Digital Camera World » Lenses

Full Review: Nikon AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR superzoom

jmeyer — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 14:00:09 +0000

Nikon AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

This new Nikon lens takes superzooms to a new level but is it one for the road?

Type: Superzoom lens
Price: £850, $1,000
Web: www.nikon.co.uk

The Nikon 18-200mm VR has long been renowned as the best superzoom lens on the market. For a while though, it hasn’t led the field for outright zoom range, losing out to the Sigma 18-250mm and Tamron 18-270mm, both of which have recently had radical redesigns. Nikon has now come up trumps with its new 18-300mm VR, which boasts the biggest zoom range of any SLR lens on the planet.

As a DX format lens, it delivers an effective 27mm focal length at the wide-angle end, stretching to a mighty 450mm of telephoto power. Despite its greater zoom range, it maintains the same maximum apertures of f/3.5-5.6 as the Nikon 18-200mm, which is a useful one-third of a stop faster than both the Sigma and Tamron at the telephoto end. Only the Nikons feature ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, which is faster and quieter than the Sigma and Tamron’s more basic ultrasonic motors. Handling is also more refined as the focus ring doesn’t rotate during autofocus, as well as offering full-time manual focus override.

Same difference?
Other Nikon refinements carried over from the 18-200mm include a weather-seal rubber ring around the lens mount, to guard against moisture and dust. VR II stabilization is highly effective, living up to its four-stop claim and it comes with both Normal and Active modes. It’s particularly useful at the telephoto end, which naturally stretches rather further than the older lens. Yet more similarities, compared with the second edition of the 18-200mm include SIC (Super Integrated Coating) to help reduce ghosting and flare, and a zoom lock switch to stop the lens stretching out through the zoom range when you’re carrying it around.

There are also some notable differences between the two Nikon lenses. The 18-200mm is based on 16 elements in 12 groups, whereas the upsized 18-300mm has 19 elements in 14 groups. Of these, the 18-300mm has three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements rather than just two, with an aim to maximise contrast and sharpness. And while both lenses feature a rounded diaphragm to give a smoother appearance to defocused areas in images, the 18-300mm bumps up the number of diaphragm blades from seven to nine, for superior results. Another plus point of the 18-300mm is that it’s free of zoom creep, for which the 18-200mm is somewhat notorious.

Heavyweight champ
Downsizing is a recent trend in superzoom lenses and the latest editions of both the Sigma 18-250mm and Tamron 18-270mm are noticeably smaller and lighter in weight than previous models. At about 88mm in length and around 460g in weight, they’re more akin to standard zoom lenses in these respects, and the filter size is also reduced to just 62mm. Given the suitability of superzooms as travel lenses, it’s a welcome move.

Bucking the trend, the Nikon 18-300mm is substantially bigger and heavier than the 18-200mm, being 23mm longer and weighing in at 830g rather than 565g. As such, it’s about the same size as most FX-format 70-300mm telephoto zoom lenses and heavier than all the most popular options, including the weighty Nikon 70-300mm VR. Couple the 18-300mm with a D7000 body and the combined weight is 1.6kg, so your neck will feel the strain if you’re walking around for hours on end. The filter thread is also upsized from 72mm to 77mm compared with the Nikon 18-200mm.

Performance
Ultimately, the deciding factor is whether the lens’s performance is worth the gain in size and weight. Sharpness and contrast are very impressive throughout the zoom range. Sharpness does drop off a bit towards 300mm at f/5.6, but bounces back if you stop down to f/8. Compared with the Nikon 18-200mm, sharpness is actually a little better at maximum telephoto zoom.

Colour fringing is impressively low for a superzoom lens Again, compared with the Nikon 18-200mm, it’s a little more in evidence at the wide-angle end but lower at telephoto settings. Barrel distortion is rather more pronounced at 18mm, and a fair bit worse than with the Sigma 18-250mm or Tamron 18-270mm. Overall though, the new Nikon gives excellent image quality for a superzoom.

Flat lighting test
Flat lighting is a big test for any lens but the 18-300mm VR retains plenty of contrast, as shown here. Sharpness is impressive at all focal lengths and the extreme zoom range is clear to see.

Sharpness
Impressive throughout the zoom range, sharpness is retained particularly well at the telephoto end, beating even the Nikon 18-200mm.
Sharpness at f/8, 18mm: 2292
Sharpness at f/8, 105mm: 2299
Sharpness at f/8, 300mm: 1723

Fringing
Very respectable for a superzoom, colour fringing is much less noticeable than with most competing lenses, especially at telephoto focal lengths.
Fringing at f/8, 18mm: 0.9
Fringing at f/8, 105mm: 0.61
Fringing at f/8, 300mm: 0.33

Distortion
A bit worse than with the Nikon 18-200mm, barrel distortion is quite pronounced at 18mm, switching to pincushion that’s most noticeable at around 105mm.
Distortion at 18mm: -4.72
Distortion at 105mm: 2.73
Distortion at 300mm: 1.98

Image quality verdict:
There’s little to choose in image quality between the Nikon 18-300mm and 18-200mm, making the extra zoom range worth having if you don’t mind the lens’s increased price, size and weight.

Overall Score: 4/5

Lensbaby Muse review

jmeyer — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:00:58 +0000

The latest junior member of the Lensbaby family, the Muse is perhaps the most tempting option for those looking to experiment with the concept of ‘fun’ lenses – it now falls into the budget price bracket.

Its compatibility with Lensbaby’s Optic Swap System means it should be viewed less as a lens with a specific effect and more as a means to a variety of styles to suit an array of subjects.

Currently, the Optic Swap stable comprises eight lenses, one of which is the Double Glass (£60, $90) that ships with the Muse. Other options include a Pinhole/Zone Plate (£25, $40) as well as Fisheye (£100, $150) and Soft Focus (£60, $90) models. The more refined Edge 80 lens costs about £280 ($300).

Those new to the Lensbaby system will need to get accustomed to holding their camera in an unorthodox fashion, with thumbs at the rear of the body and index and middle fingers over the front of the Muse. This allows the lens to be adjusted across its optical axis, achieving focus.

It’s then shifted at an angle relative to the sensor, to get blur around the ‘Sweet Spot’. It doesn’t take long to get used to this way of working, although there’s no way of fixing the lens in the desired position, so care needs to be taken to keep the camera and lens stable prior to exposure.

The Muse comes with a selection of aperture discs, which are easily (if tediously) changed with a magnetic rod. This might irk those who are used to electromagnetic diaphragm operation, but sticking to a wide to medium aperture disc is fine for many situations.

As for its effects, with a little practice it’s easy to get reasonable sharpness at the sweet spot, and a pleasing motion blur around it.

PRICE: £90, $150

SCORE: 3/5

DO or Di? Your lens markings exposed
9 things you should know about using prime lenses
How to find your lens’ sweet spot

Nikon 18-300mm: testing the longest ever superzoom for street photography

jmeyer — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:30:54 +0000

It’s the longest superzoom lens ever, but what’s the brand new Nikon 18-300mm superzoom actually like to use? Our friends at N-Photo just got their hands on a sample have taken it out for an hour’s street photography to find out.

The most obvious thing is the size and weight compared to the existing 18-200mm. The new lens is 23.5mm longer – nearly an inch – and 270g heavier, and you do feel that straight away. You could use the 18-200mm on a smaller body like the D3100, for example, and it would still balance OK, but the 18-300mm makes it feel really front-heavy, and it needs a heftier body like the D7000 or D300s.

The payback, of course, is the huge zoom range, and you can clearly see this in the comparison above. Both shots were taken from exactly the same position.

Everything else, though, is terrific. The zoom action is smooth, and the image quality holds up well even at the maximum focal length.

The autofocus is fast, too. It managed to keep up with these flapping pigeons surprisingly well.

Nikon’s VR system does a good job too, though you have to help it out by keeping the camera as steady as possible at these longer focal lengths.

You do have to watch the shutter speeds, though (learn some of the common mistakes at every shutter speed – and the best settings to use).

It’s not the 18-300mm’s fault, but an issue with superzooms in general. Because you’re switching from a wide focal length, where 1/30sec might be fine, to a much longer range shot, where it most certainly isn’t, you can easily get camera shake creeping in.

It doesn’t help that the maximum aperture goes down at longer zoom settings, pushing the shutter speeds still lower.

So if you’re using any superzoom as a general walkaround lens (and the 18-300mm in particular), be prepared to set a higher ISO than normal just as an insurance against camera shake when you go for a longer shot like these (find out how to reduce noise at high ISO settings).

Stay tuned for a full review of this new Nikon lens just as soon as our testing team has put the 18-300mm through our lab tests. In the meantime, it does look really good – as long as you don’t mind walking round with a big, heavy lens fixed to the front of your camera!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II Review

dcworld — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:48:44 +0000

A favourite of the pros, this lens has just been updated. Can it match up to its hefty price tag though?

Of all the pro lenses, the 70-200mm f/2.8 is probably one of the most popular. It’s range of telephoto focal lengths make it perfect for reportage style portraits and many sports. The fast f/2.8 maximum aperture means it’s also great in low light, when you need to keep the shutter speed high, or if you want a background to be totally blurred. This lens is an updated version of its original incarnation released in 2001, with an increased price tag, we found out if it’s worth the upgrade.

The EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM is a classic – dating back to 1995, and it’s still going strong. But then back in 2001 it stunned the market with an image stabilised (IS) version – the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. Now one of these fine lenses has been replaced…

Surprisingly, it’s not the oldest of the two that gets the redesign. Despite the higher price, the IS version is the first choice for pros using every technological advantage to ensure sharp shots. But there have long been mutterings that the older non-IS version is optically superior to the revolutionary IS alternative.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

So the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II is born. The Mark II version looks and feels much the same, but the optics have been redesigned, autofocus speed increased, and the weatherproofing made more sturdy. Even the IS has been upgraded to the latest Canon version, which allows you to use shutter speeds that are four stops slower than usually advisable with a handheld lens. All good stuff then, save for the fact that the official price has crept up another £500 to a cool £2,800.

That’s a lot of money, even if you can write off the cost as a business expense. So is it worth the significant outlay? This is a beautifully constructed lens, using the legendary grey-white finish of Canon’s L-series telephoto lenses. The manual focus ring is 40mm wide, and is engineered to give you fine control over the focus – the AF override mechanism allows you to do this even when the AF is switched on. The zoom mechanism is precisely stiff enough and rotates, rather than using the trombone action of some Canon EF telephotos, so it doesn’t get shorter or longer as you zoom in or out.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8l IS USM II Handling

The only handling confusion is with the four switches on the left of the barrel. All are useful, but their similarity means it is hard to locate the one you want without looking. The manual/auto and IS on/off switches will be familiar to Canon users. Added to this is a focus-range limiting switch designed to prevent excessive AF hunting. The full range (option one) provides focus from infinity down to 1.2m (a 10cm improvement on the minimum focus of its predecessor). For those shooting distant subjects, a confined range of 2.5m to infinity is offered, while the fourth option switch offers two IS modes for general use and panning.

The lens is compatible with all Canon EOS SLRs, including full-frame models, and the 1D pro-sports range. Use it on models with smaller sensors, such as the 7D, and the angle of view becomes equivalent to using a 112-320mm zoom. The most impressive feature is the Image Stabilizer – it was possible to get sharp handheld shots at 1/10 sec. This slightly exceeds the ambitious four-stop range that Canon boasts.

Optical quality is also impressive. Resolution is excellent even when used at its maximum aperture, and there’s minimal colour fringing. Bokeh (blur) when wide open is truly stunning – and the reason why pros love this lens. But its eight-blade iris means that out-of-focus highlights still look practically circular down to about f/5.6.

Features

: 5/5

On paper, the image stabilisation lets you use a shutter speed 16-times longer than with a normal handheld lens. In the field, it does even better.

Performance: 5/5

Fantastic image quality, even when used at maximum aperture. Colour fringing is extremely well contained at all focal lengths.

Handling: 5/5

The Manual Focus ring is a smooth operator, giving a wide grip (40mm wide, in fact) and full-time fine control override over autofocus.

Build quality: 5/5

A beautifully rugged lens that comes with all the weatherproofing that you have come to expect with Canon’s brilliant L-series.

Value for money: 3/5

The cost of the refit seems excessive, and sets a new record high for a lens of this type. It’s a great update, but does it merit the price hike?

Overall Verdict

: This is a superb lens, providing some good improvements over its predecessor. The 70-200mm f/2.8 is a must-have lens for many pro photographers, and few would risk their reputation by opting for the cheaper non-IS version. The Mark II IS lens is probably an essential purchase for keen Canon owners – even with the huge hike in price.If the price is now too high, the new Sigma shakebusting alternative is going to be mighty tempting.

See this review, along with test pictures, in the June 2010 (Issue 100) issue of Digital Camera. Why not subscribe to ensure you never miss out and receive some fantastic discounts?

Superzoom lenses group test

dcworld — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:48:12 +0000

Fit a superzoom lens to your DSLR and you’ll be prepared for almost any shooting situation. Find out which one’s for you in our superzoom lens review.

One of the main attractions of a D-SLR over a compact is that you can swap lenses on demand. But there’s a catch or two. Most digital photographers prefer to change lenses as little as possible, to avoid dumping dust on the sensor.

And if you’re on holiday, travelling or just walking around, wouldn’t it be nice if you could replace a whole gadget bag full of lenses with just one do-it-all lens? That’s where a superzoom comes in.

Superzoom lenses have been around for decades, but historically, these 28-200mm or 28-300mm beasts have been fraught with compromises. Older models were often big and bulky, and offered mediocre optical quality. More recently, manufacturers have made huge strides, increasing sharpness and contrast and reducing unwanted side-effects such as chromatic aberrations (colour fringing), ghosting and flare. It’s all thanks to the use of computer-designed aspheric elements, high-tech lens coatings and precision-engineering methods.

All the lenses in this test group are specifically designed for D-SLRs with APS-C sensors, rather than full-frame cameras, so another bonus is that you can expect to get a generous telephoto reach neatly wrapped in a relatively small and lightweight package.

The maximum apertures at telephoto settings still tend to be a little slow, making camera shake a potential problem, but most of the latest examples feature built-in image stabilisation (IS) as well, giving them every chance of making great all-rounders.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

Price: £400

(Street)

Supplied as a kit lens with the new EOS 7D, the EF-S 18-135mm IS looks low-tech compared with Canon’s high-performance, semi-pro body. The somewhat basic design lacks USM (UltraSonic Motor) autofocus and the standard micro-motor fitted is comparatively noisy. Build quality is a step up from canon’s most basic ‘kit’ lenses. For example, the mounting ring is metal rather than plastic.

However, out of two samples of this lens, one had almost no zoom creep at all while the other suffered quite badly, a problem made worse by this being the only lens in the group not to feature a zoom lock switch. The latest-generation Image Stabilizer lived up to its four-stop promise in our tests and the upside of the modest 7.5x zoom range is that distortions are less of an issue than with some super-zooms.

Sharpness was pretty good and, again, rather better than with the previous sample of this lens that we’ve seen, which raises questions about manufacturing consistency.

Ratings:

Features – 3/5
Build Quality – 3/5
Handling – 4/5
Image quality – 4/5
Value for money – 4/5

Verdict:

With only a basic set of features and questionable consistency in build quality, this lens seems a little over-priced. 80%

Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3,5-5.6 IS

Price

: £480 (street)

At first glance, there’s little difference between this lens and Canon’s cheaper EF-S 18-135mm model. Both have an identical layout of Image Stabilizer and AF/MF switches and the zoom and focus rings are almost the same, although the focus ring is a little narrower on the 18-200mm.

They’re also almost exactly the same length when used at the 18mm end, although the 18-200mm is more than ready to extend itself under the force of gravity, so the zoom lock switch is a worthwhile addition. As with the ower-powered Canon in the group, there’s no finery, such as USM autofocus or a focus distance scale, and the overall build looks and feels rather basic.

The trade-off of having the extra zoom range is that distortions are more noticeable and there’s a little more chromatic aberration (colour fringing), but at least these are fairly easy to minimise if you shoot in RAW and use the Digital Photo Professional software that comes bundled with Canon Cameras.

Ratings:

Features – 3/5
Build quality – 3/5
Handling – 4/5
Image quality – 4/5
Value for money – 4/5

Verdict

: Features and performance aren’t captivating at the price and even the lens hood costs extra. 83%

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX ED VR II

Price

: £590 (street)

Nikon launched its original 18-200mm AF-S VR back in 2006, but the newer ‘VR II’ edition boasts four-stop rather than three-stop Vibration Reduction, improved lens coatings and a zoom lock switch. As it turns out, zoom creep is much less of an issue than with the original lens, which would go into freefall between focal lengths of 24mm and 135mm, and both models generally stay firmly in place at 18mm.

Despite having an RRP that’s £10 less than Canon’s 18-200mm, the Nikon has plenty of extra goodies, including super-fast, practically silent AF-S autofocus complete with full-time manual override, switchable Normal/Active VR modes, a focus distance scale neatly positioned beneath a viewing window and better-feeling build quality all round.

Optically, the Nikon proved not only to be the sharpest lens on test, but also retained its sharpness better at maximum apertures throughout the zoom range.

Ratings:

Features – 5/5
Build quality – 5/5
Handling – 5/5
Image quality – 4.5/5
Value for money – 4/5

Verdict

: This is simply the best superzoom for Nikon users, even if it’s more than twice the price of some lenses on test. 94%

Sigma 18-125mm f/3.8-5.6 DC OS HSM

Price

- £240 (street)

The Sigma 18-125mm is wonderfully compact, and at just £240 it’s also the cheapest lens in the group. The catch is that the zoom range is also the smallest, but you still get a useful 29-200mm effective reach on a Canon body, or 27-187mm on a Nikon.

Along with a very high standard of finish, the lens features Sigma’s latest four-stop OS (Optical Stabilizer) system, which works a treat, as well as super-quiet and reasonably rapid HSM (Hypersonic Motor) autofocus. There’s a lot to love here.

The Sigma’s optics aren’t quite as sharp as the Nikon’s, but they’re impressive nonetheless. Distortions and chromatic aberrations are well controlled, helped by the relatively meagre zoom range. Zoom creep in our test sample was non-existent, although you still get a zoom lock switch for good measure.

Unless you really need the extra telephoto reach offered by the bigger lenses in the group, the Sigma 18-125mm makes an excellent choice for a wide range of camera makes and models.

Ratings:

Features – 4.5/5
Build quality – 4.5/5
Handling – 4.5/5
Image quality – 4/5
Value for money – 4/5

Verdict:

A highly accomplished lens in all respects. The only downside is that it has the smallest zoom range in the group. 90%

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS

Price

- £290 (street)

One of the very first lenses that Sigma produced with its proprietary OS (Optical Stabilizer) system, the 18-200mm is starting to show its age. Unlike other stabilised lenses in the group, you only get a three-stop rather than a four-stop benefit and you don’t get Sigma’s refined and near-silent HSM autofocus system, similar to Canon USM and Nikon AF-S.

Then again, Canon’s USM autofocus isn’t featured on either of its superzoom lenses, so the Sigma still has potential at just half the price of the equivalent Canon 18-200mm. Build quality feels good overall, but our review sample had a little zoom creep, about the same as with the Nikon 18-200mm, but much less noticeable than on the Canon 18-200mm.

Optical quality was also a notch down from the other Sigma lenses in the group, with less sharpness and contrast, while chromatic aberrations were rather more noticeable, with colour fringing frequently adorning high-contrast edges of objects within scenes.

Ratings –

Features – 4/5
Build Quality – 4/5
Handling – 3.5/5
Image Quality – 3/5
Value for Money – 3.5/5

Verdict

: The price is attractive for a stabilised 18-200mm lens, but with mediocre image quality, this isn’t our first choice. 79%

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

Price:

£400 (street)

A major step up from Sigma’s older 18-200mm lens, this features Sigma’s new-generation four-stop Optical Stabilizer plus you get HSM autofocus, which is quick and all but silent.

Then there’s the mightier zoom range, which is almost on a par with the Tamron 18-270mm. For a superzoom lens with such a big range, the Sigma does an excellent job of combining silky-smooth zoom ring operation with zero zoom creep, and the manual focus ring is similarly smooth and precise, even if it lacks the Nikon’s trick of enabling full-time manual focus override when you’re in autofocus mode.

Optically, the Sigma 18-250mm proved very convincing in our tests, with excellent sharpness, contrast and colour rendition, while distortions were reasonably well contained and resistance to ghosting and flare was also impressive.

Considering it’s much cheaper than the Canon or Nikon 18-200mm lenses, and 60 cheaper than the Tamron 18-270mm, this really is an excellent buy at the price.

Ratings

Features – 4.5/5
Build quality – 5/5
Handling – 5/5
Image quality – 4.5/5
Value for money – 4.5/5

Verdict:

A cracking lens at the price, with excellent handling and reassuring build quality, along with a monster zoom range. 92%

Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II Macro

Price

: £390 (street)

This lens was something of a revelation when it was first launched, being almost identical in size and weight to Tamron’s older 18-200mm lens, yet offering a more generous zoom range and better image quality.

Indeed, sharpness and contrast are pretty much as good as almost any other lens in this group. Build quality is also impressive, and zoom creep is only an issue when using the 50-100mm focal range.

The major drawback is that, unlike every other lens on test here, the Tamron 18-250mm lacks an image stabiliser. Coupled with a relatively slow maximum aperture of f/6.3, this makes the effective telephoto reach of around 400mm almost impossible to utilise without increasing your camera’s ISO to fend off camera shake in anything other than the brightest lighting conditions.
Autofocus is only based on a standard micro-motor as well, making the Tamron look poor value compared with the Sigma 18-250mm OS HSM.

Ratings

Features – 3/5
Build quality – 3.5/5
Handling – 3.5/5
Image quality – 4.5/5
Value for money – 3/5

Verdict:

Optical quality is great but lack of image stabilisation makes it hard to use the lens’s reach without a tripod. 80%

Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC Macro

Price

- £460

For sheer zoom power, this lens rules the roost with its amazing 15x range. It also features Tamron’s VC (Vibration Correction) stabilisation system, which matches the latest Canon, Nikon and Sigma equivalents by offering a four-stop anti-shake advantage. This makes this lens much easier to use at longer telephoto lengths comparedwith Tamron’s older 18-250mm.

Distortions aren’t too bad considering the huge zoom range, and sharpness and contrast are extremely good,although chromatic aberrations are marginally more prevalent than usual. There’s little to choose between this lens and the Sigma 18-270mm, but the Tamron’s basic micro-motor autofocus system is noisier and its zoom ring is a little stiff and uneven by comparison.

Another slight curiosity is that Tamron sticks a ‘Macro’ badge on both its xuperzoom lenses, even though they’re really not macro lenses and merely offer about the same maximum magnification factor as other lenses on test.

Ratings

Features 4.5/5
Build quality – 4/5
Handling – 4/5
Image quality – 4.5/5
Value for money – 4/5

Verdict

: Very good optical quality and the mammoth 15x zoom range is unbeatable, but there’s still room for improvement.

To see test shots from the superzoom group test, buy this month’s (Spring 2010) issue of Digital Camera Magazine, on sale now.