[EINSER M]

Cannot wait for the baby D90 to come out EOM the D5000 from Nikon. Being just a regular photoshooter, i thnk itll be a home run for most people like me. I am looking for a versatile lens, namely the 18-200mm from Nikon.
Anyone here has good experience with it, from the reviews it's extremely versatile with little minor flaws that wont matter for amateur shooting like me.

[solefald]

Great lens, but a little expensive... Still trying to justify buying one....

[forza1976]

Guys this is a great lens, definitely drop the cash and you won't be disappointed. Awesome range from just one lens. Wish it would work on my nikon, I would be able to eliminate a couple lenses in my bag...

[EINSER M]

ok i think ive read enough reviews that said it was a great lens, ill be getting it!

[solefald]

Originally Posted by kirkx5m

ok i think ive read enough reviews that said it was a great lens, ill be getting it!

oh, its definitely a great lens! Ken Rockwell did a review on it, and he practically jizzed all over this thing while reviewing it

But for a complete professional review of it, check out DP Review.
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/...p6_vr_afs_n15/

Overall conclusion

Just occasionally, the old cliches are still the best, and with the 18-200mm VR the phrase 'jack of all trades, master of none' springs immediately to mind. It's a lens which delivers somewhat flawed results over its entire zoom range; where it's sharp, it has heavy distortion, and when that distortion comes under control at the long end, it loses sharpness. Its close-up performance is reasonable, but not spectacular, and overall it will likely be outperformed optically by a cheaper combination of standard and telephoto zooms. So for a certain type of photographer interested mainly in absolute image quality, this may well cause it to be regarded as nothing more than an expensive snapshot lens.

But to dismiss the 18-200mm VR based purely on its optical quality is to miss the point quite fundamentally. The whole idea of such a lens is to allow the photographer to travel light and never miss a shot while changing lenses, or indeed not to have to risk water or dust entering the camera in adverse conditions. So what you do get for your money is a hugely flexible zoom range which can handle the vast majority of photographic opportunities, coupled with excellent autofocus and vibration reduction systems. And all of this is wrapped up in a relatively compact package, with build quality which feels solid without being excessively heavy. It really is a lens you can leave on your camera all day long and scarcely miss a shot, and it has to be said, this makes it a lot of fun to use.

So when all is said and done, we have to understand that superzooms are essentially about making some optical compromises to provide the broadest possible range in a single lens, and it's up to each individual to decide whether those compromises are acceptable. I wouldn't recommend the 18-200mm to someone whose primary interests were either architecture or wildlife, for example, but for the photographer who wants to shoot a little bit of everything and not have to change lenses, it's more than fit for purpose. Ultimately this is probably as good a superzoom as money can buy, so as long as its limitations are recognised and understood, it has to be recommended.

All that said, this lens is amazing and does its job pretty well, while making your life a little easier and a camera bar a little lighter

[forza1976]

Originally Posted by kirkx5m

ok i think ive read enough reviews that said it was a great lens, ill be getting it!

Good move buddy.

[Inspired]

I am also saving up for it on my d90.

Heard only good comments about it.

I came from a 55-200 and 18-55 VR. Highly not recommended. It was a PIA to change lens all the time. Especially when you are in a rush to take something wide and then next scene you want to zoom in

[Vudoo4u2]

never quote ken rockwell again, no im not a nikon hater

you cant quote a man who refuses to compare raw images, and only compares jpg and bases his quality comparisons off of those files..thats not a camera/lens review, thats a processing review

[rodi]

Originally Posted by Vudoo4u2

never quote ken rockwell again

it just needed to be said again.

[jlaw]

Rockwell aside, I have this lens on my D90 and I love the versatility. Yeah there are a few tradeoffs, but to me it's well worth it.

[EINSER M]

Originally Posted by jlaw

Rockwell aside, I have this lens on my D90 and I love the versatility. Yeah there are a few tradeoffs, but to me it's well worth it.

for those who already have the lens can u post pics taken w/ it here?

[forza1976]

Originally Posted by kirkx5m

for those who already have the lens can u post pics taken w/ it here?

Go here (Flickr 18-200 group)

http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikon_18-200_vr/

[Teshi]

I shoot Canon and this is one lens even I envy. It had Canon, Sigma and Tamron trumped for quite some time. IQ is glorious for the range it covers and the others are pretty hard to beat.

If you are not planning any serious tography and want one of Nikon's greatest walkaround lenses, this I would have to say is the one to go for.

[solefald]

Originally Posted by Vudoo4u2

never quote ken rockwell again, no im not a nikon hater

you cant quote a man who refuses to compare raw images, and only compares jpg and bases his quality comparisons off of those files..thats not a camera/lens review, thats a processing review

I don't. that quote is from DR Review. The line about Ken Rockwell was a joke.
The guy just loves anything Nikon and he will give it positive reviews. Nothing is wrong with that, as long as he likes it. But yes, i know that you can't really use his reviews for a purchasing decision. However, when you start looking for reviews, his site comes on top. If he is not the king of cameras, he is certainly the king of SEO. Search Engine Optimization

[LaYzEe]

Originally Posted by kirkx5m

for those who already have the lens can u post pics taken w/ it here?

unedited:

iso 200
white bal auto
shutter 1/800
aperture F5.6
focal length 200mm

[Vudoo4u2]

Originally Posted by solefald

I don't. that quote is from DR Review. The line about Ken Rockwell was a joke.
The guy just loves anything Nikon and he will give it positive reviews. Nothing is wrong with that, as long as he likes it. But yes, i know that you can't really use his reviews for a purchasing decision. However, when you start looking for reviews, his site comes on top. If he is not the king of cameras, he is certainly the king of SEO. Search Engine Optimization

I know, not trying to flame you ..just haddd to say something, used to have a friend who would try to shove those reviews down my throat as gospel for nikon...but refused to acknowledge the fact that the guy wont use raw vs raw comparisons (which will actually show you the difference in the sensor iso performance etc)

i think canon and nikon have some fantastic products, when you reach a certain level for each product, both manufacturers have great choices in both lenses and bodies. It just comes down to personal preference once you pick a price range/quality range you are looking for. I think the only glaring difference in the lines currently is the 5dmkii vs the d700, with the two cameras sharing very similar performance through many facets, but the d700 being half the resolution. (which I admit, you may not need the resolution, im just saying, for two cams in the same rough price range...it shouldnt be a 2:1 ratio of pixels imo)...but im sure nikon is aware of that, and the quality of images on the d700 are superb. It really amazingly will come down to the ergonomics, and the menus once you pick a range you are looking @. And to me, thats personal.

[forza1976]

Wow, a thread about a lens and it turns into a competition. Who cares about others opinions.

OP, hope you find what you need. The 18-200 should serve you well.

[Vudoo4u2]

Originally Posted by forza1976

Wow, a thread about a lens and it turns into a competition. Who cares about others opinions.

OP, hope you find what you need. The 18-200 should serve you well.

competition?

[Zeiss]

Great lens...

[SpecC]

it's the only lens i've got on my D200 right now. here's some of my best pics. It's a pretty good all purpose lens, but I'd like a step up in specialized properties now.

[sandyeggo325i]

okay so i'm a rookie slr'er and had the 18-55/55-200 combo and hated it with a passion. returned the thing to costco and bought the d90 w/ the tamron 18-270 at first...little less expensive than the nikkor 18-200, more range...

took it out for a few hours and HATED the "stick" that the tamron had when you zoomed...traded the mother in and got the nikkor 18-200 and absolutely freaking love it. i'm on day 2 of having it and am glad i paid the extra cash for it...

[sandyeggo325i]

oh yeah!! 18-200 at work at the san diego zoo today...

mind you this is behind like 4" of glass, but look at the "detail"