Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

Actually, I have used better kit lenses in the past that this one. This is a really, really un-sharp lens. Every picture it churns out is soft and fuzzy, and it doesn't take much magnification in PS to see it. This one is great for 4x6 and 5x7 prints and maybe an 8x10 on a good day but that's about it. For the casual shooter only. On the bright side, the pincushion and barrel distortion was better than expected and less than most kit lenses I have used. Seriously, though, this is one of the weakest--if not the weakest--Nikon lenses I have ever shot with. 200 shots and I'm done and it was sold on the used market.

If you are looking for a good lens in this price range, take a look at the 35-70mm f/2.8D (a pro lens from the mid-late 90's) which can be had for around $250-$350 on the used market (a true steal) and churns out razor sharp pictures. Steer clear of this lens and the highly overrated 18-200mm VR unless you are just really looking for a casual snapshot lens. If you must have a lens starting at 18mm and you want to stay in this price range then go with the 18-55mm VR which is a fine lens and far superior to this one. If you want a longer maximum focal length in this price range then go with the 18-135mm which is also a superior lens to this one.

I got this lens in my D200 kit, and within a year sold it off. While I found the lens to be adequate for many of my uses, until I purchased the 17-55 f/2.8 DX, I had no idea what my D200 was capable of.

CONS first (because you've probably already read all the good things):

First of all, the build quality of this lens is what I would call 'poor'. It's made of plastic. While I never abuse camera equipment, it's pretty vulnerable. The zoom ring feels cheap, as well as the focus ring.

The lens is not sharp until around f/5.6, for most applications. Below f/5.6, in most situations, the lens caused images from my D200 to look more like that of a point-n-shoot than a pro DSLR.

Of utmost importance: The lens vignettes like crazy wide open. Yeah, this can be corrected in Photoshop, but why? Even my cheap old $100 Tokina zoom lens doesn't vignette on my old film camera. This is not something that I expect to see from Nikon products, at this day in age.

Additionally, this lens is quite soft, compared to better lenses - you won't achieve 'prime sharp' with any combination of zoom/f-stop on this lens.

This must be a symptom of Nikon products, but the AF switch on the lens feels cheap/fragile - I hate these cheap little switches.

PROS:

Since this lens falls into the "normal zoom" range on a 1.5x crop factor DSLR, this lens is very versatile, and is not a specialty lens. For versatility, this lens is excellent. 18-70 (28-105 35mm equiv) is a very useful range, for casual photography.

I did mostly landscapes and some people shots, and it did quite well in these situations. At f/11, this lens is almost indistinguishable from it's pro brother (the 17-55 f/2.8 DX) at the same f/stop.

This lens is excellent for the price - definite bargain, especially since you can even use 17-55 f/2.8 and this lens in the same sentence, when talking about image quality.

CONCLUSION:

If you're beginning in photography, this is an excellent lens to start with. It can be found for around $200 from independent sellers (that's what I sold my mind-cond one for), and is a great bargain. Also, if you're just starting out in DSLR's, you will probably find it to be more than necessary for your needs.

If you're expecting pro results, this probably isn't the lens for you. If you're looking for professional results, and will be spending a lot of time post processing RAW's, and doing people photography, save for a while and get the Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 DX ED IF.

I was quite happy with my Nikon 18-70, but sadly, I quickly outgrew it and became bothered by it's flaws. In this price range, you probably won't find anything better in Nikon, Canon, or any of the after marketers.

I would strongly recommend this lens for D40, D40x, D70/s, D60, and D80 users. D200 (maybe even D80) users will be sold quite short with this lens - it takes a pro lens to see what the D200 (D300, and other pro DX bodies) are even capable of.

Having purchased a D40 Kit, I got to look at the 18-55 lens. Certainly a bargain priced Nikkor to compete with the Canons. The 18-70 new style ED IF lens is far and away the heavy duty superior. I ordered one and immediately noticed the differences. The optical quality of the little lens isn't really bad at all, but the 18-70 is certainly better. The greater reach also helps keep it on the camera most of the time.

It's heftier construction and feel is more steady and sharper. While there is some distortion at the low end under certain conditions, like most DSLR zoom lenses, it is not readily noticeable, and only occurs under certain conditions. Certainly not a deal killer!

This 18-70 is the one you will have on the camera most of the time, and can take the job and do the work. Overall a heavy duty Nikkor with a reasonable price, and tack sharp results. You'll like it!

I really like this lens for the optics and the range but my 18-55mm VR lens works out so much better for the kind of shots I have been taking. I like the fact that this lens has the manual focus override with auto focus but I really noticed how much better my shots are in low lighting situations with my VR lens. the stops can be alot slower, and for me I found out that that comes in real handy. I liked this lens but have noticed my VR lens is cheaper and with it I rarely reach for my 18-70 lens now.

It's hard to really rate medium range lenses, since their prices eventually fall, as newer better lenses invariably are released.

When this lens first came out, it was a fantastic deal. Good to Great optics at the 18-70 range for only ~300 bucks! What a bargain!

But times have moved on, and as others have noted, the standard kit 18-55 is just as good, or slightly better, than this lens in terms of optics, though suffers from a slightly narrower range, and is offered at a lower price.

In the end. If you're looking for a wide to moderate zoom lens, I think the 18-70 is still a great choice, so long as you can find one for <200 bucks. I got one used for ~150, and at *that* price I think they're a good deal.