Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

This is a good kit lens. It has very quick and responsive focus. It is not the sharpest when taking photos at the widest aperture. The main problem I have with this lens is that it collects dust on the inside glass elements and is extremely hard to get out.

I would only recommend this to a friend if they were new at photography and need a relatively good kit zoom lens in order to get started.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Very versatile lens. Covers from wide angle to 70 mm. beautifully. (After seeing the photo of lens, I wonder if I was to get a case and sun shade with lens???

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Been shooting digital since 1999, and digital SLRs since 2004. I've had this lens since my first digital SLR (D70), with which I got it as a kit. It's seen the D70 come and go, as well as a D80 and it is now firmly attached to my D90.

I had always wondered just how sharp this lens is and yesterday I had the opportunity to shoot this alongside the Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 and the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (both very sharp lenses). Comparing unsharpened 12 MP RAWs at f/8 and all 3 at approximately 18 mm, the 18-70 edged out the Tamron in terms of sharpness, particularly in the corners of the frame, and it was a dead heat with the 17-55. Contrast was pretty even from all 3 (possible edge to the 17-55) and color rendition was fine from the Nikons but a tad warm from the Tamron.

Conclusion? If you want a mid-range zoom for landscapes, take the 18-70 and run. Wide open the 18-70 falls down in the corners (vignetting and some softness) but as a general walkabout and landscape lens, this is it.

Downsides? No VR (if you're a sharpness junkie like me this won't bother you too much) and some barrel distortion on the wide end (hey, it's a zoom). Only 18-70: an 18-200 will get you images that the 18-70 won't, but the 18-70 is sharper.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

I simply love this lens. I owned 2 of them, one on a D50 and one I currently own on my D80. To get the one con out of the way, there is an odd distortion at wide (18mm), slightly wavy. Only noticeable if you are taking pics of a straight edge.

Now, this lens definitely performs better than the cheapy kit lenses that come with Nikon cameras. sharp as a tack, fast focus, great contrast, minimal CA/color fringing, and very very low lens flare. This gem performs beautifully. Another thing I like about this lens is the fact that at the tele end, its minimum stop is f/4.5, not the more common f/5.6. That extra full stop of light goes a long way.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

This lens has always seemed a bit soft. It has broken three times and Nikon will not replace it. I guess the fourth time is the charm with them. I am even an NPS member and they still will not replace it. I guess once the 5 year warranty is up you are on your own. I have been shooting Nikon for about 18 years and I am starting to think about Canon. I realize the I might have gotten a lemon, but I feel they should replace it.

I have never dropped or damaged this lens in any way. The zoom ends up freezing and you can hear parts bouncing around on the inside. This happened three times. Think about Canon I am.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Nice lens but the front element that attaches to the lens hood wobbles side to side, top and bottom about 0.5 to 1mm. Do a web search and you will find this is common for this lens, but not all of them have this undocumented feature.

Imagine your car steering wheel having a half inch play, side to side and up and down, and you will see what I mean. Would you find that acceptable?

To me the wobble is unsettling and unacceptable. It effects my confidence in the lens and that could be reflected in the final images as a result.

Other than that, the zoom ring seems plastic-like and non linear. The focus ring is small and doesn't have much fine resolution due to the small turning arc. The o-ring at the mount was quite unexpected, but welcomed, given the price of the lens. Image quality is very good, no significant coloration or flare in direct light. The lens is lightweight and the Auto-focusing was fast. There was no hunting in low light situations, yet there were images that were not properly focused which maybe due to the camera AF sensors.

While I will recommend this lens to a friend, it would come as a guarded recommendation and I would have them check the their copy for lens wobble. And get a copy without the wobble. Also I have read that lens wobble can occur months later, but I have not read that this single negative quality attribute resulted in any loss of image quality.

Do not expect this lens to be a professional level lens it is not even close. Expect it to be a slightly better than average plastic kit lens with a metal mount and you will not be disappointed.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

This is the second one I own, the first was attached to my D70 when it got stolen. I bought another one to use with my D80. It has served me very well over a few years and it has been a lens that I use most of the time. It produces very sharp images, it's relatively light and has a reasonable zoom range.

I took it to the Sahara, to the beaches in Costa Rica, Israel, California, Mauritania, and it always worked well, except for some dust that seemed to have gotten to the inside of the lens. It was never visible on pictures though.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

An excellent lens, deserving far better than its 'kit' status. The focus window and true AFS are great advantages over the little 18-55 and 18-135. It also has a metal mount (not plastic).
I'd highly recommend this lens over the 18-55 and even the 18-135 both of which are more plastically in feel as well.
Overall a good lens for general use until you need something special.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Great all around lens, not pro glass but plenty sharp for every day use, good value for the money 18 -24 zoom ranges are very close on lens and can be hard to fine tune.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

I liked the lens so much I traded it for an 18-135 which I like even better.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Took it travelling last summer, used it a lot in interior shots, and for excellent closeups of family.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

This is a good lens and that's why it is such a popular kit lens. It's the lens I keep on my D200 all the time (at least until my 18-200 VR arrives - if it ever does). With the smaller chip, my old 28-105 just didn't give the wide angle view I need.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

The price is very good for the money you will spent,Great lens

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Good all-around lens. Not suitable for critical wide-angle work, but for snapshots, etc., this is a bargain. Pictures are quite sharp if stopped down a couple stops from wide-open (which is where most folks will use this lens).

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Excellent "Kit" Lens.I recently augmented it with the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 which is much sharper.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Image quality is great although not a significant improvement over the standard kit lens (Nikon 18-55) for the D-50 but the lens is much preferable in use. Manual focus a wonderful improvement and I find myself using the range above 55 mm a great deal.

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

It was easy to buy, great prices, nice lens to use

Comments about Nikon Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Wide Angle Autofocus Zoom Lens, USA.:

Great results - easy lens to use, even easier to change.