Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens Review

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Sample Photos

Wideangle | 1/400 sec | f/9.0 | 18.0 mm | ISO 200 High-Res	Telephoto | 1/250 sec | f/9.0 | 300.0 mm | ISO 220 High-Res
Closest focus is 45cm | 1/640 sec | f/5.6 | 300.0 mm | ISO 200 High-Res	Little benefit is gleaned from stopping down at short focal length as far as clarity is concerned | 1/2000 sec | f/6.3 | 21.0 mm | ISO 200 High-Res
1/250 sec | f/5.6 | 220.0 mm | ISO 500 High-Res	1/320 sec | f/8.0 | 112.0 mm | ISO 200 High-Res
1/250 sec | f/8.0 | 72.0 mm | ISO 560 High-Res	1/800 sec | f/6.3 | 18.0 mm | ISO 200 High-Res

Value for Money

This 18-300mm lens carries a premium price of £850, possibly due to its unique 18-300mm zoom range. For that you get a lens with a silent autofocus motor that allows full time manual focus override and a relatively bright f/5.6 maximum aperture at 300mm.

Nikon's current 18-200mm lens is similarly specified, except for the maximum telephoto setting being 200mm. It costs around £590 and is much smaller and lighter than the 18-300mm.

The closest offering Sigma produce is their 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM lens, which costs around £500. It has a maximum telephoto setting of 250mm and the maximum aperture drops to f/6.3 at this setting. This lens also includes a second generation stabiliser and a silent focusing motor, although manual focus override is only possible by switching the lens to its manual focus setting.

Finally, Tamron's 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD is their closest offering, which costs around £395. There is a 30mm difference at the telephoto setting and the maximum aperture drops to f/6.3 at 270mm. This lens also includes a second generation vibration compensation system and a silent focusing motor, although full time manual focus override isn't possible, just like with the Sigma.

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