RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

I own D7100 upgraded from D90,now is time to look for new lens.I have DX 40mm Macro Nikon and using also from my D800 FX Nikon lens 28-300 and 105/2.8 macro ,i need another lens DX preferably for travel which should be Mega zoom as they call them.

I purchased and trying now (?miracle lens?) Tamron 18 -270 which was recommended in DPreview,and you can't really believe all what they write.I wonder sometimes who writes those reviews. This lens is bad, brand new and it is not sharp almost in any positions and aperture. 6x4 look decent but enlargements over 50% is blurry and never sharp, i just couldn't find anything positive about it so far but low weight.
I have Google those two - 18-200 or 18 -300mm Nikon as they have same parameters (300 little bit longer)
Ken Rockwell call 18-200 awesome!
DPreview didn't help me decide,and recently there is a lot of Nikon18-200mm on sale and used, makes you wonder, is it because 18-300 is new and people upgrading from 18-200 them?
Has anybody have experience with any of those zooms? Please help.

Jan_dalton Loc: NC

I have a nikon 3100 and use the nikon 18-300 lens!! I love it!! Other then using my prime 50mm I don't have to change my lens. The nikon 18 -300 is very heavy lens I had to buy another tripod to support it! But I love this lens!!! I also have the 200...I willing to sell it to you!! It's a good lens but the 300 for me is better!!!

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

Thanks for your reply,what was your decision to get 300,since you had 200?

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

I know I've heard it a 100 times but still would you buy a new car without a test drive ?
I go to the camera store and test each new lens on either my camera or 1 of the same model in their display and see how it works first, and depending on store price and online shopping I decide where to purchase my lens.
The standard reply is But but I don't have a camera store close and so on and so on.
The only way is to actually test the lens before you buy it or make sure the store has at least a 30 day return policy if your dissatisfied.
Yes I have a tamron 18-270 for my D3100 and I am very happy with it , 2 nikon kit lens 18-55mm and the 55-200mm , 70-300mm tamron, 50 mm nikon, and a sigma 150-500mm and a sigma 2x teleconverter for the 150 that also fits the 70-300 the 3 lens I carry are the 50mm, 18-270mm and the 70-300 + 2x TC the big sig works best mounted on a tripod as it gets very heavy to handhold steady.
The 18-270 is more practical in some cases then the 70-300 and the 50mm is small enough to carry in a pocket if its needed. and the 18-270 a bit awkward but still can fit in a pocket while you take a few shots with the other lens .

Bill Emmett Loc: Bow, New Hampshire

I own and shoot with a Tamron 18-270mm on my Canon cameras. I did have to send the Tamron back for "soft" images. It came back with these items on the service order, cleaned manufacturing debris, replaced lens elements, and calibrated to Canon 50D specs. This greatly improve my images, and I now use it as my normal walk-around lens. It is not the same quality as my "L" quality lenses, and cannot expect it to perform as a "L" lens. But, does produce acceptable results.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I am wondering why you just don't use the almost perfect super-zoom you already own? The Nikon 28-300mm works fantastic on the D7100 and if you go to the 18-300mm you only gain a little bit on the wide end yet have the same tele end. I just cannot understand why you would want to intentionally duplicate focal lengths is all.

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

A few shots with the Tamron 18-270mm on a D3100 nikon

appox 40 ft away


from appox 400 ft away


from appox 1000 ft away


appox here to the moon

JPL

I agree on this comment. But I can also tell you that according to DXOmark.com there are 2 versions of the Tamron lens you bought and one of them has the worst sharpness of all lenses with this zoom range tested on a D7000, the other type is much better, but the Nikon 18-300 is the sharpest of the lenses with this zoom range tested. (18-200,250,270,300 mm)

According to my experience DXOmark is a good indicator on how good a lens is. Maybe they are not perfect judges, but I am sure if they say one lens is the best tested on one camera, it is at least very good in comparison to other such lenses and if a lens is the worst according to them it must at least be bad compared to some other lenses on that camera.

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

MT D800 is mostly used at same time by my wife,and those are ALL our lenses right now,any good solution now? Thanks

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

nice take ,i can't get anything close to this ,must be a lemon they give me.

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

I can't imagine go through this process,thank you

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The 18-200mm on the D7100 will yield a 35mm equivalent of a 27-300mm lens, virtually the same as the FX 28-300mm on the D800. Might be the best choice as you would both then be shooting the same scene fully framed on your sensors.
My experience with Tamron products on Nikons has been less than stellar.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

I had a 18-135mm for my D200. Out of the country, camera amd lens fell of the bed and the lens mount broke. Considering the cost to repair, I decided I'd go for an 18-200mm Nikon. I waited long enoogh for there to be a $200 reduction sale going on and got it.

I went back and forth between getting the 18-200mm or the newer 18-300mm. Glade I got the 200 as while the 300 gives a longer reach, it is Bigger and Heavier.

Depending on the weight of your camera, adding a Heavy lens can get to you if you have to carry it around for a good part of ther day.

I recently retired, and have been on trips to Alaska, Europe and the British Isles...and I'm glade the load I carried wasn't any heavier.

A friend once told me that in most cases the diffeence between Xmm and Ymm can be achieved by moving a couple of feet closer. Of course it depends on were you are, and whether you can step foward those couple of feet.

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

Your point is a good one.That exactly is reason of this forum.Thank you MT

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

Thank you,it is to be taken in considerations, and yes I'm not going any stronger with my kidney transplant(going on to 14th year now :o)