Ignacio - Help me please?

Question

Please tell me who is an acceptable reference for test results.

If the 18-200 lens is to be "disregarded," please tell me why the camera dealers can not keep them in stock?

Please note that I said, "...the Nikon 18-200 VR lens. Okay, it's not the world's PERFECT lens, but it is not too shabby."

I'd MUCH rather use the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens and I would spend the $1,550 to buy it. It would be the perfect mate to my 17-55 f/2.8 lens. I might even spend $1,600 for the light grey issue, just so all the Canon users in the world would think I was cool.

I don't want to come off as a snob and tell everyone - many of whom are struggling to meet the cost of a $500 camera - that this is what they must buy. I try to answer their question appropriately. If someone asks what's a "10-20X zoom" to use on a D40, I would not recommend the prime lens that you suggest. I would not suggest the 4X zoom that you suggest. This is not answering the question.

Ignacio - I have answered here a few times that I truly believe the "right" way to learn photography is with a prime lens of "normal" focal length. It forces you to really learn about point-of-view and perspective. It is a starting point from which all else proceeds.

I also agree that 18-200 is a wild compromise for a zoom. It can't do both things perfectly well. I've got one, though, for the times when I want to carry a camera and no other lenses. I use it when the pictures "don't really matter." It gives me great flexibility. Photoshop lets me correct distortion.

As far as Rockwell, from what I've seen, I like your photography better than his, but his is no embarrassment. He's kind of like the guy who takes a box stock Subaru WRX STI from the showroom floor and beats the pants off a guy with a tricked out Corvette. It's not subtle, but it's effective. Like my pics - they are not "great photography," but they are better 90% of people I know. That's all I want. I'm not an artist.

Answer 1

Dr. Sam,

As you can see I don't visit the english camera forum that often. I almost missed your question completely.

A lens has to be designed for a specific focal length, given that a zoom means compromises I would always suggest that a wide angle zoom stays wide angle and a telephoto zoom stays telephoto in most of it's range.

It's too bad that photodo doesn't rate lenses anymore, but I'm sure the 18-200 would probably not be very well regarded, as the 24-120 isn't either. Other than photodo I usually look at dpreview.com for cameras and for lens reviews I normally read these sites:


http://www.photozone.de/active/news/index.jsp
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/
http://www.wlcastleman.com


Digital picture and Castleman mostly review Canon gear. I've read that Thom Hogan is a very good source for Nikon reviews. Ken Rockwell is not taken very seriously in most forum's I've been a part of.

I believe that the 18-200 is so popular because many people really don't understand the SLR concept too well. Why do you wan't an interchangeable lens camera and then get an all in one lens?

The 70-200 Nikon lens is very highly regarded. I tried the non stabilized lens once and the image quality was great, I'm sure the VR version is at least as good. If you can go for it then by all means do. Don't worry about the white color, that's just a Canon thing.

Don't ignore primes though, there's a reason why all cameras used to be supplied with a prime lens. The image quality you can get from a prime, specially at large apertures, is something that few zooms can match.

I agree that all your suggestions have been right on, like I said, many people don't really need a prime, but I still like to recommend the 50 f/1.8, it's only $80 bucks and it can give people the feel of shooting large aperture lenses for a change.

Hope this helps!

Ignacio


Dr. Sam,

I've read your reply and couldn't agree more. I think we are pretty much in the same wavelenght.

What I don't like about Ken Rockwell is the way he pretends to sound authoritative about a subject of which he definitively knows nothing about. If you visit photography forums, like those on dpreview, you'll get a lot of laughs if you try to use him as a reference.

He's not taken seriously even at the Nikon forums and people over on the Canon side were actually concerned when he started reviewing Canon stuff!

I appreciate your comment about my pictures! I wasn't trying to use those as part of the argument, but it's still nice to read things like that!

Have a great Sunday!

Ignacio