and manual focus operation. Auto-focus is acceptably fast (although we still have the sluggish live view focusing performance, even on a camera like the D7000) and acceptably quiet. The unit has switches for vibration reduction (on/off), manual/auto focus, lens lock, and also auto focus aggressiveness (normal or active). The lens is supplied with both a front and a rear plastic cap, as well as a soft fabric bag for when you are not using the lens. Not using the lens? Most people who look into a lens like this will probably attach it to the camera, and leave it there for the vast majority of the time. As I say, you can quibble over a few items, but many of these are addressed with simple software adjustments (sharpness, barrel distortion, etc.), and so I cant say that the average photographer should worry about these too much. My own shooting has been quite good so far, and after my initial few weeks of field testing, I would have little hesitation recommending this lens to the enthusiast and/or lay photographer who just wants to take photos and learn the craft a bit more. There is an important place for prime lenses, tilt-and-shift lenses, and even fish-eyes, but for the general Nikon enthusiast, this is one of the great lenses to have come out in recent memory. Five stars, especially when you consider the price.

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Heres my take, from an intermediate amateurs point of view. The Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6G VRII (72mm filter) is the most versatile walk-around lenses from NIKON: a) where there is no need to change lenses often (dust, moisture may wreak havoc to your camera mirror or worse damage the image sensor). You might have to spend additional $$ to buy a decent cleaning kit/pen & clean it often to prevent build-up.... b) Covers WIDE-INTERMEDIATE TELEPHOTO Range, applying the Convertion Ratio of 1.5, this lens becomes effectively a 27-300mm Lens on a DX camera. As with anything in life, there are tradeoffs to all decisions we make, Nikon did a fantastic compromise to produce this 11X optics, and that is where you need to be very careful in CHOOSING YOUR LENSES ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS: 1) dont expect this lens to be built like a PROFESSIONAL GRADE LENS: like PRO glass, PRO weather seal nor all-metal construction, because it doesnt claim nor pretends to be. 2) dont expect this lens to be a star performer under LOW LIGHT conditions, because no ZOOM LENSES can ever match the fast PRIMES(ranging between f1.4 - f1.8), nor the constant f2.8 of PRO ZOOM LENSES with NANO-CRYSTAL COATING for less than ideal situations (concerts, moonlight, weddings, astronomy, discos, tall buildings or straight lines at the edges... etc... 3) PRO GLASSES got less zoom range, instead they win by extra-sharpness and contrast & better f stops all the way. But to have the same range as the 18-200mm, youd need 3 PRO lenses: the 14-24mm($1,748.99), 24-70mm($1,699.95), 70-200mm($2,159), all of which adds it to $ 5,607.94(March 2011) & a FX Camera Body camera to take advantage of the bigger image sensors and PRO-Glass optics... Out of Reach of most amateurs, enthusiasts... I have seen a lot of negative comments simply because those folks did not do their homework and have the wrong expectations about this lens, where their individual & specific need did not match the intended use of this 18-200mm lens. One flaw worth mentioning though, is that most copies have LENS CREEP, mine included, but as other reviewers have mentioned, as long as the lens stays at either end of the range (18mm & 200mm), they will not creep, and theres also a creep-lock. I would HIGHLY recommend this product. The price ($699-751 Feb. 2011) is a little high for beginners and amateurs, but since its intended purpose is to replace 2 or 3 lenses PLUS not having to carry a heavy bag, missed photo opportunities, wrath of group members waiting for you to change lenses, buying a 18-105mm only to need more range in a couple of years(selling the old one, then buying this one); in my opinion, all this add up to...PRICELESS... So overall, this lens, which I own, along my D90 bought together in Jan. 2010 (I have migrated to D7000 since then), has been a life saver, it is pretty much youll ever need in most situations(exceptions described above). The price to pay for this type of convenience, space & weight savings, not changing lenses, is well justified the investment youll make. And as Ken Rockwell would say, add a PRIME LENS f1.4 or f1.8 for LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY, and you are set to conquer the world... Edited October 2012: Nikon have unleashed a new monster,the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX (77mm filter). I would not hesitate to purchase this product based on the 18-200mm perfomance. But for the time being, my 8 and 9 year olds have begun to be able to hold on my D7000+18-200mm (not exactly a light combo) and taking decent photos, will wait a few more years to upgrade. At 50% more range for only U$ 150 more, I would say it is a good buy..... Happy Shooting!!

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What can I say, other than this lens has all the legendary Nikon quality. Its very solid, a bit on the heavy side, but the photos I take with it in conjunction with my Nikon D7500 camera are super sharp. Besides, this lens covers all the range I need, from wide-angle to long telephoto due to the APS-C format.

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How can I give this a five star rating? Part of the problem with camera and lens reviews is that someone you don’t really know tells you something you can’t really verify. It gets worse when they introduce a blizzard of numbers because, seriously, what do the digits even mean in the context of your photographs? So, if you’re looking for jargon and specs, I can’t help you. But, if you want to know what I think and why, then here you go. I needed to upgrade my walking around lens. I was using a Nikkor 18-105 mm kit lens that came with my D90. Yeah, I’ve had that one for a while but it still worked great. But, if I was going to take longer shots, I either had to switch up to my Nikkor 55-300 mm zoom (and lose any wide area opportunities that came my way) or I would have to carry both of those lens in my pack and swap them out in the field. So, if I could find it, I wanted one lens to give me the benefit of both. But, now I have to tell you how I generally shoot: freehand, no hood and natural light. I’m also either in ‘P’ or one of the automatic modes and have the camera set for high burst. As for what I shoot, subjects include nature photography, but there’s some industrial work, travel photos, and non-pro sports. And, I use the D7200. Size and weight matter to me because at the end of the day, freehand shooting can be tricky enough at full telephoto. Also, space is finite and every ounce you save can either be banked (the pack is just a little lighter) or you can carry something else. Lastly, I’ve got a budget and can’t throw unlimited $$$$$$$ at gear. I used my 55-300 to help me settle on options and I looked at shots at 140, 200 and 300 mm. The 200 worked for my style of photography and my subjects. To be sure, I rented a Nikkor 18-200 from Borrowedlenses. I had it for three days and took a lot of photos. For what I shoot and how I shoot it and what I shoot it with, the 18 – 200 was the ticket. So, as for the rating, I can give this a 5 star because it’s exactly what I wanted and it does exactly what I need. If you want to see a range of photos you can check them out on G+. Look for Charlie Goodroe.

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I believe it was Thom Hogan who described this lens as not perfect but really good at everything. Thats the review in a nutshell. This is what I would term a prosumer lens. It certainly is not cheap yet it does not have the build quality of Nikons top-of-the-line. The barrel, for example, is plastic rather than metal. I fear that a drop would be catastrophic and even a hard bang on the edge of a table might do serious damage if the lens was fully extended. On the other hand, this lens is a lot less expensive than those in the Nikon pro line. In addition, the lens is much lighter and easier to carry than it would be were it made entirely of metal. It is my understanding that the only meaningful difference between this lens (the VR II) and its immediate predecessor is the addition of a cam lock to prevent lens creep. My own sample doesnt creep at all, even with the cam unlocked but apparently that has been a significant irritant for a number of buyers. The use of "VR II" in the name is potentially misleading because it may lead shoppers to believe that the VR system has been improved over the original model. This is not the case. Both the original 18-200 and the new version contain Nikons second generation VR system. Some have suggested that Nikons marketing is a bit shady on this point while others counter that the "II" simply designates a new model. Sharpness is less than absolute across the entire range but more than adequate for anything that an amateur, or even most professionals, is likely to need. There is mild to moderate distortion, more marked at the focal length extremes but scarcely visible in the vast majority of images and readily correctable in Photoshop, DxO, or other post-processing software. Contrast is crisp and I find the lens surprisingly free of flaring and ghosting. No one should buy this lens thinking that it will make him/her a better photographer. Good photography is in the mind and the eye, not in camera. What the 18-200 will do, though, is provide a one-lens solution to the great majority of focal length needs, minimizing the need to tote a hefty bag full of lenses. It happens that, as a long time Nikon user, I have such a bag. Despite all the choices at my disposal, my 18-200 probably stays on my camera 85-90% of the time. Folks who are obsessed with numbers, charts, and MTF curves will probably fret over the 18-200, taking delight in pointing out every little defect. For the rest of us, the only significant downside that I see is that the lens is not ideally suited for extended service in rough environments or adverse weather situations. Since most of us seldom shoot in such circumstances, this should not be much of a problem. I heartily recommend the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G AF-S ED VR II (whew! what a mouthful) to any advanced amateur or professional seeking a highly usable wide range zoom.

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This lens is great for almost everything.The perfect lens for almost any situation. This lens is perfect for sight seeing, photo shoots and everything in-between. Its become my daily driver and I have it attached almost constantly. It is very sharp and has decent bokeh at wide angles. However, it does lack in dark situations. Ultimately you end up having to boost your ISO to make up for the large minimum aperture. With that said, its relatively easy to anticipate when you will be in a dark or low light situation and you can plan for such a thing with a prime. Overall, if you are looking for a "one stop shop" lens and dont want to juggle multiple cameras or changing lenses during a shoot, this is a lens worth looking into.

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This lens is absolutely stunning. Since I purchased it, I havent taken it off my Nikon as none of my other lens can match this one. The clarity of photos is super crisp. AF is really fast. The VR really works well as it stabilizes the shots as I zoom in. As far as all the technical Bokeh, Distortion, Light Falloff, etc. No lens is perfect for all situations. But for the vast majority of them, this lens excels. If your a pixel counter, then you might fret of this lens. Ive used it professionally and all my clients have been super pleased with the shots I produced on this lens. If you take this to a lab, it might not succeed at all points. If you take it to the real world, I guarantee you will be very pleased! 18mm is a really wide shot and I use it very frequently for video work. The lens to me excels at just about everything I throw at it. Yes, its a little pricey, but it is worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up today.

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I avoided buying a Nikon kit with several inferior lenses. Rather, I bought a body (Nikon 7100) and this lens separately. Im sure glad I did. For the most part I leave this lens on the camera, dont need to swap it with another or carry multiple lenses in a camera bag. Great. Its not too heavy, either. The 18-200mm range is great for most all my shooting. I like wide angle and would have liked something a bit wider than 18mm. However, as a walk-around zoom lens with good optics and reasonable price, I think this was a very wise choice.

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No, no, no. I photograph professionally, and I heard from some other photographers that this lens was not as sharp as Nikons 28-300 in the same line. I didnt listen; they were right. Do some identical setups with other lenses and youll find that this one is not sharp and crisp. Is it worth the savings (about $100 less)? Maybe for you, but not for me. I returned it and found the 28-300 which was not on Amazon, I suppose because it was sold out for a reason (hint: its a better lens). Thanks Amazon for the return, Nikon, you can do better.

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If you only want to carry one lens, and ditch your camera bag, this is the one to get. Theres a little bit of barrel distortion, but its easy to auto-correct in Lightroom or the photo editing software of your choice. Auto-focus is fast, even when zoomed all the way out. The build quality is much better than the kit lenses too. My 35mm F/1.8 lens is sharper, but this 18-200mm is so versatile, and the image quality is still good enough that it rarely leaves my camera. This might be the best travel lens made for any camera.

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