Looking for Answers about Nikon Inc. AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II?

I highly recommend that you do not use the camera in the rain unless you use some kind of protection. A light shower won't get into the lens or camera but it is not waterproof. When I feel compelled to take photos in the rain I cut a hole in a large baggie and protect the camera. Overall I find my rainy day photos are pretty awful anyway what with rain drops on the lens filter so I avoid using my Nikon in the rain.

As a great fan of this lens, I recommend it highly and have used it in light rainy situations, BUT I try to protect it, in such situations, by placing a piece of "Saran Wrap" over the lens barrel. Camera bodies and lenses were not built to withstand heavy and/or sustained downpours.

Hurbee 04/16/11

Absolutely not. I have has terrible problems with this lens even in the driest conditions. I would certainly not recommend this lens in wet weather. It will fail on you as it is extremely cheaply made.

I've used it in dusty and rainy conditions without any ill effects. I wouldn't use it if it's pouring really hard, however. It's always good to carry your camera in a "holster" or some kind of protective containment so you can put it away if you get caught in a rainstorm.

NOT waterproof - camera and lens must be covered in heavy rain.

No it is not! Do not use it in very dusty environments. It's OK in rain provided you keep it dry or at least wipe the rain off before zooming it to the 18mm end. I got dust in my old version in the Sahara but then the sand there is so fine it gets into everything. It didn't cause any problems though with image quality so not much got in. If you are shooting in the rain then the biggest problem is keeping the lens raindrop free. Try using a lens hood as a rain shield and a plastic bag over the lens itself will keep the lens dry. It really isn't a problem. I use my D90 in the rain fairly often but not heavy rain because you can't keep the lens dry. An umbrella helps a lot in the rain.

BTW the D7000 is a wonderful camera.

I have used my 18-200 in all kinds of weather with great results. Had one on a D-200 for almost 5 years and never had to clean the interior or the sensor of the camera

it is no more weather sealed than any other lens. You might try one of those camera lens raincoats by manufacturers like Think Tank or others, or buy a small fold-up umbrella, and put the handle in your shirt's front top pocket.

I do not believe the lens is weather sealed; I would not take it out in the rain; my husband and I both have one and we usually keep our camera and lens in a large plastic ziplock bag if there is rainy weather.

Because the lens barrel changes in length when zooming/focussing, the lens body acts as a pump, drawing in and expelling air and I presume moisture. I would therefore look for a lens with internal zoom/focus, or use some sort of rain protection (or underwater housing) to keep water at bay.

Yes

Yes. I have a friend with the D50 and he has used my 18-200 without any problems.

Why not. If you are not sure, take your D50 to acamera store and try it.

Yes it is and it will be very good on the D50.

I believe it is but not positive. Contact Nikon USA for confirmation.

I did answer this but maybe it did not go.....I used it on my D50 for years

I used this lens on my D50 until I replaced the camera with another newer model

Wide angle lenses are best for capturing large amounts of areas. This comes at a small sacrifice of not having as much detail when you enlarge the photo. If your looking for a portrait lens, being head and shoulders, purchase a prime lens such as the 60mm 2.8G ED lens. It's very reasonably priced and will exceed your expectations..

If you want to get autofocus get the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G

If you don't care in manual focus and want the BEST portrait lens ever done in any time and in any brand go and get AF DC-NIKKOR 135mm f/2D

But viewing the high price of the commented lens from above and considering you have a D3100 I think your best choice is AF-S Micro NIKKOR 60mm f/2.8G ED a FANTASTIC portrait lens.

I own an 18-200 VR II and need to ask some questions to help you in your decision process...

- Are you going to primarily do portraits or do you need a lens that does great portraits and supports other types of photography as well (e.g., action, sports, wild life)?

- Is weight a consideration? Are you OK with a 1+ lb lens or do you need something that is lighter or convenient for traveling?

- How far away will you be shooting these portraits and is that distance consistent?

- What other lenses do you own?

gold standard LENS FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY=
"AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4 D lens"... NO WORDS MORE>>
JUST PURCHASE THIS workhorse.....

Your VR should be very silent. I recommend you submitting the lens to Nikon for evaluation.

I don't think it's loud at all. It's standard sound, I think. Unless you're trying to video something with it or next to it, it's quite a minor sound.

it is, it's the sound of clutches that activate the VR

yes

Yes

Yes

...and it's a great all-around lens. :)

Yes

Yes

I have this lens and it creeps like crazy. If I point it toward the ground, it creeps from minimum length to 200mm in less than 2 seconds. The lens is less than a year old and in the shop to fix.

I dont have much problem with this even when I am shooting objects at my feet. You can lock the zoom at 18mm. This is a new feature with the 18-200 II.

I wouldn't recommend tele-converters (extenders) due to them interfering with the designed engineering. If you need a longer focal length, grab another lens. Nikon does sell a Tele-Converter but its not that far priced from a much better solution of a longer focal length.

I wouldn't recommend tele-converters (extenders) due to them interfering with the designed engineering. If you need a longer focal length, grab another lens. Nikon does sell a Tele-Converter but its not that far priced from a much better solution of a longer focal length like the 70-300mm VR AF-S lens.

I have never used a D7000, but if it is compatible with the 18 - 200...
look on the side of the lens, there are three switches. The top one M/A -- M is for Manual/Auto and Manual focus.
Move the switch to M/A for auto focus. In M/A you can fine tune with manual focus.
For manual focus only, move the switch to M.

If no luck, check the lens on another compatible camera see if it works on that one.

dan, definitely send the lens in for repair. the front element is only one lens from the dozen in this lens, so the cost of replacing it is only a fraction of a new lens's cost.

The 55-200 and the 18-200 both have the same maximum focal length of 200mm. The 11x zoom is the minimum focal length x 11 which equals 198mm approx. With the 18-200 you don't need the other 2 lenses as it covers the same focal length of your other lenses. 18mm on the short end (the 18-55) and 200mm on the long end (the 55-200) If you want greater focal length you will need a 300, 400 or 600mm maximum focal length. Read this Nikon article: http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Photography-Techniques/g3cu6o2o/1/Understanding-Focal-Length.html

This lens will mount on an FX camera and function just fine. However, the image circle of this lens is not large enough for an FX sensor so the full FX frame will not be exposed. Nikon has addressed this by having FX cameras (optionally) automatically detect DX lenses and adjust the portion of the sensor that is used to build the image. Depending on the FX camera, the DX crop mode may be indicated with either a grayed area or cop marks.

That is not correct - both the red and the gold have the same VR system - the only difference is the 18mm lock position to prevent lens creep.

Yes, Completely. A nice lens for the D90, that allows you a great range of focal lengths.

The answer to your question is.... Perhaps. Both the sped (f stop) of the lens and the speed (sensitivity) of the camera need to be considered. If you have a camera that can obtain clean images at ISO 3200 or higher, this lens is probably fast enough. With a slower camera, you may not be able to get blur free images of the moving band. Also, as the focal length gets longer, the lens slows down, meaning that the higher the zoom, the slower the shutter speed you will need in order to obtain proper exposure. All that having been said, this is a great lens. While the 70-200mm f/2.8 might be more suitable for this application, it is much more expensive and not as useful for close subjects. So, if your camera body has good low light capability, this lens is good choice. If not, it may still work fine for you, but it will be dependant on the lighting and perhaps more prone to blurred images.

Lenses are designed do that so as to accommodate the expansion and shrinkage of the various materials caused by the ambient temperature.

Yes