Обзор объектива Nikon 18-300 mm VR

Nikon 18-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor User Reviews

8.3/10
average of 3 review(s)

Build Quality
7.7/10

Image Quality
7.7/10

• 10 out of 10 points
  and recommended

  Amazing all in one.
  Heavy. but not as heavy as the 80-400….

  Wow! I reviewed the 80-400 VR on this site and in comparison with that.. the 18-300 is better. In fact it replaces nearly all my current half a dozen nikkors. It is a lot better than the 18-200 VRII. Don’t know why I bought that one, now…
  I do go to alaska each year and have drug the slow focusing 80-400 each year… along with the 18-200. The 18-300 is the new single lens.
  I cannot tell any difference between the 80-400 and the 18-300 in sharpness or color at f8 at full telephoto. At f5.6 the 18-300 is a little better, with better contrast, too. My example is posted on the Nikon site…
  I got mine at B&H for $699 and it came with 77mm filters, UV and polarizer. YOU CAN NOT BEAT THAT!!!
  I have a 12-24 dx that is sharper in the overlap by a bit at 24, but 18 both are the same. and that lens was $599. ..
  Good color, better than the 80-400 at full telephoto. Get it while it is on sale — you have only one week left!!!

  reviewed February 23rd, 2013
  (purchased for $699)

• 7 out of 10 points
  and recommended

  combines an 18-250 and a 70-300 for DX cameras
  still not wide enough, is outrageously expensive and weighs > 800g

  …since we’re here rating lenses that we don’t actually own, speaking in generalities…this lens would be great if it weighed say 400g instead of 800. At 800g it requires true dedication…you really have to need it to want to carry-around that much weight. To me it’s just a good argument for a 4/3rds camera and a matching 14-150 IS lens. Carry this around for a week and a CX camera with a 10-120mm IS lens will make you drool. If not a good p&s with a matching effective range like the Coolpix S9100.
  but in any case, in my opinion 28-450mm effective is only 2/3rds of the battle. What about 17-50mm effective?
  What about a real DOF at long focal-lengths?
  This lens won’t gie you either, even at F13 the DOF will be measured in yards at the long end.

  reviewed July 26th, 2012

• 8 out of 10 points
  and recommended

  Large zoom range Compact and light weight in relation to zoom range At all focal lengths high resolution in the centre and at most focal length sufficiently high resolution in the corners (using the Nikon D3200) Vignetting and distortion l
  Only f/3.5-5.6 At 18 mm considerable distortion and vignetting Ghost and flare at the wider focal lengrths Less attractive bokeh AF hunts sometimes with low contrast subjects Expensive compared with the Nikon 18-200 mm VR II

  Tested the 18-300 mm in combination with a Nikon D3200
  Corner resolution lags behind, but is compensated by high resolution of the D3200. Better as a telephoto lens than the Nikon 18-200 VR2

  reviewed July 19th, 2012

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR Introduction

The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is a DX-format lens with an ultra-high 16.7x zoom ratio and a 27-450mm equivalent focal range. The optical formula comprises 19 elements in 14 groups, including 3 aspherical and 3 ED lens elements. Weighing in at 830 grams, the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens features Nikon’s second-generation Vibration Reduction system with Normal and Active modes to combat blurring that may result from shaky hands, while a Silent Wave Motor ensures fast and quiet auto focus. The lens is currently available for £679.00 / $996.95 in the UK and the US, respectively.

Ease of Use

The new Nikon 18-300mm VR lens mounted to a Nikon D7000 body

Tipping the scales at 550 grams, the new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR is 34% lighter than the older 18-300mm Nikon lens, although it’s still about 100 grams heavier than the Tamron AF 18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD.

In addition to being lighter, the new lens is also considerably shorter than the old one – zoomed out, the 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR is only 99mm long, whereas its older brother is 120mm.

Zoomed out

Zoomed in
Zooming is not internal – as you can see, the front extends considerably upon zooming to 300mm. The ribbed zoom ring is sufficiently wide – and somewhat stiff too, but not annoyingly so. Zoom creep is not an issue.

In terms of features, the new Nikon 18-300mm VR has less to offer than the older one. The VR (Vibration Reduction) system is less sophisticated – notably, there are no separate ‘Active’ and ‘Normal’ modes to choose from. The distance scale has also gone missing. On the other hand, the new lens does retain the IF (Internal Focus) mechanism and SWM (Silent Wave Motor) features, as well as the zoom locking switch that allows you to lock the zoom ring at the focal length of 18mm for carrying. Given that the lens isn’t prone to zoom creep, there is little actual use for this switch, but Nikon recommends that you use it when carrying the camera anyway.

Front of the lens

The lens takes 67mm screw-on filters, which are considerably cheaper than the 77mm ones needed for the 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. The filter thread does not rotate on focus.

Rear of the lens, isometric view

The lens is not claimed to be weatherproof, but there is a rubber seal around the lens mount that should provide basic dust protection.

Focal Range

At the 18mm end of the zoom range, the angle of view is 76°.

Field of view at 18mm

At the 300mm end, the angle of view narrows to 5° 20′, which is equivalent to that of a 450mm lens on a 35mm camera body (at least when focused at infinity).

Field of view at 300mm

Focusing

With the lens attached to a D7000, auto-focus is somewhat slower and more “hesitant” than on the  AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. It’s still noticeably faster than the AF-S 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DX telezoom, though. Thankfully the filter thread does not rotate on focus, making it that much easier to use graduated neutral density filters and polarisers. Manual focus enthusiasts should take note that the focus ring is rather narrow and located close to the lens mount.

Distortion

Distortion at 18mm

At the 18mm setting, there is noticeable barrel distortion, as demonstrated in the photo above. This turns into pincushion distortion fairly soon (somewhere between 28mm and 35mm). This type of distortion is especially visible at 50mm.

Distortion at 50mm

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or blue fringes in the peripheral areas of the image, are surprisingly well controlled on this lens. The examples below show what you should expect in the worst case. JPEG shooters won’t even notice this much, as all modern Nikon dSLRs can eliminate chromatic aberrations very effectively.

Light Fall-off

With the lens set to its maximum aperture, you can see pretty heavy light fall off in the corners at the wide end of the zoom range. Stopping down helps a lot here.

At the 300mm end, the phenomenon is even more pronounced.

Given that this is a DX lens, mounting it to a full-frame camera used in FX mode will result in extremely heavy vignetting, as you would expect.

Macro

The maximum reproduction ratio of the new Nikon 18-300mm VR lens is 1:3.125, with the minimum focus distance being 48cm – measured from the sensor plane rather than the front lens element – at all focal lengths. The following image illustrates how close you can get to the subject; in this case, a weather-beaten CompactFlash memory card.

Close-up performance

Bokeh

Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. In the AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR, Nikon employed an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades, which has resulted in a surprisingly decent bokeh for a zoom lens, at least in our opinion. However, recognising that bokeh evaluation is subjective, we have provided a few examples for your perusal.

Sharpness

In order to show you how sharp this lens is, we are providing 100% crops on the following pages.

1. Ease of Use
2. Sharpness: 18mm

3. 50mm

4. 105mm

5. 200mm

6. 300mm

1. Sample Images
2. Lens Specs
3. Rating & Conclusion

1. Main Rivals
2. Review Roundup

1. Ease of Use
2. Sharpness: 18mm

3. 50mm

4. 105mm

5. 200mm

6. 300mm

7. Sample Images
8. Lens Specs
9. Rating & Conclusion
10. Main Rivals
11. Review Roundup