After fiddling about a year now I have these two lenses with a Nikon D40. Along the way I learned many things, so I'll start with the story.
Last year, after purchasing my Nikon D40, I was the picture quality of the camera and at the same time, a little 'with the standard kit lens, the 18-55mm G ED II excited frustrated.
My previous machine was a Sony H-1, a compact zoom great. The quality of the images was of course very bad compared to any digital SLR, but thewide zoom range, vibration reduction system and the reflex, as click-and-scroll were brilliant.
The lens kit at first I was frustrated, mainly because of the lack of image stabilization. I was so used to it, which seemed at first very difficult to make sharp images. This was especially the fact that I do get sloppy hand-holding. The limited zoom range was a little 'hard to get used to. On the positive side, it was the kit lens very easily and made it easy for D40to manage. I found the picture I took with him to be ok in good light and in low light conditions very well. A lens kit very good, but sin that does not have VR.
The focal length limit I could easily live, but the lack of vibration reduction is not so much. They call me lazy, I know, but it makes it much easier, sharp pictures even in low light conditions. So I was looking at the options:
The Nikon 18-200mm VR
I had initially decided on this last trip to zoom to think that while weis expensive, this would be the only lens that I would ever need. Things were not so bright, but when I went to try it in-store camera. While the format seems to be OK on paper, this lens is very front heavy and seems very unbalanced on the D40. Using the camera with one hand with this lens on it is not in question, at least for me. With the 18-200mm out of the race, it was time to look for alternatives.
The Nikon 18-55mm VR
The great thing about the 18-55 VR is theSize and weight. And 'slightly larger and heavier than the 18-55 kit lens, but far enough to feel the extra weight. Since the focal length is the same as the kit lens, this seemed like a bad deal for me. Of course, the fact that the normal retail price is a bargain ridiculuously highest doubly bad. I thought it would be stupid to spend so much money just to have vibration reduction.
The Nikon 18-105mm VR
This goal is a middle ground interesting. It 'a very reasonable pricecloser to the 18-55 VR than 18-200 VR. In relation to the zoom range, it is right between them. I found this to be a viable alternative, it was convenient, the zoom range has doubled since my kit lens, and have had a reduction in vibration. After trying it on my D40, I found the size and weight of a lot more reasonable than the 18-200VR. Yes, it's bigger and heavier the lens kit, but not dramatically. With only one hand is a bit 'more complicated, but still ok.
At first I was very pleasedThe extended zoom range and image stabilization. After several months, but some of the deficiencies became apparent.
I'll start with the frustrating: The minimum focusing distance is too long for this purpose. Sometimes, if you want to take a close-up of something, you will get close and the lens does not focus just because it's close to your subject. This happens so often that it is really annoying after a while '.
Another inconvenience: The focus ring does not make senseand traveling too much. Even if you can ignore the focus at any time, you can not just which direction the fire moves, because the journey is too long to tell. Since there is no distance scale or anything, I can never really say what I do. Now, I know I'm not the best photographer in the world, yes, but I can shoot with manual focus cameras and it works well. All this made me almost never tried to adjust the focus manually. What kind ofremoves part of the fun.
The last straw: While I was never satisfied with the images from 18-105VR, I was really dissatisfied. For a long time, and I could not because I've put a lot of time to figure out why. Some of my photos with the lens kit 18-55mm, in particular firearms in a good light, had an almost magical "pop" for them. It looked very good indeed. Not that I am a good photographer, I'm just on the technical quality. You only need tolooked at her and said "wow". I realized that none of the pictures were taken with the 18-105, like this. So I started closer to the image of testing kit lens. The thing that these pictures had in common was: kit lens, shot with an aperture of F8 or F11. Hmm, ok, I thought, this is kind of obvious, each lens is blocked a bit 'to get optimal quality.
So I studied the pictures of 18-105, the selection of f8 or f11s. He looked right, all right, there was obviousProblems. But they did not have that "bite" that "pop" that something extra that the target images had kits. This is the point where a photograph would be better to put in place blows comparison test between the two lenses. Since I am lazy and do not bother to take pictures only for testing purposes, I will say only this: the 18-55mm lens kit 18-105mm VR, spanking picture quality, period. You will notice the difference? I always thought, "the sharpness of the lens is so overrated, it's for pixel peepers,normal people can not see the difference. "Well, even with my modest 6-megapixel D40 can say that they are the difference.
On the rest of the story:
With this information I'm looking for a used 18-55mm VR caught. Within minutes, made me smile. What I had forgotten how much fun the D40 with a lens on it is slight. While the 18-105 is not huge, it is even harder. The 18-55 VR, on the other hand, the D40 makes it handle like a dream. The narrow focusDistance means you get much closer to the subjects and the maximum magnification for macro photography larger than the 18-105. The image quality is much better, I think, more or less the same as the kit lens, in other words, very good. All this makes this goal a lot of fun. On paper, this goal seems cumbersome and expensive, but a camera, it feels just wonderful. This is a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
The conclusion, then:
The Nikon 18-55mm VR
TheNot all of this. The zoom is limited, there is no time to concentrate on writing. This is a simple, easy, cheap lens with image stabilization. If you do not promise the world. But does what he does very well. This is a great little lens.
The Nikon 18-105mm VR
This promises to be a little 'more. Double zoom range. Immediate goal is always possible. It looks a bit 'more seriously as well. At the end: take away the pain you have fun with this objective. On paper this is a much better goal,Too bad that is not so well in the real world.
So, I keep the 1:00?
Despite the range of 18-105 zoom with a double, I am always with the 18-55VR. As I said, it's much more fun.
Is that subjective? Yes.
18-105 is my new home soon? Even a yes ...
Sigma and Tamron:
One might ask why I do not have alternatives from Sigma and Tamron. I had the Sigma 18-200mm OS seen, but I finally decided on the Nikon18-200. When I changed my mind because of the size / weight, the Sigma was great and it looks much more expensive than the Nikon 18-105. The Tamron 18-250mm is, unfortunately, no vibration reduction. Since then, the Tamron 18-270 VC, which was not available was introduced last year. I really like to try that, although I'm pretty sure that would be the size / weight back a deal-breakers are.
