Nikon

AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

Superzoom lens

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II from Nikon is an ideal one-lens solution for Nikon DX-format DSLRs, where it provides a 27-300mm equivalent range. As its name would suggest, it is the updated version of Nikon's popular VR series super-zoom Nikkor lens. Nikon has improved on the original VR by giving it a new zoom mechanism and fixing what was the first version's biggest bugbear, zoom creep. It also features a lock to keep the lens compact when transported, as well as a tweaked 'Super Integrated Coating' to reduce flare and ghosting effects. Aside from this, the lens is unchanged, which means you get the same versatility and all-round performance offered by the original.

Optically, three aspherical elements and two extra-low dispersion elements are used to reduce both spherical and chromatic aberrations, and a Super Integrated Coating works to minimise flare. A rounded seven-blade diaphragm produces smooth out of focus areas. This is complimented by VR II image stabilisation, which compensates for up to 3.5 stops of camera shake for sharper handheld shooting. A Silent Wave Motor is also featured to provide fast and accurate autofocus performance, along with full-time manual focus override.