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Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR DX
Introduction
When this lens was announced many people thought it would be just another of those amateur "do everything" lenses that promised the earth, but always failed to deliver in terms of sharpness from corner to corner, or wide open performance. In this case most of us were pleasantly surprised to learn that the promise to do everything has been kept and that we actually do have something close to a "do everything" lens that we can use on our DX Nikons.
This is another in the new generation of Nikons that provides both AF-S and VR.
Body, Finish & Ergonomics
This lens is typical of the modern polycarbonate designs that Nikon have been employing in recent years. It has a matt black finish which seems to be impervious to fingerprints - a very good thing for me since I live in a sub-tropical environment where sweat is usually the only thing that cools you down.
The lens is very well balanced on my D70 and with this combination I am able to travel light and get shots of just about everything. The zoom ring is bit lacklustre in smoothness and I find that my sample is prone to "zoom creep", meaning that when I point the camera down it zooms in by itself. It is very nice to be able to zoom in and out from 18mm to 200mm in less than a 180 degree twist of the zoom ring though!
The manual focus ring is nasty. It's very small and situated just in front of the switches that allow you to turn on manual or auto-focus, Vibration Reduction and its two modes. I don't find myself needing to focus this lens manually though as it seems to perform quite well in auto-focus mode (who'dathunkit?). On the issue of VR I have only one thing to say - it rocks! This is one piece of technology that camera makers have given us that really does make a huge difference to the quality of images that we take. The 18-200mm features VR II which is the second generation of VR offering a claimed 4 stops slower shooting speed for hand-held photography.
The lens extends quite substantially when fully zoomed in at 200mm. I dont have the actual measurements, but to my eye I'd say it almost doubles in barrel length. Fortunately the focussing is internal, so the front element doesn't rotate when you engage focus. The front filter size is 72mm and the supplied lens hood (HB-35) is a bayonet, scalloped type.
Performance
This is the area where despite the lens' amateur appeal, one gets exceptional performance. The 18-70mm DX Nikkor has become well famed for its ability to produce sharp, well saturated images. The 18-200mm takes it several steps beyond with the added zoom range and Vibration Reduction. The images are pretty sharp and I find the background on large apertures to be quite pleasing, unlike the bokeh typical of an 11x zoom.
If you are looking for a "do everything" type of lens I believe you will be very happy with what Nikon has given us in the 18-200mm VR.
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What do our members think of this lens?
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 Re: Opinions: 18-200mm VR
1: October 21, 2007, 12:17:06 AM by JerryHWhen I first got it, I was very impressed and really liked it. Then I started to get some other (better/faster) lenses and it put into perspective this lens for me.
- It really is a good lens, but not an excellent one and that defines it's picture quality too... very good, but not excellent.
- VE makes strange clicking sound 1 second after the shutter is released... an eye-brow raiser until you figure it out.
- Compared to several Sigma HSM lenses I also own, it focuses slower, but the speed is more than acceptable.
It's greatest asset is versatility. 18-200 as a carry-'round lens is fantastic and very hard to beat becuase of that range. It hunts some in low light up in the extremes of very close or far and I wish it was faster (like perhaps a F/2.8-4), it would then be near perfect.
If a beginner to intermediate digital photographer had to be limited to one and only one DX lens on their Nikon digital, this is the one I would point them to, and it would be the one that would give them 90% of what they needed to get the job done. Once they start to get serious about photography, or they, like me, start to relaize the need for faster glass, will start to look to add to their collection.
I still use it a lot, and enjoy it very much... but having the choice of other prime and telephoto lenses in my backpack adds to the experience. If hard pressed to offer a rating, I would give it a 7/10. Thats pretty good!
(and that brings me to the end of my first post here... hi folks!)
Re: Opinions: 18-200mm VR
2: October 23, 2007, 03:33:22 PM by JayKayThe 18-200 is a good, but not great lens. Sharpness is OK, but not in the same class as the pro lenses. Colour and contrast is good. Lens creep is a problem as is the easy to lose lens hood.
The lens is very versatile, but a bit expensive. I am using this as my walkabout lens attched to my D50. It is a compact package and is quite unobtrusive.
Re: Opinions: 18-200mm VR
3: October 23, 2007, 05:03:06 PM by tedbareBest walk-around lens on the market. Not a pro lens but on occasion can produce pro-quality results. Focuses as close as 12 inches which is fantastic. Lens creep can be a pain.
Re: Opinions: 18-200mm VR
4: October 24, 2007, 04:59:17 AM by JerryHLens creep can be a pain.
Agreed, but only if you are shooting directly down and have only one hand free to hold the camera. That has to be some very unusual and rare circumstances. A quick example that I can think of is trying to shoot directly downwards while at the top of a 45 foot mast of a sailing ship. The lens creep in that instance was solved with a 3" strip of duct tape to hold the lens in place as he took the pictures with one hand and held on to the mast with the other. At 45-50 degrees mine has no lens creep at all even after 45 minutes of holding it at those angles in the 75-100mm range (ie: on a tripod pointing down taking pics of perhaps 70-80 articles for insurance purposes).
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
5: November 03, 2007, 08:46:54 AM by DallasI got this lens after having used the 70-200mm VR for a couple of years. Obviously at first it wasn't in the same league as the 70-200mm, but there is something about the look of photos with this lens that grabs my attention right away. I love the bokeh and I find it really good company on my D70 as a walk about camera.
VR really makes a BIG difference when using this lens handheld. The lens creep only seems to happen for me when the lens is positioned after 24mm. Overall the pros outweigh the cons (not too many of them) and this lens is now one of my favourites. Highly recommended for those who want a "do-all" travel lens.
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
6: November 03, 2007, 12:52:23 PM by nfotoYou do get what you pay for. It's the proverbial jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none item. Preovided you understand its limitations, it will serve you well. VR adds to the versatility and in optical terms, the lens delivers quite good results, although the long end tends to soften more unless you stop down to f/11 or so. A nice lens when you need to travel with the minimum of gear. That it sells like hot-cakes comes as no surprise, although I must admit I have resisted the temptation to acquire one for myself.
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
7: November 12, 2007, 12:36:46 PM by LilleGI have to echo Bjørn's comment...with one exception. I jumped on it as soon as my dealer could get one, which was earlier than most. A lovely and smart man who ordered it as the kit lens for an order of D200s, figuring he could split them up. He did and I've been happily carrying this one since March '06.
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
I've had this since it first came out and have not regretted it. It is a bit soft at the long end so it needs stopping down a bit. But I took it to Cuba soon after and it was perfect in the bright conditions there. The ability to go from wide angle to tele at the flick of your wrist is great when you walk around a town and do grab shots of situations and people.
In the film days I used to carry 2 bodies with different lenses to be able to do this, and now with digital and dust I still try to avoid changing lenses as much as possible. With a D3 on the way I won't use it anymore, but maybe I should keep my D200 just for that.
Anyway I do agree optically it is not fantastic, but I'm happy to live with the compromise, and in fact at the short and mid range once you stop it down enough it is no worse than some of the pro-glass. OK you can't do those nice shallow DOF shots, but if it could it would be a brute of a lens with a price and weight to match. The perfect travel/backpack solution for most people, I feel.
R
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
9: December 28, 2007, 11:45:03 PM by InukshukI've had this lens since June 07 and love it. 94% of my shots with it are keepers. But as mentioned this is an all around lens. So we cannot compare it with primes. It's not made for low light. You want to go somewhere with versatility no hassle, then this is the one to get. If I'm doing something specialized then I grab something else.
Now for this type of lens I give it a 4 or 5, but if this poll included other lens like primes etc I wouldn't give it that, but compared to other similar lens it rocks.
Re: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
10: January 03, 2008, 01:10:48 AM by ClogstonExcellent walk around lens but not what I pick up when I want to do serious photography. Not sure what I'm going to do with it when I get my D3. I've had since its introduction. It has lived up to expectations, but only expected to use as a walking around lens.
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Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR