'The One Lens' to bring them all out of the darkness

N

nukeu666

Skilled
Ive been pondering what lenses would go with my future D90
Already have a Nikkor 50/1.4 which will be used for most indoor gatherings

I`m planning for an additional 18-200 lens so dont have to carry around a camera bag
Ken rockwell has gone overboard with praises on the Nikkor 18-200VR which sells for 32k on jjm (grey)
Cheaper alternatives are sigma(17k) and tamron(13k) which are decent (not sunnyboi's meaning of decent)
The only change to the set will be adding an ultrawide lens(10~20) in the future

Don't plan on wildlife photography so doubt ill need 250+mm range

Other lens combination suggestions welcome?
Is the nikkor 18-200 worth 2x the price of others?
 
^^ Yes and no. IQ wise, Sigma and Tamron are almost on par with their 18-250mm HSM OS and Tamron 18-270mm VC. However the Tamron has a slow AF and even the Sigma with its HSM is not as fast (but pretty close) to the speed of the Nikon.

However build quality wise there is nothing to match the Nikon. Both the Sigma and Tamron are not as good at the build of the Nikon.
 
I'm using Nikon 18-200VR and it's absolutely worth for the money. I was also in two minds before buying that lens, but having used it for more than an year I can confidently say that it was a wise investment.

However, since it's not a very fast lens (F/3.5 at wide-end and F/5.6 at zoom-end)... don't expect miracles in low-light situations. Then again, since you'll be pairing it with D90, that point is kinda moot. let's see....

On the downside:

It's not a very fast lens (F/3.5-F/5.6), but at this price you can't really complain. :p

There is slight fringing at zoom end.

Like many cheap telephoto lenses, it's not very sharp at zoom-end at maximum aperture (f/5.6 at 200mm). But at f/8 on zoom-end it's really crisp.

Like many cheap telephoto lenses, there is slight lens distortion on both ends (extreme wide 18mm and extreme zoom 200mm). Again, it's nothing that can't be fixed in image editing software like photoshop.

On the upside:

It's an almost all-situation lens.

You can't imagine how much time it can save you for not changing lenses while traveling. I would say it's perfect lens for traveling light.

The VR works.

The PQ is really good, if not great. Again, since it's not a fast lens, it matters which camera you're pairing it with.

Flair control and performance against-the-light is really great, and the bokeh is quite good.

Build quality is top notch. In fact, before even taking the pictures it feels like well worth of price it's asking for.

The focusing is smooth and fast.

I would definitely recommend this lens. :)

On the other note... 50mm f/1.4 is great lens for portraits, but for indoor gathering it depends on the size of "indoor". I would say 35mm f/1.8 would be better lens for indoor gatherings, 50mm can really get limiting sometimes unless you're specifically shooting portraits. :)
 
Yep, the 18-200 VR is an excellent addition to anyone's DX kit.

I used a Sony 18-250 and a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 for all the time I owned a Sony A300 APSC camera. I love the versatility of a good quality superzoom (the Nikon is just about the best in its class) and the image quality is more than enough for an enthusiast's needs. :)

Take it.

The 50 f1.4 is a great sidekick to the 18-200 as well. Perfect couple.

Cheers!

Payne
 
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