On 2007-04-29 08:45:17 -0700, Rita Ä Berkowitz ritaberk2O04 @aol.com said:

C J Campbell wrote:

I also like the 18-200mm VR lens. It focuses closely enough for light
macro work. It has enough telephoto to bring the mountains closer for
those background mountain shots. It has decent mid-range zoom for
portraits. It goes wide enough for landscapes.

TOTAL AND UTTER BULL****!

I see you labelled your post properly. It describes pretty much
everything that followed that line.


The 18-200mm VR does *NOT* do macro it does close-up work. It does have a
decent FoV equivalent to a 135mm lens, but it would have been nice for it to
have the same as a 200mm lens. The biggest problem with this lens is its
poor build quality and poor light gathering properties. The lens creep and
many complaints of the front element working its way loose and falling off
are totally unacceptable. And what compounds the problem is the need to
have a lot of light to wake this lens up. I find it near impossible to
shoot below ISO 400 and +0.7 EV compensation. It's a decent walk around
lens in principle, but takes a lot of work to get used to if you are
accustomed to shooting with good glass. It's overpriced for what you get.
Fortunately I was able to sell a total of three of these dogs to offset the
cost of justify keeping mine. At $750 it is a rip-off and Nikon should be
ashamed of themselves. Pity the fool that paid more than $750 MSRP, though
I'm glad they do.

You say close-up; I say light macro, which is probably not as
technically correct but still reasonable. The lens has the FOV of a
200mm lens when focused at infinity, which is what the OP would be
doing when taking pictures of distant mountains. That is what he wanted
it for, after all. Poor build quality and poor light gathering
qualities are subjective. Most reviewers rave about this lens. You,
OTOH, have a hatred that borders on psychopathic. "Many" complaints
about the front element falling off? Nonsense. This is a new complaint
that you made up. Neither is lens creep unique to this lens. It is
common to nearly all lenses in the price range that the OP was talking
about. Not everyone can afford to spent $1500 on a lens, Rita.

The biggest lens creep around here is you. I have had it with your
unsubstantiated claims.

Just once I would like to see where you showed that you knew what you
were talking about. The fact is, the few pictures you have posted have
been very inferior work.



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Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor