Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras - (New)

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Nikons 18-105mm zoom produces a very good image, but the rear plastic mount cant be relied on to hold the lens in place, safely, all the time. I use other Nikon lenses with plastic mounts(Nikkor 35mm f1.8 & the NIikkor 18-55mm vr II) but theyre smaller and weigh a lot less. If you do want this lens, just be extra vigilant with it. A better choice would be the Nikon 18-140mm zoom which has a metal mount and is slightly more versatile because the extra focal length it covers. .

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First, I have to say that when you come to the review part, the item may have been shipped from a completely different place as the reviewers before or after you, and used vs new, as well as different things included, etc. So I will review the product only. What I received, which may be different from what you ordered, is a used lens, with the two caps, and the hood. It works great. I bought a D3200, body only, and after a lot of review reading and browsing forums, this is the lens that I chose. Its a great step up from the kit lens, and its on the cheaper end, especially buying used. The VR is vibration reduction, and it works great for me so far. I havent had a chance to take very many shots yet, but I will share one or two photos I took with it. I am so glad I followed some advice and didnt buy a fancy bundle with my camera that had a kit lens and a bunch of other stuff. Its way cheaper this way and you get a great lens, which is to me, the most important part. All the other stuff you can grab later and get what you want instead of being forced into having extras you may never use that you paid for. Again, these were just quicky photos taken as I was slapping it all together. I havent used a good camera since college about 14 years ago, so bear with me on settings. This is without a tripod, and with a noticeable shake to my hand. Im really happy with this lens.

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Nikon makes (las time I looked) four lenses in the 18-xxx series, 18-55 / 18-105 / 18-140 / 18-200. All are functionally similar. The reviews Ive seen plus the DxO data base reports all to be nearly identical in optical performance except that the 18-105 is a smidgen better. Although significantly bulkier and heavier than the 18-55mm, it is much nicer to lug about than the 18-200 version. For me this one lense covers 80% of the focal range I use - it would be 90-95% if it were 16-105. This degree of utility may not apply to other people depending of the subject matter they like. There are times when I prefer a specific prime in the range covered but in most instances the prime does not have a significant advantage.

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This lens offers significant improvement over the standard Nikon 18-55mm kit lens in all regards including zoom range, sharpness, geometric distortion and color fringing, and tactile feel. It also produces some "wow" factor based on its larger size, especially with the Nikon tulip sun shade attached. The zoom range of 18 to 105mm covers about 95 percent of the range most avid hobbyists will ever need. The ideal portrait range falls right in the middle of the sweet spot of the zoom range. Across the entire 18-105 zoom range, this lens has noticeably more sharpness than the 18-55mm kit lens. There is less geometric distortion and less chromatic abberation as well, with low levels that are excellent for a kit lens. It is significantly better than the Canon 18-135 lens in the same price range. Even though its an F3.5 to 5.6, it stays open a bit wider through the same zoom range as compared to the 18-55 kit lens, which means at 24mm, this lens is at F3.8 instead of F4 for the 18-55. Images will be just a tad better in low light at similar zoom ranges as compared to the original 18-55mm kit lens. The lens has auto-focus and built in vibration reduction that works with all Nikon DSLR bodies, including the D40. The construction quality is on par for an upscale kit lens with a little tighter and better feel. The plastic mount fits snugly onto the camera body. The plastic mount does not seem to be a problem during normal use, and it certainly offers no loss of optical performance. Its more of a psychological problem than a real one unless youre prone to carelessly smashing your lens into solid objects. That said, if Nikon had spent the extra dollar on a metal mount, this would have been their best selling lens. For the price of this lens, Id say its Nikons best bang for the buck, especially from the point of view of optical quality.

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This is an amazing, clear and crisp lens. It is completely compatible with the Nikon D5100, and easily installed for initial (and all later) use. It provides a great balance between very close subjects and far (but not too far). The only downside to this lens is the size. Compared to my other lenses (55-200mm and 18-55mm), this 18-140mm lens is heavier and bulkier than the others. That being said, the image quality over the other two lenses (albeit 5 years old for the other two) is remarkable. Highly recommend!

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This is a great walk around lens with a lot of applications. When I bought my Nikon D7000, this was the lens that came with it and it was fantastic right up until I dropped it and it broke. I went to replace it on amazon right away. When I received it I noticed the new one is made in China as opposed to the old one which was manufactured in Thailand. Right away, you can feel a material difference. It feels lighter weight than my original, but the quality of pictures seem to be the same. It continues to be a great low light lens, which is one of my favorite things about it.

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I pretty much like this lens. I have been using in for about 3 months. I bought it as a single lens solution for a trip I was taking back east and did not want to carry 5 lenses with me. I do have a Sigma 18-200mm which I really like but its a non VR (OS). After some experimenting I see the real value in a VR type lens. The Nikon 18-105 also is in the zoom range of my flash and using TTL keeps things simple for me. The images with this lens on my D300s are really good. Some bad shots but they were like my fault (still learning the secrets of shooting with the D300s. I do agree with another review that the build on this lens is a little flimsy. My two main complaints (1) the focus ring is really easy to grab and easy to rotate. I am uncomfortabe with that cause of the warrning with the D300 as well as other Nikons about using manual focus when you are in Auto Focus Mode (IT COULD HARM THE AUTO FOCUS MOTOR). So maybe it should not be so easy to grab and turn. I guess the solution was the same I used to get to Carnegie Hall (practice, practice, practice). (2) The lens hood is really cheaply made and is hard to get on and off (funtionaly ok). Unlike my 18-55 kit lens shows no vignetting when wide open and the lens hood in place, so thats a good thing. It has become the lens I keep on the camera most of the time and covers about 90% of my shooting. I have not seen any practical degredation in my images in any portion of the zoom range and its close focus is usually good enough to get a little creative. Anyways,,, A good lens for the price for sure. So untill they build a lens mount on a turret so you can quickly change prime lenses. This lens is a practical solution for my needs.

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This lens does everything that the description promises. It served its purpose well for a trip through the Western national parks, without bogging us down in equipment. With that said, if you want the best wildlife shots possible, youll want a longer lens. For all-purpose shots, however, it works admirably and is not so bulky or heavy as to require an upgrade to our camera bag. If youre upgrading from the 55mm kit lens, this lens collects more light, and affects the exposure of shots. If you are used to exposure compensation one way from the past with the kit lens, youll have to adapt and learn some new strategies.

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This replaced one I dropped and broke. It works very well. My photos are of excellent quality. The auto focus is fast and is easy to remove and place on the camera body. It is a good standard lens as it can zoom in and also capture a wider scene. I use it for portrait and wedding photography.

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Its a nice lens and imho fairly underrated! Dont know why others dislike kit lenses, I have had great experience with them. Sure body is plastic and its not F/2.8, but with a tripod its a great landscape lens, and for the price I can do with the cheap body as long as the glass is good. I use it with a D7000 and D2X, it focuses fast, its fairly sharp. Maybe once I use a pro lens I will realize what I am missing, but for now this is what I can afford and it does the job well without breaking my bank.

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