AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR review: Introduction

As we know, there are specialist lenses designed to take certain types of images, such as an 85mm f/1.8 for portraiture or a 105mm f/2.8 for macro. It is usually considered that only primes can have specialist applications because of the compromises in quality that are unavoidable in zoom lenses. However, a superzoom does indeed have a speciality – travel photography.

I have to admit to being a fan of superzoom lenses. When I’m away on a city break, I will often pack an 18-200mm lens so that I can travel light – spending my time relaxing and taking in the sights, rather than worrying about the weight on my shoulder or which lens to use for which subject.

While a superzoom lens is never going to be as good optically as a fixed-focal-length lens, or even one with a shorter zoom, in Nikon’s new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR we have the highest magnification yet seen in an SLR lens. This could make it an ideal one-for-all lens for entry-level photographers, and for enthusiasts it may be the ideal ‘walk-around’ lens for when you’re never quite sure what you will be photographing.