Review : Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

Price : $114.95 with Free Super Saver Shipping

"All the praise heaped on this little lens is well-deserved. It's sharp, has acceptable bokeh (aka out-of-focus blurring), is featherlight, cheap enough to not constantly worry about damaging it, can focus on objects reasonably close to the lens, focuses quickly with its entry-level hypersonic ("Silent Wave") focusing motor, and has wide enough apertures to support most daytime use. Of course, it's limited by its maximum aperture. A truly fast lens begins around f/2.8, and many amateurs wind up insisting on f/2.8 lenses eventually. Also, many photographers find it's easier on the brain to use a zoom with a consistent maximum aperture than one that can do different maximums at the two ends of its zoom range. So many upgrade to something like the Sigma f/2.8 18-50mm HSM Macro lens for four times the price of this Nikkor lens. But this is a terrific place to start. IMPORTANT: Nikon has just released this lens' upgrade, which adds a Vibration Reduction (VR) motor. This should be a big improvement, because it reduces risk of blurred images when hand-holding the camera. Of course, VR can have a downside. First, VR reduces battery life. Second, it sometimes adds a whirring or grumbling noise. Third, it may add weight. Fourth, the price will probably be approximately twice the non-VR version. Fifth, all else being equal, a truly fast lens (f/2.8 or wider) is more advantageous than VR. Nonetheless users tend to overwhelmingly prefer the VR version to the non-VR version of the same lens. It reduces the number of missed shots in dim light shots."

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