Nikkor Lens AFS DX 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

Product Information

Build quality is typical of Nikon kit lenses bundled with their entry level cameras, with high quality plastics being used for all of the construction, including the lens bayonet.

To switch between those modes, you must use the DSLR internal menu, as there is no mechanical button/switch on the lens tube. I repeat here what I wrote in the AF-P 10-20mm wide-angle review: even though one should praise Nikon for designing a faster and quieter focusing lens, I realized that, combined with the missing on-the-lens switch, I experienced some frustrating moments. The button on the zoom ring unlocks it so you can move the zoom ring between the shooting settings (18~55mm) or the collapsed lock (L) position. Lens sharpness used to matter with zooms in the 1960s, but today, all Nikon's lenses are sharper than most photographers ability to elicit sharpness from them. Weighing just 195 g and equipped with a retractable lens mechanism, this is a lens that's small in size and big on convenience.Macro is a full-frame L-mount lens that's designed to be a medium telephoto, portrait and macro lens all-in-one.

I love shooting against the low sun, so one of the very crucial features is how a lens can handle direct sunlight or any other strong source of light. We consider falloff to start becoming a potential problem when the corner illumination falls more than 1 stop below the centre.VR is mounted on the camera, vibration reduction can be enabled or disabled using the Optical VR option in the shooting menu ( 0 Optical VR).

First, doing this in the camera menu takes longer (do not underestimate how crucial this might be in some moments). You’ll always be ready to tackle a whole host of subjects, from city shots and landscapes to family sporting events and action-packed HD movies. This also applies to accessories that are supplied with the camera including batteries which may have a lower optimum performance level/life expectancy. Focusing is very smooth, even in Live View Mode, where AF-S lenses tended to hunt back and forth before nailing the focus.Even if VR can be turned off in some bodies, I still think it is not the optimal solution: it is easy to forget about the in-camera setting and shoot with VR turned off. Other differences include a larger rear lens element (20mm vs 15mm), an additional circular flare-cut diaphragm placed in front of the aperture assembly, and new 'Super-Integrated Coatings'. This allows us to confirm our studio observations, and identify any other issues which don't show up in the tests. Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Of course backgrounds get softest as you get closer to your subject and shoot at the 55mm end of the zoom range.

It offers faster focus than most other Nikon lenses, as well as great sharpness, stabilizer and close-focus performance. Just head over to our dedicated Sell or Part Exchange page, fill out the details, and we'll get back to you with an offer for your old gear.It perfoms best in the middle of its range, with a distinct drop in preformance towards the telephoto end, as is common with lenses of this type. Compared to the previous generation of ultrasonic engines (Silent Wave Motor, or SWM, referred to as “AF-S”), the new stepping motor technology (abbreviation for auto-focus pulsing, referred to as the “AF-P”) is faster and quieter. Vibration Reduction (VR) system: Enables more stable handheld shooting and lets you shoot at up to four stops slower. Of course the glass is glass and the electronic contacts are metal, but otherwise it's a plastic lens.