Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Lens

Its seldom that you buy a product that turns out to be significantly better than expected.
In designing a highly flexible zoom lens, (11-1), the compromise between flexibility and image quality must be of prime concern. However Nikon apear to have done this VERY WELL and I am getting crisp and contrasty results over the entire range of focal length and a good selection of apertures.
The advantages of this product are, essentially, a single lens, that can be left on the camera, which can handle a very wide range of situations. The lens performance together with VRII vibration reduction certainly seems to have done the trick.
Whilst lacking in sophisticated bokeh for 'classy' portraits, where I will continue to prefer my 105mm F2 D lens, I intend to use this lens on a regular basis.
The good price/ performance ratio, relatively light weight and small size are in its favour and I am likely to use higher ISO settings in low light conditions because of the higher f numbers. The cost, size and weight of the Nikon f2.8 zoom offerings are not such an attractive option except for the keenest professionals!!

Highly recommended!

I bought this to go with my Nikon D3100. I have several lenses but out and about changing them is a pain. I do a lot of walking and like to snap wildlife landscapes anything that takes my fancy. Results with this lens are very good across the whole range. Maybe not quite as good as multiple narrower range lenses but I would have missed many picture opportunities changing lens to get the right length. The VR works well.

Update I have had this lens a while now and it is great. It is a good compromise maybe not as long as some but means I don't have to change lens while walking and I have grabbed several shots I would have missed. Recently at a RSPB reserve with lots of very serious photographers there with massive professional long lenses. A Bittern broke cover and flew - I had the cheapest lens kit but I was the only one to get shots of the bird.

I have a Nikon D300, and it originally came with the Sigma 18 -200mm lens, which I have successfully used for a couple of years, and with which I have taken many pictures. So why buy one of these relatively expensive Nikon lenses, that mostly does the same job?

Well, the first thing to understand is just how useful a lens with this spread of focal length really is, and I learnt that with the Sigma, and the Nikon lens simply reinforces the opinion. If you only have one zoom-type lens, then the 18-200 range is absolutely fantastic. It changes the way that you look at things.

Down at the 18mm end of the travel, you are looking at a landscape or a building where the image in the viewfinder is probably a lot higher and wider than you actually see in real life. Most of us just use the bit in the middle of our vision for most of the time. At the 18mm end, you need to look around a lot more at what you want to capture, and then you need to look around in the viewfinder a lot, to make sure you have framed the shot you want. And then you want the detail, so you head towards the other end of the zoom, towards the 200mm setting, and there is the detail you want to capture. You can go, with the twist of your wrist, from the whole of your view, to a small piece of the detail. None of us routinely see the world this way, so it takes a while to realise what such a lens does. The only other thing that does that, is a one litre sports motorbike, and on one of those you will risk being locked up if you are caught twisting your wrist that much!

If you want a beautiful bokeh with the detail, that seems to be the Nikon's biggest advantage over the Sigma, so far as I can see. It also feels a lot more solid, but then the Sigma has survived a couple of years of use, and the Nikon is still new, so time alone will tell. As it is, the only disadvantage to having an 18-200mm lens is that you loose a bit of the perceived credibility that comes with lots of strapping-on of different lenses, for different shots. Of course, with the single lens, you capture things you would otherwise have missed while doing the lens change, but the reality is that with a lens of this type, you really can use your digital SLR camera like one of those drunk ladies camera's, that sometimes make you wonder why you bother lugging a big kit about! These lenses really are that good, that you will find that you fit it, and forget it, for most of the time.

When I go out to try to do some serious wildlife pictures, I will always take (OK lug), the 80-400mm zoom but I will walk in with the 18-200 fitted and capture what I can on the way. Sometimes specialist is good, sometimes it's versatility that delivers, and for versatility, this lens simply delivers what you need, for a huge percentage of both time and subject.