A gem in the rough
Written: Sep 09 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Inexpensive, Good focal range, Sturdy construction, Nice Optics
Cons: Slow lens, Slow focusing, No VR, Wish it is even wider
The Bottom Line: If you want a light, inexpensive, and good quality zoom lens, this is it. If you can afford it, check out the new 18mm-200mm with VR
|
|
|
| zerodk's Full Review: Nikon AF Nikkor 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF Lens |
Just a little background info:
I bought the D50 with the single kit lens when it first came out. The kit lens is a 18-55mm that is quite acceptable for what it is - a kit lens. The pictures are sharp and colour is great. However, it wasn't long before I notice the limited zoom range of this lens and it wouldn't do for an all-purpose lens.
While I have considered purchasing a 55-200mm second kit lens (and I would say it is not a bad purchase considering its price point), I decided against it for a couple of reasons - 1) I was looking for a SINGLE all-purpose lens that I can use on my travel to Europe. Carrying a second lens is more cumbersome but more importantly, lens changes while you are travel is outright annoying. 2) The build of digital SLRs are different than film SLRs in that the "sensor" in the film SLRs is the film itself. Any dust particles would end up on a SINGLE frame. On a digital SLR, it would show up on EVERY frame until the sensor is cleaned. While this may be acceptable for a shoot in the park when maintenance of the camera is only a short trek away, on travel, this becomes a hassle - especially when you would be frequently switching between the lens.
Therefore, I am looking for this SINGLE all-purpose lens. I have looked at some third-party lens from Tamron and Sigma but I figure I'm buying Nikon camera for its GLASS as much as the camera body itself so it make little sense to go cheap when the lens affect the output picture greatly. And alas I found this tiny gem!
Some specifications:
- it contains 12 elements in 11 groups (3 ED lenses)
- 7 bladed diaphragm
- 360g (claimed to be lightest 28-200 zoom)
- 0.44m at 200mm focusing distance (also claimed to be shortest closest focus distance)
- internal focusing (but no silent wave motor)
- G-type lens so no extra aperture ring (i.e. need to set aperture on body)
- includes lens hood
- 62mm thread for filters
Practically speaking:
This is indeed a very light lens. Although it is plastic with metal mount, it feels sturdy and for the target consumer (i.e. non-professional users), it is more than adequate. The lens extend very far out (>2x its retracted size) when zooming so I would avoid using the on camera flash with the enclosed lens hood. There is a "lock" switch on the camera to avoid accidentaly extending the lens when pulling the camera out from the bag. There is a switch on the side for M or A focusing. This is a G-type lens so distance information (as well as others) is relayed to the camera body and can be used to the entire range of digital camera bodies. It cannot be used with older film SLRs that cannot set aperture on the body.
Optics are fairly decent for a lens at this price range and its all-in-one nature. It does not have a silent wave motor on the more expensive Nikon lens so it does suffer (i.e. slow and noisy) when the camera is hunting for a focus point. With focus assist on the external flash (which I have discovered recently, is a must have for anybody with a digital SLR), it is not annoying. I would usually pick an object that is more distinct at the same distance to lock the focus and take the picture if possible. The lens has a "limit" switch to limit the range of hunting when zooming out to wide angle. At the telephoto end, the lens is pretty fast.
Also because this is all-in-one type lens, it also tend to be a "slower" lens. F stop go from 3.5 to 5.6 so under low light it is not as sharp as other shorter range lens. At 200mm, pictures tend to be softer than I would prefer. I have however so great pictures with this lens so don't let it deter you. With the weight of the SB-800 external flash and the D50 body, I can hand hold at low light for about 1/10s (indoors with bounce flash) consistently at 200mm to get reasonably sharp pictures. I know that other variables come into play but that is the best measure I have.
So would I buy this lens again at this price? In a heart beat. Of course, the recent arrival of 18-200mm lens designed for the D200 would be better because it has wider angle and VR (Vibration Reduction) but it is also about 3x more expensive. At this point, the 28-200 is serving me well enough so I am saving up for the 12-24mm wide angle first before considering the 18-200mm
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
zerodk
|
|
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.