The lens is supplied with a cloth bag, back and front cover, and a plastic lens hood with bayonet lock.
The feel and quality of construction is good / very good. The zoom features internal focusing, which means that the front lens does not rotate during focusing. This is an advantage if you have a polarizing filter or graduated filter used, for example. This must therefore not be readjusted during focusing. Whereby the lens hood must when using the pole filter be removed to "adjust" this, because you seriously coming with attached lens hood to. (But that's a general fact and no specific peculiarity of 18-200ers).
Optical quality: The image quality I call "good". As "very good", considering that this is a 11x zoom to a Nikon-price ratios still acceptable purchase price.
A 11x zoom is now and remains times a concession to both light intensity and imaging performance.
You can have a lens that bridged such a large zoom range korregieren never as good as a fixed focal length.
Here Nikon has done not a bad job. The pictures that are taken with the 18-200er convince by sufficient sharpness and contrast at maximum aperture. Dimmed the levels rise again to a little, improve.
Test shots that I made with the AF-S DX 18-200 / 3.5-5.6G ED VR I / II and my AF 80-200 / 2.8 ED D fall, both focal length 80 mm, 135 mm and 200 mm optical properly assessable already at f 2.8 in terms of resolving power and sharpness in favor of AF 80-200 / 2.8 ED D, even if the recordings still work here a little "flat".
Dimmed to 4.0 have the AF-S DX 18-200 / 3.5-5.6G ED VR I and the version with VR II no chance. Clearly visible is the optical superiority of well priced more expensive telephoto zoom from the analog era.
Mind you in direct comparison. Judged on its own drop the image results with the 18-200er quite satisfactory, and the lower resolution does not fall on.
Of particular note is positive that the objective seems to be immune to flares and ghosts. Even in direct backlit subjects no "flare" or ghost images, or of color result. My AF-S 35 / 1.8 G could learn a lesson here.
The Bokeh I feel as beautiful. But just when Bokeh personal taste plays a very big role.
VERZEICHUNG:
The lens (like all zoom that span such a large zoom range) has a clear barrel distortion in wide-angle setting. Even at the telephoto end, the distortion is not better. Nevertheless, the values of a zoom focal length range of this are not bad.
Image stabilizer:
This can be operated in two modes - VR / Active and VR / Normal - depending on whether you want to photograph moving subjects or static subjects. The image stabilization works well and reliably. In light Press the release button for focusing can hear a faint "click", which testifies to the activation of the image stabilizer.
With VR enabled quite succeed still sharp shots that would have been blurred without same. The "well" is due to the fact that, of course, with a more intense look at the same situation from home "faster shutter speeds" were possible, as a fainter lens that compensates for this with a VR.
The coronation of course lenses, as the 70-200 / 2.8, which apart from its superb imaging performance additionally have an image stabilizer. This benefit, however, is to be paid not only ensprechend, but is also associated with significantly larger dimensions and weight.
One of the many factors which obviously is how important it is to define the parameters of "affordability / performance / size and weight / focal length range" for yourself to find the one or objective (s) that the own needs the fairest will.
All in all I would not have missed the VR in this lens in any way.
Allegedly, it is advisable - as a photo dealer - the VR before removing the lens from the camera, always disable because it otherwise could be damaged (should be slightly magnetic or so ... no idea if that's true, I'll do it in the meantime automatically) ,
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT:
With a length of not even 10 cm, a diameter of 7.7 cm (Filter diameter 72 mm) and weighing less than 600 grams, there is the lens is a relatively compact and light.
Crummy's is in "the extended" condition, if it bothers you. (I count unfortunately the camp of "Lens aestheticians".) Personally, I do not like when in telephoto position suddenly extends the thing and grows to twice its length. Unfortunately so, another compromise and concession to price and dimensions.
Zoom ring:
The zoom ring is wide enough and grippy. Zooming itself runs "soft", but there's the middle focal length range as a small resistance (both in my "old" and in the "new" version). Does not bother, but it is noticeable and present.
Focus ring:
The focus ring is a cheap plastic ring that gives a very cheap feeling when turning without any resistance. I'm glad that I do not often need it.
SPECIAL FEATURE:
Annoying and an obvious design problem is the fact that the push from the middle focal length range of self "extends". Due to the heaviness of the whole construction. Annoying, but above all a hindrance if you should take pictures from a tripod steeply upward. Then it can happen, namely, that this is not possible because the zoom of itself slipping back into the tube.
Nikon has therefore equipped the VR II version with a corresponding locking possibility. However, these can only be activated in 18mmm position is, is not good for the praktisschen use of the lens, because this "problem" at 18 mm does not occur in any case and in other focal lengths can not be used.
CONCLUSION:
Viewed in sum meets the Nikkor 18-200, which is called by my loving my "Always top soup Zoom" fully its purpose. A practical Always plan that covers the area sufficiently wide angle to decent telephoto lens. Whoever paired with high light intensity searches opitsche highest optical performance, will not grab with safety to this objective.
The doomsayers and critics of this lens are very good but reminded that the 18-200er has never been designed to compete against three lenses from the Nikkor range and to insist that have been designed for entirely different claims. (14-24 / 2.8, the 24-70 / 2.8 and 70-200 / 2.8, the costs in total of 5,000.00 and I need if I want to have more intense Nikkor lenses that a to cover with the difference that you need three (much heavier and larger) lenses that must be worn) - provide better picture quality and the same Brennweitenbereiach [17 mm except 14 mm].
Finally, it should also be said that a good photo, I could do with the 18-200er because I could not to change the lens on 35 mm zoom, far more valuable and better than the picture I at the moment not "shoot" could, because I was busy trying to change my 80-200er against a shorter focal length.
If it's to the "Noble photographing" is where the highest optical performance and quality count, "big, expensive" lenses come the used. If it is "One for All", then my plan always soup zoom is used.
Four and a half stars, because the manual focus ring is a state and because the independent adjustment of the lens should not have been. Another half star deduction, because the price at the (competition has similar objectives to cheaper, though this in terms of image quality a little lag) need not be. At least you could fix the independent adjustment in the VR II variant.
