sigma 18-200, tamron 18-200 or nikkor 18-135 for D80?

Question

hi,

I have decided to buy D80 but not sure yet which lens I should buy.
I need a flexible lens for traveling that takes sharp pictures.
nikkor 18-200vr out of my budget.

any suggestionsf: sigma 18-200, tamron 18-200 or nikkor 18-135?
Thanks

Marcin

Answer 1

I, personally, cannot see any advantage to purchasing a lens by other than the manufacturer. I have tried other than Pentax lenses on my cameras over the years (Pentax cameras, of course) and have always been dissatisfied.

The coatings have different colours between the brands. This is obvious when using slide film, and will be the same for digital cameras. It is the nature of the beast.

The controls may not work in the same direction as the camera. I had at one point two zoom lenses. One of them was pull to increase the focal length (Pentax 70-210) and the other was push to increase the focal length (Sigma 170-500).
The Sigma is gone in favour of a Pentax 400/5.6. The Pentax lens is crisper, and has better edge definition. The Pentax lens was purchased for C$330, used. The Sigma was purchased for US$500 brand new.

My inflated 2 cents worth

Answer 2

The lenses are similar optically, with the Nikon maybe having a slight edge. You will probably be able to buy the D80 with its kit lens cheaper than buying the body and lens separately.
If you want 3rd party, I'd go for the Tamron. I have a couple of Tamron lenses, one in particular is a pretty good performer (especially for the price)

I have the D80 with the 18-135. I am pleased with the lens for travel and walk-around use. It does suffer from some distortion in the widest range, but that is true about any super-zoom, so you won't want to use it for architectural work, but for vacation or shots of the kids, it is a decent lens.

Answer 3

If you are not a heavy shooter (over 100,000 images a year), then the Sigma or Tamron lenses should be just fine. Having the extra reach of 200mm would have me choosing the Sigma or Tamron (Tamron costs less it seems). Being a heavy shooter myself, I paid the almost 2x price for the Nikkor 18-200 and have fallen in love with the VR system.

Answer 4

I agree with Albert... I would never use, let alone buy, a third party lens. The 18-135 seems like your best bet. I have that lens with the D80 and it has served me well. It's very sharp, but distortion (particularly vignetting and chromatic aberration) can be a problem.

Answer 5

Quality-wise, IMO these lenses are similar. Thus, I would say that either the Tamron or the Sigma will give you a greater zoom range, so they would be the better choices. Between the two I think it is a toss up. Maybe check the reviews (I put links below) to see what others say about these lenses.

-Karl

Answer 6

If you want to invest in a good lens you always want to get a fast and wide to zoom range that will fit your needs. The 18-135 is good. Have you look into getting a D200?

Answer 7

i have the d80 too, and i love it. i use two tamron lenses, one aspherical and one macro. my pictures always come out clear.

nikkor lenses work really well with nikon cameras, too. my friend uses them.

so if i were you, i'd either go for the tamron or nikkor.

Answer 8

Being realistic - with prints up to A4 size the results will be indistinguishable whichever you choose.

Answer 9

i heart tamron!!!!