PWT's reviews

Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED DX AF-S Nikkor

Lot's of my shots get published as full-bleed double page spreads. This lens is sharp enough to support that at all apertures and focal lengths.

I got my first one as a kit lens with a D80 when they were first released. A friend's dog on a lead became entangled in the tripod and pulled it down onto a concrete floor smashing both lens and camera. The dog was stolen the next day. I wish he'd been stolen the day before.

Then, a cleaner at a race team (HRT) got the extension lead from his vacuum cleaner tangled up in the tripod when I wasn't looking and pulled it over onto a a concrete floor smashing both lens and camera. I wish he'd cleaned the day before. I often wonder if he stole the dog.

My third version was broken when I fell down a big step. The full story is too long to tell. (The D300 also took half of the impact but suffered only cosmetic damage)

I'm now on my fourth example of this lens, but on the bright side I can be positively cavalier in my attitude to losing lens hoods.

I shoot a lot of boats. I was out in a camera boat and had a wave wash over me and the lens. Water was running off it (and me) like a waterfall but there were no ill effects. It was, however, pointed downward at the time.

This is an excellent all purpose zoom. I like it as much as I dislike changing lenses, so I use it for almost everything I do, and my work is extremely varied. I'll keep buying this lens for as long as dogs, cleaners, uneven flooring and the elements continue to wage war against me. Fortunately, it's inexpensive enough to keep doing that!