paulyb's reviews

  • Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR DX AF-S Nikkor

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Focal length, image stability, sharpness, easy to use for novices
    naturally heavier than the 18-55mm kit lens I replaced, otherwise nothing really

    After seeing plenty of reviews all over the web, I got the impression many Nikon fans felt there's no place for this lens in the lens lineup, but I disagree. It's the perfect upgrade from the 18-55 II kit lens (which broke from being dropped, hence the replacement upgrade). One thing many Pro reviewers agree on is that VR seems to be a necessity now, rather than a luxury, so based on that, the 18-135mm seems to be redundant (but nonetheless a lens I seriously considered before this came out).

    If you play with the 18-135, the difference between image magnification between 105 and 135mm is minimal. then the difference between 135mm to 200 mm is noticeable, but an extra $380 !!

    Well, if this lens is in your budget, and you simply want to take great pictures of your family, I thoroughly endorse this lens.

    The distortion at 18mm is noticeable when doing close ups, but only people looking for this will notice, such as lens reviewers and gadget geeks. All you really notice is the quality of the steady shot from the VR, and of course double the focal length of the 18-55mm for details shots of buildings and landscapes.

    In the UK, this lens is being extracted from the kit and sold separately as some sellers are then offering the D90 body alone to owners who already have the 18-200mm (or similar), and don't rate the 18-105 as a worthy addition to their collection. I think there's a trick here that you and I can exploit to buy a really affordable VR lens with a very useable focal range, while the rest of the market scrambles of much more expensive (and admittedly superior) alternatives.

    After reading the reviews on SLRgear.com, I made up my mind to buy and I'm very happy I did so. Thanks for all you who reviewed the lens here and to SLRGear.com.

    reviewed October 24th, 2008 (purchased for $240)