IT’S THE BABY OF THE GROUP, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE A BIG STEP UP IN TERMS OF HANDLING AND REACHNikon AF-S DX 18-55mm
f/3.5-5.6G VR II £ 2200 , $ 2250
Nikon AF-S DX 18-105mm
f/3.5-5.6G ED VR ££ 200 , $ 395
Unfeasibly small for a standard
zoom lens, the 18-55mm
collapses to less than 60mm
in length when retracted for
packing away, and is only
76m m long when e x tended for
use. Retraction and extension
require a simple press of the
locking button and a twist of
the zoom ring.
The lens features an
ultrasonic motor which, unlike
the ring-type systems in the
other Nikon lenses on test,
doesn’t enable full-time manual
override. The focus ring also
rotates during autofocus,
as with all of the Sigma and
Tamron lenses in t he g roup.
At least the focus ring is at the
forward end of the inner barrel,
which also has a rather smaller
diameter, so the adverse effect
on handling isn’t too noticeable.Performance
Autofocus speed is pretty
nimble and centre sharpness is
good, especially in the shorter
ha l f of t he zoom ra nge. V R i s
good for about four stops as
well, although it lacks the
additional ‘active’ mode
featured in the Nikon
16 -80mm and 16 -85mm.Like the Nikon 18-55mm VR
II, this lens is sold as a kit with
some D-SLRs, and has been for
years. It’s a big step up from the
18-55mm in terms of zoom
range and telephoto reach,
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handling. This is mostly due to
having ring-type rather than
motor-driven ultrasonic
autofocus, which enables the
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during autofocus. As such, it’s
placed at the rear, within easy
reac h. A n E D ( E x t ra-low
Dispersion) element is added,
to aid sharpness and contrast,
while reducing colour fringing.
In other ways, the 18-105mm
still has that ‘kit lens’ feeling of
being built down to a price. The
mounting plate is plastic rather
than metal, without Nikon’s
usual rubber weather seal.
Also, as with the 18-55mm,
there’s no focus distance scale.Performance
Centre sharpness similar to
that of the Nikon 18-55mm,
although sharpness drops off
more not iceably at t he (a lbeit
longer) maximum zoom length.
On the other hand, corner
sharpness is rather better.Centre sharpness is good at 18-35mm,
but the corners can be comparatively soft.f/4-5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/3205001000150020002500f/2.8-3.5
18mm 24mm 35mm 55mmCentre sharpness (Higher is better)
It’s a little disappointing at the longest
zoom setting but good apart from that.f/4-5 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22 f/3205001000150020002500f/2.8-3.5
18mm 50mm 70mm 105mmCentre sharpness (Higher is better)
Short 1.15 Mid 0.91 Long 1.08
It’s one of the best lenses in the group for
keeping colour fringing to a minimum.Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
Short 2.8 Mid 2.43 Long 2
Colour fringing can be a little noticeable
in corners, but it’s fairly well controlled.Edge fringing (f/8) (Lower is better)
Features
Build/Handling
Performance
value for money
OVERALL
Suited to compact, lightweight bodies
like the D3300, it’s one for the road.Verdict
Features
Build/Handling
Performance
value for money
OVERALL
Nice handling and a big zoom range make
this lens an attractive buy.Verdict
Despite the wider zoom range compared
to the 18-55, distortions aren’t too bad.Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 123SHORT -3.81
MID 2.23
LONG 1.99There’s hefty barrel distortion at 18mm,
b u t li t tl e d i s to r ti o n a t m i d to l o n g s et ti n g s.Distortion (Nearer 0 is better)
-4 -3 -2 -1MID -0.41
LONG 0.35SHORT -3.6601130 March 2016 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
GEAR ZONE THE BIG TEST