Nikon lens 18-200
Out of context: Reply #5
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- mnmlst0
I bought this lens for my honeymoon because I didn't want something big and heavy to lug around. Also, i couldn't easily switch lenses on the go.
Here is the deal from an actual owner of many Nikon lenses. It is a great, sharp, compact lens as long as you understand what you are buying. Getting a lens with this kind of range obviously requires some compromises.
The good:
- very sharp
- shockingly compact for a 200mm. my 80-200 dwarfs it.
- the VR works VERY wellThe compromises (I don't say bad, because these are just the reality of any lens like this):
- variable and slow aperture. if you're in low light it's fine as long as your subject is not moving. That's where the VR makes the difference. However, if your subject is moving, forget about it. You could get a cheap 50mm 1.8 (130$) to supplement those situations. Don't be fooled by the price, the 50 1.8 is a great lens and it's very small and light.
- distortion. yes, any lens with this range is going to have distortion at the ends. In this case, the 18mm has a ton of barrel distortion. Nothing you can't fix in photoshop, but it's still there and very noticeable at the wide end.