qualtalk

Greetings!

My daughter got me a D3300 about two years ago as a present. Now my wife is interested in starting to shoot some photos and she invited me to upgrade my camera. and she'll take the D3300.

I've ordered a refurbished D7200 body from Cameta (arrived in two days, and has a one-year warranty, so a big +1 on the "ABC" vendor recommendations) and so I now need a mid-range zoom to add to the glass collection so we can both shoot similar images when we have to.

I currently have the 18-55mm and 55-200mm VR kit lenses that came with the D3300, and a Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 SP Di VC USD XLD for shots that need the extra reach. With the Tamron, it took three tries to get a copy that delivered the results people had enthusiastically claimed in their reviews, but the one I have now is fantastic.

After a bit of research, I decided to try the Tamron AF 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC for $199 US. The results so far have been a bit disappointing, with soft images throughout the range. I realize that "super zooms" like this won't deliver the tack-sharp focus of shorter-range zooms or prime lenses, and this situation may indicate another Tamron quality-control issue that will require a few exchanges to get a good copy.

With that in mind, I have a few questions for the community:

1. Can anyone speak to the general quality of the Tamron 18-200 so I'll know if I should try exchanging the lens or just return it?

2. What recommendations would you have as an alternative for a reasonable-quality walk-around lens? I'd like something that starts around 18mm at the low end and goes up to 120-200mm at the long end of the range - I don't necessarily need to go up all the way to 200 since that's already covered with the 55-200 Nikon and the 70-300 Tamron.

3. I know the lens will work with both the D3300 and D7200, but should I expect to see any variation in focus accuracy when swapping the lenses between the two bodies?

Thanks, as always, for your valuable input!

JR45 Loc: Montgomery County, TX

The Nikkor AF-S 18-300 DX has worked for me on both a D7200 and a D500.
But so has the 200-500 FX.

cthahn

You are learning the hard way about super zooms.

Noj Refifp

I have a Tamron 200-500 5.6-6.3 and apparently I have one of the few good copies. It was purchased for 200.00 and was mint. The camera is a D300s and is used on a tripod 90% of the time. Most camera stores have a return policy if the lens isn't cutting it. There are lots of options but you have to be patient and do your homework. Each low budget lens has their sweet spots and limitations.

mymike Loc: Tucson, AZ

I have both the Tamron 16 -300 and the Nikon 18 - 140. If I am traveling away out of town, I take the 18 - 300 and a 35 mm prime. My favorite lens to use in town is the Nikon 18 - 140. The image quality is superb and the zoom range is sufficient for what I want to shoot in most cases. There is also more sharpness than my Tamron lens. I got my 18 -140 refurbished. A good place to show for refurbished is Adorama, B & H, Cameta, KEH. I have used Cameta and have been extremely happy.

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

I love my Nikon 18-300 3.5/5.6 on my D7200. It is very versatile and sharp and not too heavy. See my recent post for some examples.
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-484594-1.html

AK Grandpa Loc: Anchorage, AK

I have the Tamron 18-270 on my D5500 and the Tamron 18-400 on my D500. I think these are both excellent lenses and they stay on my cameras 95% of the time. I also have a Tokina 11-16 and a Tamron 150-600 . . . But both of these are more speciality lenses and only used when I need super wide or super telephoto. The 18-270 and 18-400 cover all my needs from moderate wide to moderate telephoto. . . And are great all around lenses . . .

reindeer Loc: London U.K.

It's always a compromise between portability, suitability and price. Nikon 18-200 a bit heavy, 18-140 Nikon lighter and slightly better IQ, Sigma 18-300 IQ not good enough. Tamron IQ not good enough. I would suggest Nikon 18-140, considering everything. Also if I were deciding I would have gone for D 5600. iQ being the he same as D7200 and much easier to carry all day.