Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR

Announced Jun 14, 2012 •
Lens | Nikon F (DX)
Add this product to your shortlist for comparison
Oct 30, 2012.
Review
Buy on
Nikon AF-S 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G DX Nikkor Lens
$996.95
Buy on GearShop
Share
Pin It
User reviews
Questions & Answers
Gear list
I own it I want it I had it
52 29 1
Product description
Announced Jun 14, 2012
Discuss in the Nikon SLR Lens Talk forum

The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR offers the highest ever zoom ratio for a Nikon interchangeable lens, giving a 27-450mm equivalent range on one of the company's DX-format cameras. The lens is a much more complex design than the older 18-200mm - utilizing 19 elements in 14 groups and, at 120mm long, is 23% longer. A lens with this sort of focal length span is never going to match a pair of lenses covering the same range for image quality, but that's not the point of products like this. Ultimately, the 18-300mm is a decent performer, optically, but its bulk and high price should be taken into consideration compared to competitive third-party options.

Quick specs
Lens type Zoom lens
Focal length 18–300 mm
Image stab. Yes (VR II)
Lens mount Nikon F (DX)
Max aperture F3.5 - F5.6
Min aperture F22.0 - F32.0
Min focus 0.45 m (17.72)
Max magnification 0.32×
Weight 830 g (1.83 lb)
Length 120 mm (4.72)

See full specifications

Our review

Nikon's AF-S Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6 VR lens offers the longest zoom range currently available for any interchangeable lens camera system. But this comes with all of the usual optical compromises associated with a superzoom, in a large, heavy package. It's also much more expensive than third party alternatives.

Good for: Nikon DX SLR owners looking for the longest possible zoom range in a single lens.

Not so good for: Photographers looking for the best possible image quality, especially at telephoto

Read the full review

76%
dpreview score
Scoring
Optical Quality
Build Quality
Autofocus
Image Stabilization
Ergonomics and Handling
Value
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR review samples
30 images • View album
Our favorite products. Free 2 day shipping.
Support this site, buy from dpreview GearShop.
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR