Nikkor 18-135mm AF-S

NSXTypeR

I bought it as part of a kit with my D40 and I now use it on a D7000.

Just curious, am I the only one using the 18-135mm here? It's an excellent lens, and very easy on your camera battery as there is no VR. Honestly I don't miss it and I'd rather have the extra zoom range, especially with the better ISO performance of more recent cameras. I mainly got it because I didn't want to change lenses on the D40 and plus I couldn't afford the 18-200mm VR.

kenadams

That is the kit lens I bought with my D80. It's ok overall, and pretty sharp. If I look closely, I can see CAs increasing towards the outer areas of the frame. Also, the barrel keeps extruding all by itself when I have it on the Sun Sniper strap, which is a bit unnerving. Other than that (and the fact, that it's obviously not a big low light performer), I think it's pretty good!

NSXTypeR

Yeah, there is CA, but I wonder if the newer cameras can automatically remove it when you shoot in jpg. You're also right, there can be barrel creep. I do agree, it can be really really sharp when I nail focus!

heartyfisher

I think it may be the second sharpest nikon kit lens probaly just behind the 16-85..

Paperman

Got it with my D80 , decided to keep it until I figure out what to buy for my D300. Never found one that would make a difference / be sharper on a D300 and justify the 3-5x price. I could have gotten the 18-105 just for VR but its results on paper are not better than the 18-135mm. Every now and then , I think about replacing it with a 17-50 mm f2.8 Tamron but decide it is not worth it simply because f2.8 does not mean anything to me and that Tamron is not sharper.

When it comes to sharpness in the wide angle range, test results are better than many pro lenses ( on APS-C ) . The tele end is another story though - really bad ... That is why maybe Nikon decided to go on with an 18-105 and discontinue the 18-135. 95% of my photography is f8 landscapes within the 18-28mm range so it looks like I'm keeping it till I go FF.

D7000 has more pixels than a D300 so it is best to look at some sharpness tests to make a comparasion.

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NSXTypeR

I think it may be the second sharpest nikon kit lens probaly just behind the 16-85..

Honestly, that may be true. Not that I have tested other lenses, but from my experience when I nail focus it's really sharp. Not pin sharp like the 105 Macro Nikkor AF-S, but really acceptably sharp.

When it comes to sharpness in the wide angle range, test results are better than many pro lenses ( on APS-C ) . The tele end is another story though - really bad ... That is why maybe Nikon decided to go on with an 18-105 and discontinue the 18-135. 95% of my photography is f8 landscapes within the 18-28mm range so it looks like I'm keeping it till I go FF.

D7000 has more pixels than a D300 so it is best to look at some sharpness tests to make a comparasion.

I dunno, this seems pretty sharp to me, but I did notice some all around softness too at 135mm. Sure it's been cropped too, but it's okay.

Paperman

Check the new announcement :-*

NSXTypeR

Haha, I just saw! I was about to say, I was missing the longer reach and the perhaps want the VR of the 105mm.

I wonder if it'll be as sharp, because this at 135mm is kinda mushy.



But still, I think a very pleasant image.

heartyfisher

The leafs look nice and sharp.. miss focus ?

Looks like nikon updated the 18-135 = 18-140 VR would be a nice kit lens if it becomes the new sharpest kit lens !

spraynpray

Drat - I would have preferred 16-105 over 18-140.

NSXTypeR

The leafs look nice and sharp.. miss focus ?

Looks like nikon updated the 18-135 = 18-140 VR would be a nice kit lens if it becomes the new sharpest kit lens !

Probably!

Haha, I still like it anyway though.

Drat - I would have preferred 16-105 over 18-140.

I know right? 16-135mm would have been perfect for me. I can't believe it's a $600 lens though. $500 or thereabouts would be as much as I would pay. Heck the 18-105mm is only $400.

At that point you might as well get a 70-300mm if you have a kit lens to begin with- say an 18-55mm or any of the other multitudes of kit lenses. That's only $600 too.

DaveyJ

No reviews or tests out yet on the 18-140VR Nikkor although it can be pre-ordered now. I am going to await test results. The 18-135 Nikkor we still use and it is a very good lens. Rarely have we even thought about it being non-VR. I do know too the 60 micro-Nikkor is a tad sharper provided it gets focused correctly.

PB_PM

Considering that it doesn't ship till "late August", that might explain the lack of tests.