Lens Review: Nikkor AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

Lens Review: DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

Thoughts and Opinions:

This is a very good kit lens that I got with my camera (D90).  I used it for roughly a year and it got a lot of use.  The construction of the lens was decent considering it was a kit lens.  The focus and zoom rings were plastic but felt good while focusing or zooming.  The range of 18-105mm was very useful for starting out. I remember debating between the 18-55mm and the 18-105mm in the camera store.  The 18-55mm was cheaper however I did not want to have to replace the lens down the road because of any lack of reach.  

I put this lens to go use with a 19,000 Km road trip across most of Canada.  The lens performed very well from the landscapes of the Rockies to capturing wildlife.  It is a very sharp lens for the cost.  Obviously, it isn't very wide, or zooms in that much in comparison to other lenses however for a starting kit lens it does the job quite well.

After roughly a year, I had invested in the Tokina 11-16mm and the Nikkor 50mm f1.8.  These two lenses, for my use, basically replaced the 18-105mm and since then the kit lens has been a paper weight.  There wasn't anything wrong with the lens in my opinion, just that there were other lenses that are better. A classic saying I have heard mentioned about a lenses like this is, "it is a jack of all trades but a master at none."

Usage:

As mentioned, I used it as I traveled through Canada.  It was taking good photos from Ontario through to British Columbia as well as in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.  It did well in all of the conditions for the most part.  I also have used it around my house when I was home from school in the summer and it did a decent job with pictures of flowers in the garden as well as using it on hikes.

Pros:

- Very versatile 

- Fairly light weight 

- Covers a good range

- Sharp

- Very good starting lens

Cons:

- Plastic construction

- Variable aperture

- Prone to some flares at the wide end

- Not very good at anything specifically (Could also be a pro)

Sample Images:

Humming Bird - 18-105mm

Rain Forest - 18-105mm

NWT Sunset - 18-105mm

Conclusions: 

I highly recommend this lens for a lens to start out with.  You pay a little extra than the 18-55mm but you get a better a larger zoom range.  Personally, I found this zoom to be helpful and useful to a beginner who may not know what they like photographing.  You can definitely got your money's worth with this lens.  


Rating: 


For a beginner kit zoom lens: 4 out of 5
Overall lens: 3 out of 5