18-200mm
f/3.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR DX Zoom Nikkor
Editors
Note
If
you have been pondering owning an all-around convenient zoom
lens for your Nikon DSLR, you need to read this. The lens has
already been described as perfect for lightweight travel needs
but are there compromises? Are you wondering how convenient
it really is or how fast will it autofocus? These and other
pertinent questions are answered in this review.
Victor
F. Newman is a demanding pro sports photographer and moderator
of the Nikonians Sports Forum. As owner of a fantastic array
of Nikkor glass, from the 8mm fisheye to the 600 f/4D ED IF
AF-S, he is a die hard sharpness fan. Here he shares his conclusions
about this 11.11X zoom lens. Read on to learn why he decided
to buy one and always has it in his bag.
This
Nikon lens review first appeared in The
Nikonian eZine #30
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The
18-200mm lens |
Nikon
18-200mm AF-S VR DX Lens Review - Introduction
Advances
in lens design continue to astound me. This lens, which is designed
for DX-format digital SLRs, is a perfect example. Nikon has
packed the latest-generation Vibration Reduction, Silent-Wave
autofocus, ED glass, and aspheric elements into an 11.1:1 zoom
lens of very high optical performance. For Nikon to package
all these features into a lens of this caliber, and sell it
for $700-750 USD is quite a feat.
As
a “DX” lens, it is fully compatible only with digital
SLRs: The Nikon D1 and D2 series, Nikon
D50, D70,
D100
and D200.
AF-S (Silent-wave autofocus) is fully functional with these
cameras. VR (Vibration Reduction) is functional with all except
the Nikon
D50 while its built-in speedlight is recharging.
As
a “G” lens, it has no aperture ring, but will work correctly
on all digital SLRs.
Using
the lens on 35mm film bodies will result in significant vignetting
of the image, and AF-S, VR, and aperture control will not be
possible on several not recent models.
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First
Impression
Upon
taking the lens out of the box, the first thing I was
struck by is how small this lens is.
The lens is almost identical in size and appearance to
the Nikon 24-120mm.
To illustrate, click on the picture at right.
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The
Tale of the Tape
The
construction of this Nikkor lens appears to be similar to that
of equivalent lenses offered by third-party manufacturers. All
three current lenses (Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron) use some form
of low-dispersion/high refractive index glass, and aspherical
elements, which help account for the dramatic increase in image
quality since the inception of ultra-wide range zooms. The dimensions
and close-focus distance of all the lenses are close enough
to make the differences insignificant. The Sigma
and Tamron
are noticeably less expensive, but lack silent-wave autofocus
and (most importantly) Vibration Reduction.
| |
Nikkor
18-200mm
f/3.5-5.6 VR
|
Nikkor
24-120mm
f/3.5-5.6 VR |
Sigma
18-200mm
f/3.5-6.3
|
Tamron
18-200mm
f/3.5-6.3 |
| Groups/Elements
|
12/16
|
13/15
|
13/15
|
13/15 |
| Length |
3.8
in |
3.7
in |
3.1
in |
3.3
in |
| Maximum
diameter |
3
in |
3
in |
2.8
in |
2.9
in |
| Weight |
19.8
oz |
20.3
oz |
14.3
oz |
14.0
oz |
| f-stop
range |
f/3.5
~ f/22 |
f/3.5
~ f/22 |
f/3.5
~ f/22 |
f/3.5
~ f/22 |
| Zomm/focus
control |
Two-ring |
Two-ring |
Two-ring |
Two-ring |
| Minimum
focusing |
17.3
in |
19.7
in |
17.7
in |
17.7
in |
| Filter
size |
72mm |
72mm |
62mm |
62mm |
| Street
price when new* |
$
750 |
$
510 |
$370 |
$390 |
| *
USD as of February 2006 |
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| The
1.5 ft (44 cm) minimum focus distance equates to a reproduction
ratio of 1:4.5. While that's not exactly a macro lens, it's
suitable for many closeups as you can see by clicking to
image at right. Adding a supplementary closeup lens can
make this lens suitable for many purposes. |
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