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

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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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this is a great lens, i am impressed with it thew at 18mm thew 200 mm and everything inbetween it takes much sharper photos than the kit lens that came with my D5300. i have seen good reviews and bad reviews of this lens but i cant say anything bad about it. besides the fact that its a bit big and a little heavy ( but what do you expect for a lens like this ) i have no complaints. its probably one of the nicer lenses i have used, basically i am using this lens only, unless i am shooting at night and do not have a tripod, in that case ill use my 35mm f1.8 lens it lets in enough light that i can shoot at night and hold the camera in my hand using a fast shutter speed, or if i know i will not need a zoom and i want a smaller lens on the camera ill throw that on but for the most part i think this lens will be on the camera 90% of the time. the 70-300 mm lens is probably a bit better for IQ and has more zoom which comes in handy but its really nice to have one lens that will do for almost everything and not need to changes lenses if i want a wider angle or a zoom. the 18-200 has great IQ IMO.

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I just purchased this lens for the 2nd time as I dropped my camera and destroyed my first 18-200. I have used the 18-200 VR II for several years. Its true its not as sharp as a prime lens but its more than adequate for the work that I do. This lens rarely ever leaves the body. I really like being able to work close while taking in a wide view at the 18mm end of the lens.

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Great all-around lens. Lots of people like to pick at these superzooms but they do the job for 99.9% of the people 99.9% of the time. And for that other .1% you can rent the $2000 glass you need. Ive had multiple calendar images and magazine covers from images Ive shot on fishing boats in Alaska, where changing lenses can be undesirable due to the probability of getting water inside the camera. No one ever said, "Oh my god, Im sure that image was taken with a superzoom. We cant possibly use it!!" Might be different for wedding or product photography, I wouldnt know. :-)

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