Nikon 18-200VR. Anygood?

wilko

wilko

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Ian
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Looking to purchase one of these lenses to get me started on a d300s. are they any good?
 
Depends on your definition of 'good'? Good for not having to change lens for a variety of subjects then 'yes'. Good for taking sharp, non distorted images at all focal lengths then 'No'
 
Yes and no!

At times I would love one for convenience, being able to go wide or zoom right in just like that would be great for say trips to London. However it is not the sharpest of lenses, a prime would be much better or a f/2.8 zoom (say the Tamron 28-75) or even a 70-300 VR.

What are you planning to use it for?
 
Hi Wilko,

They are a good all rounder. Had mine for a little while now but tend to use my Siggy 24-70 as my main lens as it suits me better for the things I like to shoot (and is sharper).

Depends what you type of stuff you would be using it for really. It does suffer from a little bit of lens creep but is still a very nice lens.
 
Having had fast glass for a while now, I dont think I could evey go back to a 4.5-5.6 type lens. I dont shoot wide open a lot, with f4 being a favouite but it is nice to have if you need it!
 
It's a great travel lens. Whack it on and you don't need anything else, for travelling anywhere. The utter beauty is you can be shooting a landscape @ 18mm, then see a bird flying past and zoom right out to 200mm in an instant. I've lost count of the number of times I've done that, and would have missed loads of shots if I'd had to change lenses.

Of course there are some compromises: on a micro level there are sharper lenses, and theres a bit of complex barrel distortion @ 18mm. Nothing to get in a twist over IMHO, although your needs may differ.

The VR is superbly effective. I've had sharp shots @ 1/10s @ 200mm.

There's nothing quite like the 18-200VR. If you need a do-it-all solution for when you only want to carry one lens, this is it.
 
I love mine for taking away on holiday etc, it's been responsible for some great shots in its time. Macro capabilities on it are excellent too
 
I had one of these on my D200 for quite a while. They are a decent enough lens but they are clearly not going to be in 24-70 f2.8 territory or as good as a prime. To get the ability to zoom from 18mm right through to 200mm takes some doing and compromises have to be made. Saying that though it is a good lens and I was more than happy with the results at the time. If you are into pixel peeping etc then I am sure you can find fault but as a general lens they are great. Unfortunately it is a crop factor lens and so I had to replace it with the 24-70 and 80-200 when I got my D700 but Mrs_C is using it now on her D300.
 
DigitalDepot said:
Let me know when you are looking to purchase and ill see if i can do you a good deal.

Stuart
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I am looking to buy asap. I'm about to buy a d300s and the grip new for 1120 and want an all round lens for the moment. When I come back from my honeymoon, I'll treat myself to a 70-200 f2.8 vr lens. I have found a new 18-200 vr for 370 cash on collection
 
A decent all round lens for a holiday, or if you just don't want to take your lens of the camera, with a bit of PP you can get some nice sharp shots, i took these in Thailand with the D300 and 18-200mm on the front, so judge for yourself with sharpness ;)

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2 There was perspex in front of this one.
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Ayathuya-park-may-2008-2-re.jpg
 
wilko said:
I am looking to buy asap. I'm about to buy a d300s and the grip new for 1120 and want an all round lens for the moment. When I come back from my honeymoon, I'll treat myself to a 70-200 f2.8 vr lens. I have found a new 18-200 vr for 370 cash on collection
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That will be the older version then !
 
Great lens, but heavy at 20oz's!!! (600gr) and zoom creep can be a pain? But as a general purpose lens I found mine a pleasure. But the weight got to me in the end!!!!

I went to an old 18-70 I had gathering dusty in the cupboard . . . sharper, better colour dynamics and lighter, short on zoom . . . I use leg zoom!

Yes, super zooms have their place, but they are not the full answer, any more than a prime lens, it to, has its limitations in practical terms.

CJS
 
It depend what you want from it. If you want an A3 from a section of the image, forget it. If you want an A3 from the full image then it's not a bad lens. How many of us print bigger than A4 though?
 
TG. said:
A decent all round lens for a holiday, or if you just don't want to take your lens of the camera, with a bit of PP you can get some nice sharp shots, i took these in Thailand with the D300 and 18-200mm on the front, so judge for yourself with sharpness ;)
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Just wondering, for the landscape shots, any filters? Active D-lighting?
 
I recently purchased a VRII 18-200 - this has the zoom lock ring, and 'gold' VR lettering on the lens body. I thought the zoom creep was 'fixed' because I noticed slightly more resistance on zooming in than zooming out. But then I added the hood, and a filter (not much weight...) and noticed zoom creep. I'm not sure its that finely balanced - maybe I just hadn't noticed it before fitting the hood and filter.

Previously, I used an 18-70, which I was very pleased with, but the lack of zoom was an issue. I purchased the 18-200 as a not inexpensive compromise. Ideally, I'd have liked a 17-55, and the 70-300 VR, but funds did not allow. I'd also like a 12-24, or 10-20, so I'm feeling a little less than satisfied with this compromise lens. That said, it has allowed me to get shots that I'd have missed, especially around children, sports activities, etc. where time taken to change a lens would also mean a missed shot.

If I was traveling though, this would be the lens I'd want to take. Its not bad.
 
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