NIKON 18-200MM F3.5-5.6G VR(2159)

Technical Details

-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
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 "Convenient lens with flaws and very poor quality" 2010-06-16
By Mister Denial (Luxembourg)
The 18-200 is a very convenient lens, as it replaces several standard zooms all-in-one and thus keeps photographers from having to lug tons of gear with them, or to interrupt a studio session to change lenses every 10 minutes. But beware, there are some serious flaws hiding under the hood, including a pretty bad one - the Nikon customer service (or lack thereof).

PROS:
The image quality is decent, not outstanding, but not bad either, especially if you use spot metering and apertures around F11. And at a fairly reasonable price, there are a few arguments in favor of this lens:
- one single lens for all types of photo situations and motives
- image stabilizer (VR)
- fair graphic quality

CONS:
The auto-focus is not exactly fast on this lens, it keeps hunting a lot, even in good light conditions. The lens feels like a plastic toy when you handle it, which wouldn't be too bad it that wasn't a tell-tale sign of the poor quality of manufacture. Mine broke after just a year and a half, without any apparent reason. It did not drop, wasn't subjected to harsh weather conditions or heat (which can cause the glue that holds the plastic lenses inside in place to dissolve), it just suddenly stopped focusing in the hyperfocal range when zooming beyond 50mm.

And tough luck, Nikon's worldwide guarantee only covers this lens for one year if you live in Europe, not 5 years like advertised (which is only in the US). So because of this, I had to cover the repair costs myself, which so far amount to 150 Euros. Which wouldn't be so bad, if Nikon's repair service would not charge me an additional 50 Euros just for shipping the lens back. That's about 5-6 times the sum UPS charged me for sending the parcel to Nikon, same distance, same route. WTF!?! So in addition to being rude and haughty on the phone when you call support (because the lens you bought half and a year ago already died on you and you are somewhat upset at this very short lifespan), they rip you off on transport costs. I felt very poorly treated by Nikon service staff, not like a valued customer at all. More like a petty nuisance.

In addition to the poor longevity of the lens and the even worse customer service, the lens has other flaws, like the often mentioned lens-creep when shooting downwards, as well as sucking dust into your camera body. When zooming in and out with the 18-200mm, the lens creates a vacuum that sucks dust from the outside in, straight onto the mirror and sensor. I never had to clean my camera body as often as since I've had this lens. If you remove the lens rear cap and hold the lens in the hollow of your hand and then zoom in and out, you can feel the draft of air.

So, to sum up:
- short longevity
- only one year warranty for Europeans
- rude service staff
- expensive shipping for repair
- lens-creep
- slow auto-focus
- sucks in dust

If I hadn't run into these massive issues with the Nikon customer service, I would have given this lens a 4 star rating, but the way Nikon (in this case Nikon France) treats its customers is more than disappointing. Especially when you expect to buy quality, and your gear gives up on you in less than two years. And also, come on, one year warranty? Ridiculous!

I would certainly NOT recommend this lens to anyone because of these points. And the way Nikon customer service treated me certainly made me seriously think about switching to Canon when time has come to buy a new camera. And until then, whatever my next lens will be, it's NOT going to be a Nikon.


 "Great price!" 2010-05-12
By E. Meyer (Chesterfield, MI)
Very hard to come by. They can't be made fast enough! Excellent product. Works as expected.


 "Shoddy workmanship" 2010-03-01
By W. Jones (San Diego, CA)
When I bought this lens I noticed that it was made in Thailand. That should have been my first clue. Like all the "newer" Nikkors it is made with a lot of plastic. After one month of shooting (about 2000 actuations) on an assignment in Japan the zoom stopped working smoothly, then stopped working at all. It also will not stop up or down. I have a lot of other Nikkor lenses that are much more solidly made, but some of them can only be used in the manual mode on my digital cameras. I'm sending it to Nikon's repair facility tomorrow and we'll see what happens. Hopefully they will repair it quickly. It's more than annoying to spend almost $1000 on a lens that fails. This is the first Nikkor lens I have had in 26 years of shooting that has given me any sort of trouble. I guess I was do.


 "Zoom is a little loose" 2010-02-09
By Bri (Colorado)
When pointing straight, this lens is a fantastic zoom. It's good with focusing and is relatively quick. Nikon's VR technology is also really good. The only complaint I have is that when I point up or down the lens will start expanding or pulling back on its own based on the gravitational force. I expected to be able to set this lens to a certain barrel length and have it stay there until I changed it.


 "Great for beginners and if you only had one lens" 2010-01-21
By G. Tiu
When I first started with DSLR photography I was stoked about this lens

I got it and could not be happier. 18-200mm fast, take it with me everywhere. It sat on my D40 then my D200

Then as a photographer I began to grow. I wanted faster lenses, Prime lenses, etc. Since then this lens has sat in my bag
I got a feel for how I like my pictures to be taken and what I needed was something faster. If i wanted zoom I wanted something further.

Also since i will be moving up to the FX body soon this lens will be useless since it is a DX lens.

As a customer decide if what you plan on doing is moving up in photography and taking it to another level,
or being happy with prosumer DSLRs with DX lenses.

If it is the latter, get this lens
Otherwise invest in fx lenses that will grow with you and this expensive hobby


Read more Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

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