Looking for a Good Walk -About Lens

[Wingman]

Tried the Nikon 18-300 3.5-6.3 recently and returned it. It was soft through the entire range. I currently use a Tamron 18-270mm which is sharp except for when it is close to the 270mm range which is understandable). There is the Nikon 18-300 3.5-5.6 which costs almost USD1000...a steep price to pay for a walk-about lens, but after my experience with the 3.5-6.3, I'm skeptical. Can anyone vouch for the Nikon 18-300mm based on ownership experience...perhaps I received a bad copy. Or any other recommendations...the new Tamron 18-400mm? Would appreciate any information. This would be for use with my D7100.

Jehan

[wanaclick]

I had settled for Nikon 18-200mm,as 18-300 was not available back in 2014.I am happy with it.Tamron 18-300 is supposed to be good butI have not tried it.Sometimes third party offerings can be surprisingly good.

good luck.

[TCav]

Jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none lenses try to do everything and end up doing nothing well. They all have significant distortion, vignetting, field curvature, and chromatic aberration, though some are less bad than others.

You'll get better image quality from multiple lenses of less ambitious zoom ranges, and you may save some money too.

You might consider the Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.0 and the Nikon 55-300/4.5-5.6.

[Wingman]

Originally Posted by wanaclick

I had settled for Nikon 18-200mm,as 18-300 was not available back in 2014.I am happy with it.Tamron 18-300 is supposed to be good butI have not tried it.Sometimes third party offerings can be surprisingly good.

good luck.

Thank you Wannaclick. I'm leaning towards the Nikon 18-200 right now and it is good to hear of your experience.

Originally Posted by TCav

Jack-of-all-trades-and-master-of-none lenses try to do everything and end up doing nothing well. They all have significant distortion, vignetting, field curvature, and chromatic aberration, though some are less bad than others.

You'll get better image quality from multiple lenses of less ambitious zoom ranges, and you may save some money too.

You might consider the Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.0 and the Nikon 55-300/4.5-5.6.

TCAV, already have high quality glass in my bag (Nikon 12-24 f4, 70-200 f2.8 and the 28-70 f2.8: expensive but exceptional. I'm not looking for that level of performance. I want a single lens solution that performs reasonably well and is reasonably priced for use during travel. My Tamron 18-270 fits the bill well, but the reliability has been average--I have sent it in for repair/adjustment many times. Fortunately, the 6 year warranty covered the repair costs. Inconvenient though. In addition, the warranty has since expired and now I'm exposed. I was disappointed that my experience with the Nikon 18-300 was worse than the Tamron.

Jehan

[TCav]

You missed my point.

They're all bad.

Only you can decide what level of bad you're willing to accept.

Try LensRentals.com.

[NHL]

Well I have the Tamron 18-300 too and love it as walk around lens, alas it's a Canon mount:
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/la...es-bridge.html

At 300mm:



In fact I've found the Tamron so convenient for travel that I just ordered its 18-400 for my D500. Will let you know in a few weeks when I get back from Asia (i.e. it's on back ordered from B&H)

[Wingman]

Originally Posted by NHL

Well I have the Tamron 18-300 too and love it as walk around lens, alas it's a Canon mount:
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/la...es-bridge.html

At 300mm:



In fact I've found the Tamron so convenient for travel that I just ordered its 18-400 for my D500. Will let you know in a few weeks when I get back from Asia (i.e. it's on back ordered from B&H)

I was wondering about the IQ on the new 18-400mm. Will wait for your report...thanks! My Tamron 18-270 worked well, except for the many times it needed service (zoom failed, dust inside the lens elements, etc). Good service, but a bit inconvenient.

Jehan

[NHL]

Well B&H couldn't ship the lens in time so I ended up getting it at my 'pro' store in Baltimore (the day of the flight).
Same price except for the extra local tax

First impression is this 18-400 is quite a bit larger and heavier than its 16-300, but the finish is nicer. Both the focusing and zooming rings are tighter, and the AF seems to be quite fast even @ 400mm (on a D500)!

The MTF on the new lens also looks better on paper than it's older 100-300. The new controls are large levers around the lens mount, very much like the their new 150-600 G2, which are much easier to acccess than tiny sliding switches on the lens barrel side which need to be looked at to operate.

BTW this lens is designed to work with the USB docking station so that's another plus!

[Wingman]

Thanks for your update NHL. Will await with keen interest your impressions on image quality as well as suitability for travel given the larger size and weight that you mentioned. Enjoy your travels!

Jehan

[NHL]

Originally Posted by Wingman

Thanks for your update NHL. Will await with keen interest your impressions on image quality as well as suitability for travel given the larger size and weight that you mentioned. Enjoy your travels!

Also this lens accepts a larger 72mm filter, so the old polarizer from the 16-300 can't be used on this new lens!

@ 18mm...

and at 400mm


OK, after a few days in Tokyo and hiking around Kyoto, I believe I've made the right choice in choosing this lens and highly recommend it!!!
I'm now down to a D500/18-400mm, with a SB-900 flash, a Mavic drone, and an iPad pro all inside a medium size Lowepro 300 backpack for my trips:
https://forums.steves-digicams.com/l...yoto-park.html
https://forums.steves-digicams.com/l...ml#post1412433

IMO this is my most compact set-up so far after traveling to the Czech republic last month with two bags (but I had a car):
1. The same Lowepro 300 backpack carrying the D500/150-600mm and a 580EX Speedlight with the same iPad pro
2. A small shoulder bag that came with the Spark drone
3. while handholding a Canon 7DmrkII/16-300 with a strap
Asia, especially Japan, is slightly different because of the tighter spaces like subways, smaller 'boutique' restaurants and the large crowd of people