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

The Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is an ideal APS-C format travel lens

Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II
(Image: © Nikon)

Digital Camera World Verdict

I have to admit that this lens was my personal favorite ‘superzoom’ and my go-lens for walkabout and travel photography for many years, until Nikon’s Z system cameras came along, accompanied by the Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Built for DX format DSLRs, the 18-200mm is more refined than the AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR and more manageable than the oversized AF-S DX 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6 VR, while still giving a highly useful ‘effective’ zoom range of 27-300mm in full-frame terms.

Pros

  • +

    Powerful zoom range

  • +

    Compact, lightweight construction

  • +

    Refined handling

Cons

  • -

    Chunkier than Sigma/Tamron equivalents

  • -

    Lacks the reach of an 18-300mm zoom

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The Nikon AF-S DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is a subtle refresh of Nikon’s original 18-200mm lens, gaining a zoom lock switch but retaining the same optical design and image stabilizer. Nikon subsequently launched two 18-300mm superzooms. The bulkier f/3.5-5.6 is now obsolete and the f/3.5-6.3 is more basic, with no focus distance scale nor a supplied hood.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.