Nikon DX VR Lens advice needed please

mummygina

mummygina

Messages
123
Edit My Images
No
I currently own a D40x with a 18-55mm kit lens, and a 18-135mm lens. I'm not entirely happy with the 18-135mm lens, and as its my 30th birthday next week, hubby has told me that he'll buy me a new lens yippee!!

I've always liked the look of the 18-200mm VR lens, as i dont like the idea of changing lenses all the time, but i'm also considering the 70-300mm VR lens.

The subjects i mostly photograph is my family, some landscapes and portraiture.

for all of those in the know, which in your honest opinion is the better lens? i'm not entirely happy with the 18-135mm as i find it not as sharp as the kit lens.

I can get the 18-200mm VR lens for about £380 if i part ex my kit and 18-135mm lens....is that a good deal??

all opinions and advice will be greatly appreciated
 
Hi MG - from the kind of photography you like I'd definitely go for the 18-200, no question. I've got the 70-300 VR which is superb for wildlife but too limited close up.
The 18-200 can be bought new for under £450 now, so you'd only be getting £70 for your other lenses, which doesn't seem like a great deal to me; I'd avoid the part ex personally & sell the others privately.
Hope that helps!
 
It's a bugger of a choice really isnt it - I still havent decided between a 55-200mm VR, the 70-300mm or the 18-200mm. The 18-200 is really tempting just from a 'single lens to carry' point of view.
 
thanks for your opinion Phil......i just noticed on the shops site (that i hope to buy from), that their instore and online prices differ immensely. Instore they have it at £525 whereas online its £479.99. thats £45 difference, which means that effectively they are gonna get approx £300 worth of lenses which are like brand new, for under £100. gonna call them now and see if they will price match the lens the price online, and how much they will take off for the lenses now. they said that they'd pay £150 for the two lenses, so effectively i should now get charged £330. i'd be happy with that LOL
 
I've got both of these lenses and I'd say the 18-200 vr is the most flexible, you'll find the 70-300 vr just isnt wide enough, especially if its your only lens - it's good as a long reach lens, Im very happy with mine.
look at the price of second hand examples on the famous auction site, you'll also find that you'll be able to sell the kit and the 18-135 lenses for a reasonable price and put the proceeds towards the used 18-200mm - it should end up costing you very little in the end.
 
hi i recently bought a 55-200mm VR for £150 ish brand new on e bay and im well happy with it
from a good seller called emilyandlily
item number was 180153449486
may not be exactly what you want but look at the price
well packaged too i thinkit retails for £250
i did find it for £200 in l.c.e though
might be worth a look, would go well with the kit lens your happy with as well
good luck
 
Thumbs up from me on the 18-200 VR. There's barrel distortion at wide angle but for me that's outweighed by the convenience of the zoom range. I now just tend to take that plus one other lens (usually the Nikkor 12-24)
 
think i'm gonna go for the 18-200 VR lens.....i think to me it will be the ultimate lens.
 
mummygina said:
think i'm gonna go for the 18-200 VR lens.....i think to me it will be the ultimate lens.
Click to expand...
Good choice.
I've just sold my 18-135mm to do the same.

If you study all the reviews I think you'll find that the 18-200VR is considered a far superior lens to the 70-300VR.
Thom Hogan is just one such reviewer.
 
Skypilot said:
If you study all the reviews I think you'll find that the 18-200VR is considered a far superior lens to the 70-300VR.
Thom Hogan is just one such reviewer.
Click to expand...

Hmmm bit of a sweeping statement there - I used to have an 18-200mmVR and now own a 70-300mmVR and imho you are comparing apples & oranges here - The 18-200mm is a "one lens" solution and as such is a beauty - But it does compromise especially at the 18mm end as photozone verdict put it
Weak points are rather hefty distortions and high vignetting (@ f/3.5) at 18mm. Apart from a few weak spots the resolution figures are quite good though and it is possible to get very decent images from this lens under field conditions. The VR can surely help to save the day in situations where similar zooms must fail utterly The build quality is a little soso for a lens in this price class and probably the biggest disappointment. All in all the Nikkor is a highly interesting lens but not without flaws (hardly surprising for a 11x zoom).
Click to expand...
Despite its allround abilities I found 200mm was just not enough reach for my needs (zoo trips / walks along the canal etc) - the extra reach is a real boon here - photozone verdict says
The Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED VR may not be the Über-lens everybody was hoping for (nor was that realistic) but it is still a very good lens. At 70mm the results are nothing short of stellar and still easily on a very good level at 200mm. At 300mm there´s a performance penalty specifically at the image borders @ f/5.6. Stopping down to f/8 helps to overcome most of the problems but unfortunately there´s also a quite pronounced but still correctable degree of yellow/blue (lateral) CA. Distortions and vignetting are basically non-issues throughout the range. The build quality is pretty decent and about in line this Nikon's recent medium grade zoom lenses. The AF is quite fast and almost silent and unlike most lenses in this league the front-element does not rotate during focusing nor zooming. The pricing of the lens may be relatively steep in absolute terms but price/performance-wise it remains a harmonious package
Click to expand...
So I prefer to have (at least) three lenses: a super wide angle lens / kit lens / zoom lens - If you don't want or need more than 18mm or 200mm then the 18-200mm is a cracker it's just not the choice for everyone ... Paul ;)
 
Hi Paul - I always respect your views. You have given me a lot of help on another site and never steered me wrong.
I wasn't knocking the 70-300 outright.
Mummygina was looking for a one lens solution to use as a walkabout lens and with that restriction I felt the 18-200 to be the obvious choice.
The extended range from 200-300 of the 70-300 would not be as useful imho as the more frequently used 18-70 range.
Also, the longer end of the 70-300 is where it is considered to be at its weakest.

In my gear I have the 17-55mm and the 70-200VR (and TC-14II) and so have 17-280 covered in regard to quality glass but with the obvious downside of the weight.
I'm looking for a one lens solution to use as an everyday walkabout lens with a bit more length and quality than my 18-135mm (heavy distortion throughout the range) and, the more I read up, the more the 18-200mm seemed the clear winner.


Steve
 
Yay!!!! I got my 18-200mm VR lens......i part ex'd my 18-55mm and 18-135mm lenses and got the 18-200mm VR lens-i'm so happy LOL. The only downside is i can use it til Tuesday (my 30th Birthday!). thanks for everyones advice!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top