Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor Review

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G vr AF-S DX Nikkor is the third version whale lens from Nikon introduced in the fall of 2007. The lens was introduced with the camera. Nikon D60 and feels good on any Nikon DX series camera.

A line of standard (i.e. 'whale') class 18-55 / 3.5-5.6 lenses for cameras Nikon DX:

  1. Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical - first version. It was produced from 2005 to 2006. It exists in two colors - black and gray / silver. Announced with the camera Nikon D50.
  2. Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII ED AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical - second version. It was produced from 2006 to 2007. There are no serious differences from the first version, the lenses use the same optical circuit. It exists in two colors - black and gray / silver. Announced with the camera Nikon D40.
  3. Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical - third version. It was produced from 2007 to the present day. Has a built-in image stabilizer (Nikon VR, Vibration Reduction). Unlike the first two, it does not have 'ED'-elements in its optical scheme. Announced with the camera Nikon D60.
  4. Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II AF-S DX Nikkor - the fourth version. It has been produced since 2013. Unlike the third version, it has a new optical circuit and can be folded compactly for transportation. Updated stabilization system. For the first time he could be seen with a camera Nikon D3300.
  5. Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G - fifth version. Available since January 2016. It has a new optical circuit and a new stepper focus motor. Went on sale with the camera Nikon D3400.
  6. Nikon DX VR AF-P Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G - the sixth version. The same as the fifth version, but with a built-in image stabilizer. It was presented simultaneously with the fifth version. Went on sale with the camera Nikon D3400.
  7. Nikon Nikkor Z DX 16-50 1: 3.5-6.3 VR - seventh version, for mirrorless cameras such as Nikon z50... Available from Fall 2019. New optical design, foldable body, reduced aperture and built-in image stabilization.

Sigma at one time produced an interesting alternative to similar whale lenses in the face of a faster Sigma Zoom 18-50mm 1: 2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Main technical specifications of Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical:

Review Instance Name Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical
Basic properties
  • DX (for Nikon DX) - Lens designed for Nikon DX APS-C cameras
  • AF S (built in Auto Focus motor) - built-in focusing motor
  • G (Gelded) - no aperture control ring, transfer of focusing distance to the camera
  • AS (ASPHERICAL) - the use of special aspherical elements in the optical scheme
  • SWM (Silent wave motor) - silent wave focusing motor
  • VR (Vibration Reduction) - built-in image stabilizer, compensates up to 3 steps by shutter speed
  • AM (Autofocus or manual focus switch) - focus mode switch
  • NIC (Nikon Integrated lens Coating) - special integrated enlightenment of optics
  • most often the lens comes with entry-level Nikon DX cameras
Front Filter Diameter 52 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length 18-55 mm EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 27-82.5 mm
Zoom ratio 3.06 X (it’s customary to talk just about 3x zoom)
Designed by for digital cameras Nikon DX
Number of aperture blades 7 rounded petals
Tags focal lengths for 18, 24, 35, 45, and 55 mm; bayonet mount tag and lens hood mounts.
Diaphragm
  • 18 mm F / 3.5-F / 22
  • 24 mm F / 4.2-F / 25
  • 35 mm F / 5-F / 32
  • 45 mm F / 5.3-F / 36
  • 55mm F / 5.6-F / 36

The lens is deprived of the aperture control ring, control is via the camera menu (G - lens type)

MDF 0.28 m, maximum magnification ratio for macro photography is 1: 3.2
The weight 265 g
Optical design 11 elements in 8 groups. The optical system includes 1 aspherical element (in the optical scheme, the aspherical element is shown in blue). Hybrid asferica - glass base with layered plastic.

Optical design Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor

The image of the circuit is clickable.

Lens hood Nikon HB-45, bayonet type (not supplied, and must be purchased separately)
Manufacturer country MADE IN THAILAND
Instructions View–>
Period From November 2007 to the present day (at least until the fall of 2016), subsequently replaced / supplemented by a lens Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II AF-S DX Nikkor.
Price View ->

The previous two lens versions have 1 Nikon ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and 1 aspherical element, and Nikon 18-55mm version 1: 3.5-5.6G vr It has only one aspherical element and does not have ED glasses. The optical schemes of all three lenses can be viewed here.

But unlike versions ED и ED II, Nikon 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G vr It has an image stabilizer that allows you to deal with blurry pictures when shooting with your hands. It is stated that the stabilization system can compensate up to 3 steps by shutter speed, that is, VR will allow you to shoot with shutter speed 8 times longer than required in the absence of a stabilization system. In fact, the stabilizer works a little more modestly than stated. Gimbal operation on Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR may jerk a little in the optical viewfinder - this is normal.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Focal length from 18 to 55 mm very handy when used on Nikon DX cameras. This range allows you to get photos with a wide angle of view at 18mm. The zoom on the lens is quite modest, only 3x. because of crop factor EGF lens will be 27-82.5mm.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR uses filters with a diameter of 52 mm, for a start I recommend to get protective filter.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR body is made of plastic, even the mount is plastic. The lens itself is made in Thailand. The Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR may include a plastic hood HB-45.

Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR lens has mediocre aperture, at 18 mm you can open the maximum aperture up to F / 3.5, and at 55 mm only up to F / 5,6. You can close the aperture up to F / 22 at 18 mm and up to F / 36 at 55 mm. The image stabilizer comes to the aid of a small aperture. But the diaphragm of the lens has 7 rounded petals that allow you to get even circles in the blur zone, you can even squeeze some bokeh by 55 mm.

Focusing

Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G focuses quietly thanks to 'SWM'-motor (Silent Wbird Motor - quiet wave / ultrasonic motor) and refers to the lens'AF S'type (with built-in motor focusing), and therefore it will automatically focus on any Nikon digital SLR camera.

The lens will automatically focus on all Nikon DSLR cameraseven on amateur series models Nikon DXthat do not have a built-in focus motor: D40, D40x, D60, D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3500, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600as well as mirrorless cameras Nikon Z with adapter FTZ / FTZ II.

Auto Focus Speed ​​- average. Focusing speed is enough for comfortable work in most photo tasks. The speed of the lens is similar to other similar lenses from Nikon. While creating a review on cameras Nikon D90, D200, D40x, D700 the lens focuses tenaciously and does not release objects from the field of sharpness. Focusing strength is significantly reduced in low light.

During focusing, the trunk of the lens spins and drives forward. The focus ring is uncomfortable, very narrow. When changing the focal length, the front lens does not rotate.

The minimum focusing distance is only 28 cm, while you can shoot Macro with 1: 3.2 magnificationThat is a very good indicator. Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G does not have a window with a distance scale, depth of field scale and other useful marks.

In manual focus mode, the ring rotates approximately 45 degrees, when it reaches the extreme positions it abuts.

On the lens housing you can find focus switch 'A - M'... In the 'A' position, autofocus works, and in the M position, manual focus. There is no continuous manual focus control. During autofocus, the rotating focus ring must not be touched.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Sample Photos

Examples of photographs were shared by the reader of Radozhiva. All photos - on-camera JPEG without processing from the camera Nikon D40x.

Jpeg source photos download from this link (156 photos, 700 MB).

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Examples on the FX camera

All photos in the gallery below are shot on Nikon D700 in FX and DX modes, this is indicated in the imprinted data. Photos without processing, only reduced the size to 3 megapixels. This time I got bored of writing a review about a whale lens and tried to squeeze the most out of it on a full-frame camera. As it turned out, starting from 24 mm focal length the lens is quite suitable for use on a full frame, the vignette can be corrected on a computer, and at 55 mm vignetting is almost imperceptible.

Image quality

Oddly enough, the lens is sharp enough in the center of the frame at any focal length. At the edges and corners of the image, sharpness drops significantly. The lens holds back light well, has good contrast and good color rendition. It suffers slightly from chromatic aberration and distortion at 18 mm. Chromatic aberrations are most noticeable at the corners and edges of the image. The distortion is pretty small for a lens of this class. Overall image quality is acceptable.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Black angles when using Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor on a full-frame camera

Personal experience

I love the simple and lightweight Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX Nikkor and the like. They allow you to get excellent images in wide-angle range on Nikon crop cameras.

As a wide-angle, nothing is cheaper and better than the Nikon 18-55mm VR. Of course, the lens does not have super aperture, but it is not always needed and not always important. I had a similar lens for a long time Nikon 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6GII ED AF-S DX Zoom-NikkorI constantly took hiking, you quickly get used to the low zoom ratio.

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

You can see the prices for the lens in popular stores. at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


An accurate list of all Nikon DX Nikkor lenses

  1. 10.5 mm/ 2.8G AF Fisheye [gold ring]
  2. 35 mm/1.8G AF-S
  3. 40 mm/2.8G AF-S Microphone
  4. 85 mm/3.5G AF-S VR Microphone
  5. 10-20 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  6. 10-24 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  7. 12-24 mm/4G AF-S [gold ring]
  8. 16-80 mm/ 2.8-4IN AF S VR [gold ring]
  9. 16-85 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  10. 17-55 mm/2.8G AF-S [gold ring]
  11. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S [black / silver]
  12. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S [black / silver]
  13. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  14. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  15. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P
  16. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  17. 18-70 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  18. 18-105 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  19. 18-135 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S
  20. 18-140 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  21. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Japan / China]
  22. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  23. 18-300 mm/3.5-5.6G VR
  24. 18-300 mm/3.5-6.3G VR
  25. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S [black / silver, Japan / China]
  26. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S VR
  27. 55-200 mm/4-5.6GII ED VR
  28. 55-300 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  29. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P
  30. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P VR
Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

Results

Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor SWM Aspherical is a balanced kit lens with stabilizer. Whale lenses have a bad reputation that doesn't always match the truth. I recommend Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR as the first budget lens for Nikon DX cameras.

10 main advantages
  1. low cost in the secondary market
  2. convenient set of focal lengths
  3. compact sizes
  4. bayonet type hood
  5. optical design uses an aspherical element
  6. good maximum magnification ratio for macro shooting, which is 1: 3.2
  7. ultrasonic built-in focus motor
  8. the presence of a lens profile in most popular RAW converters (certainly there is in ACR, Lightroom)
  9. built-in image stabilizer
  10. good optical performance (good sharpness on covered apertures in the center of the frame, normal sharpness on open apertures in the center of the frame, other parameters are within the normal range for this kind of lens)

10 main disadvantages

  1. small stroke of the focus ring, insufficiently convenient manual focus
  2. low focusing speed (at the same time convenient enough for a large number of amateur photo tasks)
  3. plastic mount
  4. no hood included
  5. rotation of the focus ring during auto focus and as a result there is no constant manual focus mode M / A or A / M or the like (appeared in Nikon AF-P 18-55 / 3.5-5.6G VR)
  6. lack of dust and moisture protection (for example, such SMC Pentax-DA 1: 3.5-5.6 18-55mm AL WR)
  7. the optical circuit is devoid of one low dispersion element, which was the previous version Nikon 18-55GII
  8. lens weight increased by 60 grams compared to the previous version Nikon 18-55GII
  9. rear lens movement while changing focal length
  10. palpable barrel-shaped distortion 18 mm focal length, tangible vignetting 18 mm focal length, poor resolution at 18 mm in the corners of the frame on open apertures. Other optical flaws inherent in similar lenses

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Arkady Shapoval

 

 

Comments: 297, on the topic: Review Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR AF-S DX Nikkor

  • Hamlet

    Full size 35mm

  • andrud

    And Nikon's whales still have their own character:

    • B. R. P.

      Plastic)

      • andrud

        Metal contacts, exactly)

        • B. R. P.

          )

  • Vladimir

    NIKON AF-P DX diameter for filters = 55mm.

  • Dmitriy

    Good afternoon. I have a question. How to attach a hood to it if it does not have a bayonet connection for a hood?

    • andrud

      The lens has a threaded filter - a lens hood is screwed into it. In me, it’s like a bula in the photo, it’s not too hard

    • B. R. P.

      According to the carving for sf.

  • Chadwick

    I don’t know about anyone, but this lens seemed to me the worst in the history of mankind! Plastic mount - ugh.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Wondering how a plastic mount affects the quality of your photos?

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