DISCLAIMER: This review was carried out using a Nikon D7100 body. Results may vary with other bodies as the Nikon D7100 has no OLPF (optical low pass filter), which should make the images sharper than they would be if they were taken using other bodies. I do not represent Nikon, Li Ning, Starbucks or any other brand that might be showcased in this review. This review is written for THE FEAR and is of no significance to any sort of argument that may or may not ensue. I deliver this with utmost honesty and sincerity.
Hello, there!
I've had to postpone writing this entry due to some circumstances in real life.
But now I have a bit of time and I'd like to squeeze in a comparison review of the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR vs AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II.
First off, let's state the obvious: the 18-200 VRII has the supreme advantage as a superzoom lens, going from wide to telephoto in an instant.
It is the most practical lens ever built by Nikon and I commend their excellent production.
The lens is tough, feels good in the hands and shoots beautiful photos.
However, in this entry, I will be conducting a fair comparison, where I'll be restricting judgement to only a maximum of 105mm on both lenses.
This means that I will only compare from the widest focal length at 18mm to the maximum focal length of 105mm.
Wide angle (18mm)
Honestly, there is no significant difference whatsoever between these two lenses at 18mm.
They both have a maximum aperture of f/3.5 and the vignetting at the corners of the photo are the same.
Furthermore, the barrel distortion of both lenses at this focal length does not distract too much from the photo, itself.
Since these two lenses are DX lenses, you do not get to use the full 18mm equivalent on an FX sensor.
That means that at this focal length, you're actually shooting at a focal length of 27mm (1.5x crop factor), which is considered as the standard starting focal length for full-frame bodies (most kit lenses for full-frame bodies start at 24mm).
Here are some test shots at 18mm:
Maximum zoom (105mm)
105mm x 1.5 = 157.5mm is a very useful focal length.
The 5.8x zoom range of the 18-105 VR is what's usually needed in daily situations.
Both of these lenses are sharp (as far as kit lenses go) and the color retention is good.
Note that at 105mm, the 18-105 VR has a max aperture of f/5.6 while the 18-200 VRII is slightly better with f/5.3.
You can see that in the test shots, the extra 0.3 of aperture is significant in letting in more light, thus creating a slightly brighter photo:
Bokeh
The bokeh from both lenses aren't as dreamy as bokeh from the higher-end lenses you have on the market, but you do get some separation between subject at background when you zoom out to their maximum focal length.
From both lenses, the bokeh at this focal length is the same: a fairly smooth blur.
This isn't surprising nor is it a downside of the lenses, simply because their main usage is for every day shooting and convenience.
I have seen some good shots with brilliant bokeh that only utilized these lenses, so with the right composition and technique, it isn't impossible to create nice images.
Here are some examples:
Lowlight performance
Both of the lenses faired very well at the indoor badminton court where I shot the photos in this review.
There was little to no hunting for focus, at all, from these lenses and when they are spot on, the results are sharp and crisp.
Shooting action isn't easy, especially without sufficient light, but these lenses are well capable of doing the job.
In fact, all of Fariq's photos for QZ Photography's event photos so far were taken using the 18-200 VRII and you can see that with skill and precision, he produced some wonderful shots.
I also took the 18-105 VR to shoot the 27th Golden Disk Awards last year and it was also usable since we didn't have any professional gear at the time.
Action shots in lowlight:
Check out all the HIGH RES photos from this review at my Flickr here.
There is a lot to talk about when it comes to gear and we constantly wonder what the best gear might be.
The best choice of gear isn't made based on reviews and comparisons but relies mostly on what type of photography you want to do.
However, for those of you who just want to shoot for fun or are just getting into photography, you can't go wrong with either of these lenses.
In Malaysia, I don't see that many shops selling the 18-200 VRII as part of a kit, also because it's retail price is well over RM2,500.
The 18-105 VR is less than half the price of the 18-200 VRII, so that might be something to consider when choosing between these two lenses.
The 18-105 VR is a popular choice for those who only want to bring around one lens for their DSLR.
Keep in mind that for the extra RM1,000 for the 18-200 VRII, you get convenience and unmatched practicality.
Both of these lenses are great for walkabouts, travel and also the occasional family or office events.
The reason I wrote this review was to actually make myself feel better for selling my 18-200 VRII.
I am selling it to a friend to compensate for a new lens that I will hopefully pick up before TTA at the end of this month.
I've had lots of requests for when I first put it up for sale and I can say that it's been a very good experience shooting with it.
Of course, there are a lot of trade-offs with shooting with this type of lens such as vignetting and distortion, maximum aperture, weather-sealing, toughness of the build and so on.
What I can say is that we've had the 18-105 VR since 2009 and it still works perfectly well, even with its outer defects; and I bought the 18-200 VRII used and it held up for every event we brought it.
Both of these lenses are good.
I have used both extensively and they haven't failed me yet.
Of course, for better quality images, it takes a lot more than these lenses but they are enough to give you that stepping stone to much better gear in the future.
Besides, it's not the gear that creates the photo, it's the photographer.
Hello, there!
I've had to postpone writing this entry due to some circumstances in real life.
But now I have a bit of time and I'd like to squeeze in a comparison review of the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR vs AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II.
18-200 VRII (left) vs 18-105 VR (right)
Just look at this shot using the iPhone 5s! The details are amazing and the contrast is just remarkable. It even has some degree of bokeh!
First off, let's state the obvious: the 18-200 VRII has the supreme advantage as a superzoom lens, going from wide to telephoto in an instant.
It is the most practical lens ever built by Nikon and I commend their excellent production.
The lens is tough, feels good in the hands and shoots beautiful photos.
However, in this entry, I will be conducting a fair comparison, where I'll be restricting judgement to only a maximum of 105mm on both lenses.
This means that I will only compare from the widest focal length at 18mm to the maximum focal length of 105mm.
Wide angle (18mm)
Honestly, there is no significant difference whatsoever between these two lenses at 18mm.
They both have a maximum aperture of f/3.5 and the vignetting at the corners of the photo are the same.
Furthermore, the barrel distortion of both lenses at this focal length does not distract too much from the photo, itself.
Since these two lenses are DX lenses, you do not get to use the full 18mm equivalent on an FX sensor.
That means that at this focal length, you're actually shooting at a focal length of 27mm (1.5x crop factor), which is considered as the standard starting focal length for full-frame bodies (most kit lenses for full-frame bodies start at 24mm).
Here are some test shots at 18mm:
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR without lens correction
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR with lens correction
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR side-by-side comparison
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
The distortion in the centre of the photo is apparent, yet it does not ruin the photo. Also, note that the vignetting from the non-corrected photo isn't too obvious. Both the distortion and vignetting can be removed easily using lens correction in Lightroom.
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII without lens correction
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII with lens correction
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII side-by-side comparison
f/3.5 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 18mm
Here, as was seen in the above side-by-side comparison of the 18-105 VR, it is shown that the distortion and vignetting from the lens isn't too apparent. People without any photography background and also photographers with little experience may not even notice this "defect".
Maximum zoom (105mm)
105mm x 1.5 = 157.5mm is a very useful focal length.
The 5.8x zoom range of the 18-105 VR is what's usually needed in daily situations.
Both of these lenses are sharp (as far as kit lenses go) and the color retention is good.
Note that at 105mm, the 18-105 VR has a max aperture of f/5.6 while the 18-200 VRII is slightly better with f/5.3.
You can see that in the test shots, the extra 0.3 of aperture is significant in letting in more light, thus creating a slightly brighter photo:
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR
f/5.6 | 1/25 sec. | ISO-3200 | 105mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII
f/5.3 | 1/25 sec. | ISO-3200 | 105mm
18-105 VR (left) vs 18-200 VR II side-by-side comparison
f/5.6 (left), f/5.3 (right) | 1/25 sec. | ISO-3200 | 105mm
From the above, all the settings were kept constant, yet the maximum aperture of the 18-200 VRII at 105mm is bigger (f/5.3) than that of the 18-105 VR (f/5.6). It is shown from the side-by-side comparison that this extra opening results in a slightly brighter photo, which gives a small advantage in lowlight situations.
Bokeh
The bokeh from both lenses aren't as dreamy as bokeh from the higher-end lenses you have on the market, but you do get some separation between subject at background when you zoom out to their maximum focal length.
From both lenses, the bokeh at this focal length is the same: a fairly smooth blur.
This isn't surprising nor is it a downside of the lenses, simply because their main usage is for every day shooting and convenience.
I have seen some good shots with brilliant bokeh that only utilized these lenses, so with the right composition and technique, it isn't impossible to create nice images.
Here are some examples:
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR
f/5.6 | 1/160 sec. | ISO-200 | 105mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII
f/5.3 | 1/160 sec. | ISO-200 | 105mm
18-105 VR (left) vs 18-200 VR II side-by-side comparison
f/5.6 (left), f/5.3 (right) | 1/160 sec. | ISO-200 | 105mm
You would think that the larger aperture of the 18-200 VRII at 105mm would give a slight edge over the 18-105 VR but as you can see from the image above, there is no difference in bokeh between the two lenses. There is some separation between the background and the subject, therefore these lenses aren't too bad.
Lowlight performance
Both of the lenses faired very well at the indoor badminton court where I shot the photos in this review.
There was little to no hunting for focus, at all, from these lenses and when they are spot on, the results are sharp and crisp.
Shooting action isn't easy, especially without sufficient light, but these lenses are well capable of doing the job.
In fact, all of Fariq's photos for QZ Photography's event photos so far were taken using the 18-200 VRII and you can see that with skill and precision, he produced some wonderful shots.
I also took the 18-105 VR to shoot the 27th Golden Disk Awards last year and it was also usable since we didn't have any professional gear at the time.
Action shots in lowlight:
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR
f/4.2 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 32mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-105 VR
f/4 | 1/125 sec. | ISO-3200 | 26mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII
f/5.3 | 1/100 sec. | ISO-3200 | 105mm
Nikon D7100 + 18-200 VRII
f/5.3 | 1/100 sec. | ISO-3200 | 105mm
My focus was on the players' faces and I got to say these lenses were good in focusing, even in lowlight and with the fast moving subjects.
None of the photos above and in this review were tweaked so that the exposure would come back to normal. All exposures are the same as they were when the photos were taken.
Check out all the HIGH RES photos from this review at my Flickr here.
There is a lot to talk about when it comes to gear and we constantly wonder what the best gear might be.
The best choice of gear isn't made based on reviews and comparisons but relies mostly on what type of photography you want to do.
However, for those of you who just want to shoot for fun or are just getting into photography, you can't go wrong with either of these lenses.
In Malaysia, I don't see that many shops selling the 18-200 VRII as part of a kit, also because it's retail price is well over RM2,500.
The 18-105 VR is less than half the price of the 18-200 VRII, so that might be something to consider when choosing between these two lenses.
The 18-105 VR is a popular choice for those who only want to bring around one lens for their DSLR.
Keep in mind that for the extra RM1,000 for the 18-200 VRII, you get convenience and unmatched practicality.
Both of these lenses are great for walkabouts, travel and also the occasional family or office events.
The reason I wrote this review was to actually make myself feel better for selling my 18-200 VRII.
I am selling it to a friend to compensate for a new lens that I will hopefully pick up before TTA at the end of this month.
I've had lots of requests for when I first put it up for sale and I can say that it's been a very good experience shooting with it.
Of course, there are a lot of trade-offs with shooting with this type of lens such as vignetting and distortion, maximum aperture, weather-sealing, toughness of the build and so on.
What I can say is that we've had the 18-105 VR since 2009 and it still works perfectly well, even with its outer defects; and I bought the 18-200 VRII used and it held up for every event we brought it.
Both of these lenses are good.
I have used both extensively and they haven't failed me yet.
Of course, for better quality images, it takes a lot more than these lenses but they are enough to give you that stepping stone to much better gear in the future.
Besides, it's not the gear that creates the photo, it's the photographer.
"Zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom zoom ..."
Did you like this review? If you do, do give me feedback or maybe request a review of gear that you would like to know more about. Thank you and do come again!
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