Product description

Nikon 18-200MM F3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX

Price: £411.73 This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : Electronics
EAN : 0018208021598
Label : Nikon
Manufacturer : Nikon
Publisher : Nikon
Release date : 2008-02-07
Title : Nikon 18-200MM F3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX
Studio : Nikon
Brand : Nikon
Model : 2159
MPN : 2159
Package quantity : 1

Editorial reviews

Product Description
The Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED 11.1x zoom lens is designed for amateurs and professionals allike. The AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED adapts easily for use for landscape photography, weddings, wildlife, holidays and expeditions with a focal range of 27-300mm (equivalent to 24x36 mm) to avoid loading yourself with a host of different lenses. 2 glass ED lenses and 3 aspherical lenses minimise colour abberation, astigmatism and general distortion whilst maintaining high levels of contrast in any situation. The "Silent Wave" motor (SWM) makes the AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED focus quickly and quietly and includes a VR II vibration reduction function, the second generation of Nikon VR technology that will allow you to make the most of exposures that last up to 4 times longer (compared to 3 times for the VR system). Perfect for shooting in low light conditions. Flexible and advanced, the AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED will help you to make the most of the performance of your Nikon digital camera.

Manufacturer's Description
Nikon introduces compact and lightweight high-power zoom lens for Nikon digital SLRs, featuring enhanced Vibration Reduction.

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-08-14 rating:

Good All In One
Outclassed in my opinion by the new Tamron 28-300mm VC ( not as sharp, though autofocus works better ) but still a great all rounder that allows you to go out all day without carrying a bag full of lenses.

Recommended.

review by: weechancer date: 2008-08-07 rating:

Very impressive
I bought the Nikon D80 with a kit lens - could not afford the camera and this lens at the time. The lens is incredible - the VR function means that you can take pictures in low light conditions without a tripod and mated wth the D80, taking shots from boats and cars finally works. The huge focal range means that this lens is likely to remain a fixed item on the camera unless I'm doing specialist work. If you can afford it - buy it.

review by: Nikon Professional User date: 2008-06-20 rating:

Believe
When the shutter is open it is lens the does the work. So it is never an idea to skimp on investing in good lenses. It is hard to believe that a 11x zoom could be a good lens. But it is. Let me qualify that - it is a great lens for what it is designed for i.e. an ideal one-size-fits-all travel lens. It takes the place of at least two, possibly three lens in your camera bag.
Optically it is categorically not a top flight Nikon lens - for best results use software such as DXO in your work flow that can correct for the distortion and boost contrast. The long end is a little soft and there is visible chromatic aberration at the edges - all can be corrected in software. At the shortest end there is noticeable distortion - again correctable. It is surprising good for close up work!
Handling and build quality - again not top flight, but good enough. I don't like the flimsy, short hood but I use it - but watch out if you have a DSLR with built-in flash because it will mask some of the flash. It extends a long way out when zoomed out and feels a bit wobbly whilst its there - but the pictures seem okay. It will also creep under the effects of gravity if not locked at either end - again live with it or use a wide elastic band to hold it steady.
Utility - this is where it scores. If you are traveling it is an absolute boon. Just one lens to carry and it stays on the camera - which means no risk of sensor contamination in wild places.
Bonus - VRII - this makes up somewhat for the slow max aperture especially at the long end. My hand holding technique is pretty good (modest eh?) but useable handheld pictures at 1/6th of a second - read the EXIF and believe. Note however that VR is good for keeping the background steady - moving subjects still need fast shutter speeds to freeze motion - I would not recommend this lens for action sports.
Gripes- there will always be some - I would prefer it 0.5 stop faster across the range, I would like a zoom lock, I would like it to use 77mm rather than 72mm filters, I would prefer an internal zooming design. All that and it would probably cost three times what it does.
Conclusion - take into account the limitations, understand what this lens is good for. You will see a lot of hype on the Internet about this lens. How could a 11x zoom be that good? One answer - its a Nikon - believe!

review by: date: 2008-05-21 rating:

So good its....boring.
I've had this lens for about 6 months. It's really very good - 11 times zoom, no need to carry an 18-55 and 55-200 (or change between them), but somehow I've found that this isn't the point.

I've owned a Sigma 30mm 1.4 for about two months, and oddly, I've found that I'd miss the loss of that much more (and I don't have to guess, my Sigma is undergoing replacement due to a fault, and I miss it like cigarettes). Somehow the 18-200 helps you take pictures of all kinds of things, but without the lens ever having anything to say.

The aperture isn't that fast - so you don't get the creamy blur of a fast prime for beatiful and interesting portraits, it's not super-wide - so no enjoyable excentric landscapes. It's not super-long (200 isn't crazy). I had to own this lens to cover all of the bread and butter pictures, but ended up finding that they were just that. Having 'the bases covered' meant I could get something specific that I thought was a luxury I'd use less - a fixed 30mm which in theory should be far less flexible or useful - but found that it was that one that I'd then never want to take off my camera.

Because this lens doesn't have a particular aesthetic of it's own (it's really very neutral), it doesn't make you want to take shots like more specific lenses do.

All in all I'd still recommend it, but only to free yourself up to get something a bit more interesting.

review by: AMK date: 2008-05-21 rating:

Versatile, but needs a little help
the Nikkor 18-200 mm lens is a great lens for versatility. I travel a lot and like to travel as light as I can. However, with this lens comes a drawback, which is that it renders images somewhat soft...at all focal length points. I also have a Nikkor 150mm macro lens, which - in comparison - renders wonderfully sharp photos. Just before I was about to sell my 18-200mm, I played around with it as much as I could to see if perhaps I could get it to produce as sharp photos as my other lens. It was tough...but I finally landed on the magic formula...MANUAL FOCUS. Do not rely on the auto-focus for this lens. But, with manual focus, it works a charm. Keep the VR switched on and in ACTIVE mode, and all photos come out far more sharp than previously. I also must be one of the lucky ones because no distortion shows up in my photos at either extreme end of the lens, but still manual focus is the way to go.

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