Product Description

Nicon introduces compact and lightweight high-power zoom lens for Nikon digital SLRs, featuring enhanced Vibration Reduction.

Product Details

• Brand: Nikon
• Model: B000BY52NU
• Dimensions: 9.00" h x 6.00" w x 4.00" l, 1.50 pounds

Features

• High-ratio, 11x zoom lens and 18-200mm focal range
• VR II Vibration Reduction technology provides a four-steps-faster shutter speed
• Lens incorporates two ED glass and three aspheric lens elements
• Delivers high-resolution and contrast, outstanding image quality, and fantastic photographic versatility
• AF-S Silent Wave Motor provides fast quiet autofocusing, and M/A mode makes it easy to switch from auto to manual focus

From the Manufacturer
From the Manufacturer The 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens is a compact, lightweight, 11.1x zoom lens that is ideal for high-performance, everyday photography, and it incorporates advanced features such as Nikon's Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass, Silent Wave Motor technology (SWM), and Enhanced Vibration Reduction (VR II) in a DX-Nikkor design engineered exclusively for use with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras. With a remarkable 18-200mm focal length range (picture angle equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format), the lens conveniently covers everything from wide landscapes to tight portraits and action photography. Advanced Nikon engineering has lent the lens a compact, lightweight design that offers excellent handling characteristics and superb optical quality.

Beyond the lens's incredible optical versatility is the benefit of Enhanced VR II Vibration Reduction, an innovation that makes it possible to take substantially sharper handheld pictures at slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible. This provides the distinct advantage of being able to shoot more effectively in a much broader variety of challenging conditions. With the new Nikon VR II advantage, users can take pictures at shutter speeds as many as 4 stops slower than they ordinarily could shoot without the image-degrading blur associated with camera shake at slow shutter speeds. Nikon's VR technology further enhances picture-taking potential with a choice of two modes to match most shooting conditions. VR Normal Mode primarily compensates for camera shake, and includes automatic panning detection, as well as automatic tripod detection. VR Active Mode effectively compensates for vibration in situations where it is more pronounced and more frequent, such as when shooting from a moving vehicle.

To further ensure outstanding optical performance, the 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor features two Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and three complex aspherical lens elements that provide for higher resolution, high-contrast images while minimizing chromatic aberration, astigmatism, and other forms of distortion. The lens also features Nikon's compact Silent Wave Motor technology (SWM), which combines fast and precise autofocusing with super-quiet operation, as well as Internal Focusing (IF) construction that allows the lens to focus without changing its external size, improving balance and handling chrematistics.

All of Nikon's DX Nikkor lenses are engineered exclusively for use with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras, making the lens smaller and lighter while providing exceptional center-to-edge-to-corner image quality and overall optical performance.

Major features of the Nikon 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens:

• Offers a broad 18-200mm focal range (11.1x zoom) for use in a variety of situations (equivalent to a 27-300 mm lens in 35mm format); VR II Vibration Reduction system offers the practical equivalent of using a shutter speed 4 stops faster
• Two ED glass and three complex aspherical lens elements minimize chromatic aberration, astigmatism, and other forms of distortion while ensuring high resolution and contrast
• Incorporates a compact SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for quiet focusing. Delivers high-level optical performance that is specially designed for use with the Nikon digital SLRs
• Employs a seven-blade, rounded diaphragm opening that achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements
• Enables focusing from as close as 50 centimeters (20 inches) from the subject through its entire focal range
• M/A mode for rapid switching between autofocus and manual focus operation
• Internal Focusing (IF) design simplifies the use of circular polarizing filters
• Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) offers superb color reproduction while minimizing ghosting and flare
• Flower-shaped lens hood HB-35 (included) greatly reduces stray light, enhancing image quality

Customer Reviews

Groundbreaking lens
By now there are enough pro reviews out there for experienced shooters to read the handwriting on the wall. No, this is not a 17-35 and 70-200 wrapped into a tiny package. You can't have that for any amount of money. The 18-200VR is NOT meant to challenge the exotics like my 70-200VR or the 200-400VR. It's not even meant to take on a prime. It's designed to be the ultimate one lens solution when you don't want a bag full of heavy glass along for the ride. It features moderately fast (but not very) optics, vibration reduction and a lot of work to keep CA and distortion down. This it achieves with some success, but distortion is still obvious at 18mm. Distortion is sever enough at the wide end to require correction in post (easy to do), but this is NOT lens for those who shoot architecture professionally. This type of distortion is TYPICAL for a lens of this type.
I'm sorry, but those who have panned this lens either got a bad one (quite possible with early batch issues reported) or just don't understand what a walk-around lens is for. This is what we all hoped the 24-120 VR would be, but unlike that lens it gets much more done for just 200 dollars more. Anyone who says there are lenses like this for less...well where? No other superzoom is this sharp, has so little CA and throws in VR II as well...and in a small package!
Now...how good is it in the real world? VERY GOOD. It's a match for the sharp little 28-200G which means it's only a bit less sharp than the 70-200VR which costs twice as much. My first images with this lens were stunning, detailed and fairly sharp to the edges above F5. Close focus gives near macro results and again this lens is SHARP! Focus speed is quite fast of course, but I feel that the 18-70 kit lens is a hair quicker. You could shoot all day with this miracle and do it all without feeling like you need a giant lens. If, like me, you find yourself shooting mostly in the 35-200mm range on a DSLR, this lens makes a lot of sense. It also displayed deeper color saturation and contrast than either the 28-200G or 50mm 1.8. Did I mention that I'm impressed?
Build quality is good, but not great. It's hard to be impressed with any lens build when compared to the 70-200VR. The 18-200 zoom is a bit stiff, the manual focus a bit loose. I suspect Nikon dialed up the zoom stiffness due to early problems with lens creep early on. It's not creeping at all. The size of the lens is only a bit bigger than the kit lens, perhaps as bulky at the Tokina 12-24 if you have one of those.
VR II exceeds all expectations I was able to shoot sharp shots at 1.10th sec exposure. But remember this is NOT fast glass. A moving object in dim light will be blurred at such slow shutter speeds. Thus far this is an impressive effort from Nikon. Even an experienced shooter could find this lens on the camera most days and be happy. "Average" shooters will need nothing more because this lens is that good. The only areas for improvement given the real limits of optical design are in the build quality, which could be a bit better. In the end, even at 700 dollars plus, this lens is pretty hard to resist.
And no, this is not a "kit lens with VR." The kit lens only reaches to 70mm. The kit lens also can't do near macro work as this lens can. The kit lens is also not as sharp. And of course this lens has the latest version of VR that works superbly. There is simply no other lens like this on the market currently. Again, if you're thinking that this lens should be perfect and doesn't require compromises to achieve it's design goals, please do your homework before buying. If you need a zoom to cover this range at F2.8, with no distortion and small size please call Mr. Scott aboard the Starship Enterprise.
For those who question the sharpness of this lens, be aware that there are online tests showing it's even sharper at the corners than the legendary 17-35 2.8! Against my 70-200VR I see a SLIGHT sharpness advantage with the 70-200, but only visible with a 100% crop. Or to put things even more in perspective, this lens works nicely on a D200. Search the forums for yourself. Most D200 owners are reporting great sharpness even with pro bodies.
This lens is simply a ton of fun for people who like to take pictures

Not the "Perfect Lens", but close
I waited 6 weeks for mine to arrive and used it almost immediately at an airshow featuring the Blue Angels. I took about 3 gigibytes of pictures at that show. I used the lens with a D50 in sports mode to capture the fast moving planes. It was a great day with not a cloud in the sky. When I later looked at the pictures I was dismayed to see significant light fall off or vignetting on the shots taken at 200mm with the lens wide open at f5.6.

This light fall off is the most significant problem I have noticed with this lens. I contacted Nikon and they said it was normal. Since the lens is made for the smaller DX sensor the diameter of the lens is smaller. This causes mechanical shadowing at long zoom lengths with the lens at the wide open settings of f5.6 until about f11. All lenses have light fall off, to some degree, at the edges. When you use a regular lens made for 35mm with the smaller digital DX sensors the fall off is outside the sensor and not seen. The light fall off was especially noticable with the blue/uniform background. If the background was "busy" the falloff would be less noticable.

Vignetting/light fall off is also usually seen on the wide side of zooms like this. I have not seen any with this lens. I do use a Hoya Pro 1/2 thickness filter so that a shadow is not made when shooting wide angles of 18mm - 28mm or so. I saw a technical review of this lens that noted it had significant outer distortion on pictures taken at 18mm but I have not seen that.

Pros

-Light weight for range
-Large range
-Vibration Reduction
-Sharp, crisp pictures with vibrant colors
-Fast Focus with manual focus adjustment ring for fine tuning

Cons

-Light fall off at long telephoto settings and large f stops
-Vibration Reduction helps with handheld shots but does not stop subject motion in low light, you still need a fast lens for that
-High price and limited availability
-Might get light fall off at wide angles unless expensive 1/2
width filter is used
-Lens Creep (but most telephotos have this to some extent)

I have since used the lens to shoot the Special Olympics. The outside track and field photos are excellent. Inside shots where hit and miss with subject movement in low light being the biggest culprit (was shooting no flash at 1600 iso).

For about the same money you can get a Nikon or Sigma 2.8 lens that covers approx. 80-200mm. I have read several opinions that you will still have fewer bad pictures with the VR of this lens and I believe that is true. It is not a perfect lens, but it takes great pictures once you know its limitations.

One tip - If you get this lens, when you use it on a tripod turn VR off, it will actually cause your photos to be blurry.

UPDATE-Fall 2008 I have stopped using this lens and am instead using the Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras which has "Vibration Control" and a wider range going all the way out to 270mm. It focuses almost as fast and has a wider diameter hence the vignetting of the Nikon is gone. One last thing is that it has much less lens creep and even a lock at 18mm.

Best walkaround lens ever made.
My thoughts:
- It's sharp at the center at all apertures and at all focal lenghts, however it falls short on the edges ("sweet point" at f10 or f11, IMO)
- It's a very contrasty lens.
- The VR system works very very good (Im able to get steady handheld shots even at 1/1.3s)
- It's well-built, solid and reliable.
- The autofocus speed is very fast and accurate.
- does the lens creep? Yes, it does (sometimes) but I really dont mind it.
- The 11.1X zoom is unbeatable, better than any zoom ever made, and it's faster at long end than the Sigma or Tamron ones (f5.6 vs 6.3)
- It's a highly recommendend lens, no doubt on it.
- Some sample images at full resolution taken with D50 can be found on the link below:

http://www.pbase.com/afukuda/cusco_puno