Nikon 18-200mm lens question

jbwolffiv

jbwolffiv

Member
After Dennis was nice enough to let me try out his Nikon 18-200mm VR lens the first day of Pixelmania, I was salivating at the idea of not having to change lenses to get that range. ; Then two days later, I was approached by a dude in World Showcase asking about my lens. ; He had the Tamron 18-200mm lens on his camera. ; I love my 10-24 Tamron. ; I know the Tamron does not have VR, but it is only $229.95 with a rebate. ; The Nikon is $849.95! ; Anyone know anything about these lenses that I should know. ; Not sure which one to save for (the Tamron being much cheaper so less time). ; I have been know to be impulsive, so I want to take more time to make this decision. ; Does anyone know where I can get info about them (besides the reviews on B&H)? ; Thanks!
 
The Tamron has a new version that does have VR, they called it VC (Vibration Control), I believe it is a 18-270mm. ; I like photozone.de's testing regimen myself.
 
John,

Look for a used 18-200VR which is the first version. ; The second version had the lock but that was the only update. ; The first lens I used for years on my old D70 with great results.
 
So I took a look at photozone.de to see about the lens. ; Wow, there is a lot of info that I have no clue about. ; What I can tell is that they are both decent lenses, sort of a jack of all trades, master of none. ; The Tamron lens is a longer reach and half the cost, it seems hard to justify the difference. ; Is there something I am missing? ;
 
Help! Nikon or Tamron

My mom (I traveled with her to Pixelmania) wants to get me a lens for Christmas. ; So I am very lucky here. ; I need to tell her which lens to get. ; I am having the same issue. ; Do I tell her to get the Tamron 18-270mm for $400 or the Nikon 18-200mm for $850? ; On the surface it seems like a no brainer, but am I missing anything? ; Is this one of those situations where I will be disappointed down the road? ; Any advice? ; Thanks so much!
 
I can't help on the 18-200 or 18-250 Tamron argument, because of my camera's situation vs. yours...but I might help a little on the lens' IQ. ; I have a Sony 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 that does the bulk of my shooting - as you can probably tell from the specs, this is optically identical to the Tamron 18-250mm F3.5-6.3, as Tamron simply makes the Sony-badged lens with not much other than cosmetic differences. ; Because I've got stabilization in the camera body, I don't have the worry over missing it in the lens, so that's the one area I can't help with. ; However, image-quality wise, it's an excellent lens, and more than capable in almost any shooting situation. ; And I've shot with it in all situations, including a large bulk of all my Disney photos - low light, tripod-mounted slow shutter, high ISO handheld, scenic, landscape, indoor, outdoor, architecture, portrait, wildlife, bird, action - there's nothing I haven't used this lens for in a pinch - and it is fantastic to have a one-lens solution for maximum versatility when you want to travel lighter. ; I have many other lenses that get a lot of use, but the 18-250mm serves essentially as my 'kit' lens - it's on by default. ; The 18-270mm seems to be the equal of the 18-250mm, but also adds VR, which I think is definitely very useful in this class of lens...so I'd be more prone to recommend looking at the Nikon 18-200 VR or the Tamron 18-270mm VR. ; Whether the Nikon is optically better than the Tamron, I can't say for sure - but I can say I'd be surprised as the Tamron optics in my 18-250mm are superb throughout the range, and should be the equal of any similar range lens.

And for an idea of how I've used this lens and how it's performed (in Sony badged form), check out my lens gallery - there's almost 1400 thumbnails of every variety taken with 3 different camera bodies over the years:
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg/sony_sal18250mm_f3563
 
I am looking at getting Canon's version for my camera. ; They offer an 18-200 with one disappointing feature; it's an EF-S lens. ; Otherwise, I am wanting to get this one to eliminate 2 lenses that I currently have. ; This will become my everyday walk around lens once I get it. ; I know that the lens is different, but I am enjoying the reading and discussion about it anyway, and Justin those are some great shots.
 
I think I am leaning on the Tamron. ; I think the price difference it the major reason. ; I cant wait to make this my "everyday" lens. ; And Jeff is right, Justin your shots are great! ; Could spend hours there (and probably will over time!)
 
One thing I hear on the many photography podcasts about buying third-party lenses is that they don't have the high level of quality control that the big-name manufacturers have. ; The materials used may not be as rugged, either.

However, unless you're using the lens 40+ hours a week to make a living as a professional photographer, that probably doesn't matter.

For example, I'm looking at buying a 24-70mm f/2.8. ; I found a great review comparing the Tamron and Sigma versions. ; The bottom line? ; The sharpness is similar, but you can buy at least two Tamrons for the price of the Sigma (and 4-5 for the price of the Nikon).

And if you're still unsure, rent it and see if you like it.
 
I ended up with the Tamron 18-270. ; I just got it for Christmas so I have not done much with it, but I love the huge range.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
i firmly believe in sticking with the brand lenses, there seem to not be the connection/function issues that some 3rd party pieces have. but i will freely admit my economics are a little different than many, no children to educate and a serious breadwinner spouse. i believe even more strongly in the the technology if image stabilization, or vr in nikonese, mega ois in panasonic, i shake too much not to want every handheld advantage i can get, combination of older nerves, and probably more hortons and other kona's than are good for me. so the dealmaker for me is the antishake. having said all this i am digging my newest piece, the panasonic vario 14-140mm, this is 28-280 in 35mm, i've had it all of 3 days, it was my present to myself when karen surprised me with the gh2 body upgrade. that is a lot of walkaround range, knocks out a lot of lens changing when traveling with that kit
as an aside the g1 and 2 lenses, the 14-45 (28-90) and the 45-200 (90-400) are currently in key west for a week with my neice, she's been thinking about upgrading from her S880 point n shoot, and we may have a deal. i end up with the new lens funded, and she ends up with a real nice kit for her first venture into interchangeable lens cameras, in a small enough package that she'll actually carry it and use it on vacation
 
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