By now there are enough pro reviews out there for experienced shooters to read the writing on the wall. No, it's not a 17-35 and 70-200 wrapped in a small package. You can not have it for any amount. The 18-200VR is not meant to question the exotic as my 70-200VR or the 200-400VR. It is not even supposed to go on a prime number. It is designed to be the ultimate one lens solution when you do not want a bag full of heavy glass along for the ride. It features moderately fast (but not very) optics, vibration reduction and a lot of work to keep CA and distortion down. It has achieved some success, but distortion is still obvious at 18mm. Distortion is cut off enough at the wide end to require correction of the service (easy to do), but this is not the case for those who shoot architecture professionally. This type of distortion is typical for a lens of this type.
I'm sorry, but those who have panned this lens either got a bad (very possible with the earlier reported batch problems) or just do not understand what a walk-around lens, too. That's what we all hoped that the 24-120 VR would be, but unlike that lens it will be much more done for just $ 200 more. Anyone who says there are lenses like this for less ... yes, where? No other superzoom is sharp, has so little CA and throws in VR II and ... and in a small package!
Now ... how good is it in the real world? Very Good. It is a struggle for the sharp little 28-200G which means it is only a little less sharp than the 70-200VR which costs twice as much. My first shots with this lens were stunning, detailed and quite sharp at the edges above F5. Close focus gives near macro results and again this lens is sharp! Focus speed is pretty fast track, but I think the 18-70 kit lens is a hair faster. You can take all day with this miracle and do everything without feeling that you need a giant lens. If, like me, you find yourself shooting mostly in the 35-200mm range on a DSLR, this lens makes sense. It also seems deeper color saturation and contrast than either the 28-200G or 50mm 1.8. Did I mention that I'm impressed?
Build quality is good but not great. It's hard to be impressed with any lens build when compared with the 70-200VR. The 18-200 zoom is a little stiff, manual focus a bit loose. I suspect Nikon dialed up the zoom stiffness due to early problems with lens creep early. There is no creep at all. The size of the lens is only slightly larger than the kit lens, perhaps as bulky on the Tokina 12-24 if you have any of these.
VR II exceeds all expectations, I was able to shoot sharp shots at 1.10th sec exposure. But remember it's not fast glass. A moving object in low light is blurred at such slow shutter speeds. So far, this is an impressive effort from Nikon. Even an experienced shooter could find this lens on the camera most days and be happy. "Average" shooters do not need more because this lens is so good. The only areas for improvement given the real limits of optical design in construction quality, which can be a little better. In the end, plus even at $ 700, this lens is pretty hard to resist.
And no, this is not a "kit lens with VR." The kit lens only reaches to 70mm. The kit lens also can not close up macro work as this lens can. The kit lens is not as sharp. And of course this lens has the latest version of VR that works perfectly. There is simply no other lens like this on the market today. Again, if you believe that this objective has to be perfect and do not require compromises to achieve the design goals, do your homework before you buy. If you need a zoom to cover this area at F2.8, with no distortion and small size please call Mr. Scott aboard the Starship Enterprise.
For those who question the sharpness of this lens, be aware that there are online tests show even sharper in the corners than the legendary 17-35 2.8! In my 70-200VR I see a little sharpness advantage with the 70-200, but only visible with a 100% crop. Or, to put things more into perspective, this lens works well on a D200. Search the forums yourself. Most D200 owners report good sharpness even with pro bodies.
This lens is simply lots of fun for people who like to take pictures
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