If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below. Get more information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
Photo Zone
Regarding some glowing reviews available on the web the expectation were rather high. Unfortunately the (tested sample of the) Nikkor AF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED VR II DX wasn’t able to convince completely. Weak points are rather hefty distortions and high vignetting (@ f/3.5) at 18mm. Apart from a few weak spots the resolution figures are quite good though and it is possible to get very decent images from this lens under field conditions. The VR can surely help to save the day in situations where similar zooms must fail utterly The build quality is a little soso for a lens in this price class and probably the biggest disappointment. All in all the Nikkor is a highly interesting lens but not without flaws (hardly surprising for a 11x zoom). … READ FULL REVIEW
Other Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Reviews
SLR Gear
The Nikon 18-200 has somewhat soft corners at maximum aperture and medium focal lengths and somewhat high geometric distortion across a range of focal lengths. The good news is that the center of the frame is generally pretty sharp, the corner softness improves rapidly as you move away from the corners, and stopping down by one or two f-stops significantly improves corner sharpness. Center sharpness when stopped down to f/8 is excellent at shorter focal lengths, but the image as a whole softens slightly at focal lengths of 100mm and above. At the end of the day, the third-party competitors to the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR are a fair bit less expensive, but lack Nikon’s excellent vibration reduction technology. This is an important feature, particularly with lenses having smaller maximum apertures that will more often force you to use slower shutter speeds. … READ FULL REVIEW
Photo Review
The new AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens is the largest, heaviest and costliest of the three 18-200mm DSLR zooms we’ve reviewed in issues 25, 26 and 27. Although it can only be used on Nikon DSLR cameras – where it provides an 11.1x zoom ratio and covers a focal length range equivalent to 27-300mm in 35mm format – it has some distinguishing features that justify its relatively high price tag. … READ FULL REVIEW
Camera Labs
The Nikkor DX 18-200mm VR is one of the most popular lenses on the market today … It delivers a highly flexible 27-300mm equivalent range (on DX-format DSLRs), Thereby covering wide angle to respectable telephoto without having to carry two lenses … The DX 18-200mm VR is however relatively expensive compared to simply complementing an existing general-purpose lens with a telephoto zoom – it comes in around 50% more than the 70-300mm VR and costs almost three times the price of the DX 55-200mm VR. If you can afford it and are happy with a maximum focal length of 200mm though, the DX 18-200mm VR is one of the best all-round lenses you’ll ever use – and a great reason for choosing the Nikon system in the first place. But if you’re just after something which complements rather than replaces an existing lens, go for a telephoto zoom instead. … READ FULL REVIEW
Digital Photography Review
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. … But to dismiss the 18-200mm VR based purely on its optical quality is to miss the point … The whole idea of such a lens is to allow the photographer to travel light and never miss a shot while changing lenses … 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. … READ FULL REVIEW
Thom.com
The big issue is that at 200mm this is an f/5.6 lens, which means that autofocus in low light can be compromised slightly. Still, not a big issue, though a negative one. At the wide end, a bit of wave distortion is added to barrel; at most of the focal range, there’s enough pincushion distortion to just be visible. Build quality doesn’t exceed the price point. I always worry about that slightly wobbly extension at 200mm–I’m not sure the lens would survive even a mild drop fully extended. And the zoom ring is rough on my sample (but apparently loose on some others). Super optics. Really, no significant flaws worth mentioning. Considering the price and the long focal range, superb performance. … Considering the close focus ability, this lens really is going to suffice for 80%+ of the shots most folk take, at least if you don’t need an f/2.8 or faster aperture. … READ FULL REVIEW
Pop Photo
Optically, this lens is the best superzoom we’ve seen, though it’s not compatible with Nikon teleconverters, extension rings, or coupled macro bellows. It also costs about $300 more than third-party digital-only glass. But are extremely rugged construction, unusually well-controlled distortion, and four extra handholdable speeds worth the extra bucks? That, and more. … READ FULL REVIEW
Ken Rockwell
It’s a miracle! I bought mine in November 2005 and love it. It’s replaced an entire bag of lenses. All I bring anywhere is my 18-200mm, and maybe my 12-24mm for 99% of everything I shoot. It’s small, fun, flexible, sharp and fast. VR, instant auto/manual focus override and macro and zooming all work perfectly. This lens is too much fun! It has an almost all-encompassing zoom range and the images on my are wonderful. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW
CNET
Though you pay for the convenience, the Nikon AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 G IF ED covers a range that would normally take two lenses, yet remains compact with a solid build. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW