Nikkor 18-140 telephoto

[Hoiiip]

Has anyone used it yet? What are your thoughts?

[chipmaster]

You can google for reviews but I think that its a rather strange release and won't get much traction with users and a formal review till it sells with a new DX body and gets out there in volume usage.

 

Nikon already has the higher quality 16-85VR, the cheaper 18-105, then the 18-200 and 18-300. Its almost an overwhelming selection of too many zoom lenses.

 

Personally if I was to pick a DX I'd go with the 16-85, and if you feel the need for more zoom pick up an 18-200 used.

[Hoiiip]

The 18-105 is Nikon's fuzziest lens in the corners at 18mm. I think this will be replaced by the 18-140.

[awboater]

Too early to tell. Some of the scuttlebutt is that this will be a new kit lens for a yet-to-be announced camera. Otherwise it may be a lens no one needs.

 

I suppose how useful it is to you depends on what you already have.

 

I have the 18-200 for the limited purpose of travel, but normally I prefer the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 on my camera as my daily use lens.

 

I don't know why Nikon keeps insisting on making slow (aperture) zoom lenses with overlapping focal lengths. I believe they figure the VR will make them equivalent to faster lenses - but perhaps they have not heard the concept of selective focus. You can't do that with VR. And, lenses tend to perform better when stopped down, and I'd take a f/2.8 lens @ f/5.6 rather than a f/5.6 lens @ f5/6 any day.

 

The issue with Nikon (and Canon) as I see it, is neither have many good premium DX lenses. Other than the 17-55mm f/2.8 (which they both have), everything else is consumer-grade.

 

If you want the best Dx lenses, you have to go to 3rd party manufacturers. Tokina's 11-16mm f/2.8, Sigma's 18-35mm f/1.8, and similar lenses are much better than anything Nikon or Canon currently produce.

 

I bought the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 as it is a better lens than either the Nikon or Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 - and less expensive too.

 

Full frame lenses are a different story, and it seems Nikon and Canon are pushing the full frame market. But duh! there are no full frame lenses in the short-focal length area required by Dx.

 

Nikon and Canon need to either drop their DX cameras (which would be financial suicide) if they are pushing full frame, or they need to fully support DX cameras with premium lenses.