Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras

I am a very pleased user of Nikon Cameras. It seems I upgrade about every 18 months or so. My latest purchase is the Nikon D7000 which is the best of the mid-range line of camera. I think it is a tad bit above the D5100 which is a very good camera as well. Even still, the lenses that come with these cameras do not allow you the full benefits of these great cameras. A good camera body needs a good lens. And the Nikon 18-300mm f/3.4-5.6G AF-S DX is what you are looking for. There are cheaper lenses and they are fine and all, but once you have attached this lens to your camera body, you will truly understand the time you have wasted. I had long ago purchased the Nikon 55-300mm ED VR AF-S DX lens as my long range telephone lens. It’s a good lens and all, but it is slow and a very slight lens blur, which I manage by dropping the f-stop down as far as practical, many time relying on the vibration reduction to save a shot. With the Nikon 18-300mm lens, I no longer have to do that. It is a much faster lens with a very nice bump up in clarity, sharp images and an improvement in color performance. It also replaces two lenses in my case (The stock 18-105mm that came with the camera and the 55-300mm ED I mentioned above) It is, however, a heavy lens. The D7000 is a good solid camera body sporting a magnesium alloy body that can take some rough handling. This make it much heavier than the other mid-range cameras and the addition of the 18-300mm lens is going to be something to consider as the weight is remarkable in comparison. I’m an athletic person so it isn’t too bad, but my wife thinks its nuts. I will admit that I am investing in a longer and heavier strap to compensate. Here is something else I must mention. Too many people buy these cameras and never learn how to get the most out of them. Too often as not, the problem lies behind the camera body and not within. To get the most out of your camera and this lens, you will have to invest some time in studying the manuals that come with your equipment. If they are too dry and technical (Yes I agree with you there) there are several inexpensive guides available that will help you immensely. I’m not so high and mighty that I can’t admit I buy two or three of them when I get a new camera. Allow me to list a few high points: 1. Clarity. This is a remarkable upgrade from the stock lens. 2. Speed. With the large objective lens means more photons are making it down the pipe. This camera will work well in a broader range of light conditions. 3. VR or Vibration Reduction works very well with this lens. There are two modes to VR as well; Normal, which works well in most “on foot” applications, and Active for when you are in a moving vehicle. 4. Build quality. It feels like it can take some rough handling, though I have no intention of trying that out intentionally. 5. It works very well in close ups. My 55-300mm didn’t focus within about 3 or 4 feet. This one works down to about a foot and a half at 300mm. Not exactly Macro, but it will work in a pinch. 6. The lens comes with a lens hood, which I recommend keeping attached to protect against bumps and bangs. What I would like to have seen. 1. Tripod mount on the lens would have been nice, but I can get over it. Unless something happens in the future, such as a catastrophic failure or it suddenly decides to melt in the rain, this one rates the full five stars.

I recently purchased the 18mm-300mm AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom lens from Amazon Prime.WOW! It was delivered in less than 24 hours! I mounted it on my D300s and that's where it will stay. I have been using Nikon cameras and lenses for nearly 40 years now, and this lens is something I wish I'd had 40 years ago! YES, it's a hefty lens (over 2 lbs) and YES it's expensive! But, hey, it's the only one of its kind - 16.7 power optical zoom! (That's 27mm to 450mm in 35mm film terms.) I took several test shots at both ends of the zoom range in RAW format, opened them up in Photoshop CS5 RAW editor and the results were AMAZING! The vibration reduction (VR) has two settings for different shooting situations and you can lock the zoom at 18mm for carrying and easily unlock it to zoom. The VR II in this lens is the best yet! The old-school rule for shutter speeds (use a minimum shutter speed equal to the focal length of the lens) is out the window! I shot several hand held pics while zoomed to 300mm using shutter speeds at 1/15 and 1/30 of a second...no problem. It requires a 77mm filter size - YES they cost more, but the front element of the 18mm to 300mm is close to the end of the lens barrel, so a UV or Sky 1A filter will offer some protection...get one! The lens comes with a hood, pouch and front and rear lens caps, so all you need is a filter to protect it. The lens is about the same overall length as the 55mm - 200mm DX lens, so it fits in my camera bag just fine. The barrel is much larger, tho. So, if you are debating on buying this zoom - buy it! It's the most versatile lens out there for a DX format camera. Did I mention that it will focus to about 18 inches, even at the 300mm setting? That is most useful if you like close up pictures of critters that might bite you! If you have a DX format Nikon, this is the lens to own. Update: The price I paid thru Amazon prime in December, 2012, has dropped $300! It first dropped at B&H and after I contacted Amazon customer service about it, I have been ignored. Their automated response to customer service is all you can expect. This doesn't refect on the lens - it just reflects on Amazon's way of doing business and ignoring their customers. The other thing that irks me about the situation is that I sold 2 more lenses (to my brother ans a mutual friend). They both spent about $3K based only on my recommendation! I am hoping they will not count on Amazon being competitive - even within their own store! $300 is a chunk of money - that's a 33% drop in price in a 3 month span of time. If you don't care about Amazon customer service - that's OK because they don't care about it, either.

Works excellent with my Nikon D5300

Lensin markası zaten belli..süper..Gönderici şirket aldıgım gün kargoya verdi lensiimi..Çok teşekkur ederim..sadece paketlemesi konuusunda daha titiz davrana bılırlerdı..büyük bir kutuya konmuş fakat kutunun içi boş gibi idi ..lens zarar görbılırdı..

Performed very well. Solid build and a high quality of lens I had it until my camera broke (5 years) then sold it at a very good price

Lo que más su facilidad de uso. Lo peor su pso. Pero es lógico. Buen zoom y buen macro. Es un objetivo perfecto para no ir con varios y tener que hacer cambios.

A bit heavy but you get used to it. The 18mm to 300 mm range opens all kinds of possibilities. Sharp. Good quality construction. Last but not least: when you take out your Nikon with this lens attached, people look at you differently ;)