Nikon DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 VR G AF-S Lens

PROS (* indicates the ones that are very important to me)

Image Quality*--I am very pleased with the image quality of this lens. I have not yet had time to conduct tests in a controlled environment but my preliminary field tests indicate that this lens will give me the high quality images in outdoor sunlight, under studio lighting conditions, with the built-in flash unit, and with external flash units.
Focal Length*--18-55mm is a very usable focal length range. This range is good for the times when I only want to carry one DX digital SLR body and one lens.
Vibration Reduction*--This is my first lens for my Nikon with this feature.
Filter Size--The 52mm filter size is perfect for my filter inventory.
Close-Ups--Even though I did not buy this lens with close-ups in mind, it is comforting to know that at the 55mm focal length, this lens can fill the view frame with an object as small as 6cm.
Price*--Less than $100 for an auto focus zoom lens with vibration reduction was too good a deal to ignore. Plus, the low price makes this lens the one to use in a situation where a more expensive lens may be damaged, lost, or stolen.

CONS (* indicates the ones that are very important to me)

DX lens--This is the first DX lens that I have ever purchased and will probably be the only DX lens that I will ever own because I prefer FX lenses. I prefer FX lenses because I want all my lenses to work not only on my DX cameras but also on my Nikon film cameras and my future FX digital camera.
G Lens--I avoid buying G lenses because I cannot use them on my older Nikon film cameras that need the aperture ring to set the f/stop. This is only my second G lens. The 14-24mm f/2.8 was my first.
Bayonet Mount--Plastic! Now I have nothing against plastic. In fact, I would rather have a thick tough plastic than a thin weak metal. However, I have heard too many horror stories about plastic lens mounts breaking.
Aperture--f/3.5 to f/5.6 is too slow for a maximum aperture. Also, I prefer a zoom lens with a constant f/stop rather than a variable one.
Lens Barrel--The lens barrel does not rotate during zooming but it does during focusing. However, the barrel rotates so little that you can still screw a flower petal type lens hood into the 52mm thread.
Manual Focus--The small focus ring makes it very difficult to focus manually. I found it easier to focus if I tightly screwed in a lens hood and twisted the lens hood instead of the small ring.
Lens Distance Scale--None
Lens Depth-of-Field Scale--None
Vibration Reduction--I hate that little thump that happens when you press the shutter button half way to focus and then remove your finger because you decide not to take the photo.
Durability/Reliability*--​This lens does not feel like it was built to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. Plus, the vibration control and the built-in auto focus motor are two additional moving parts that can break. However, the price of this lens is so low that if anything breaks, it is just as easy to replace the lens as it is to repair it.

Comments:

Many of the Cons I listed would have been major issues if this had been a high-dollar lens. Since the price of this lens is so low, and the performance of this lens is so high, these Cons can easily be overlooked. In fact, I thought this lens performed so well for the low price that I bought a second one so I would have a back-up to my back-up lens.

I highly recommend this undervalued, future cult classic lens.

I originally got this lens, (along with the Nikkor DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR), for my wife so she could go shoot with me. After a while, I began to notice something. Her photos were just as sharp as mine, and here I am using professional grade Nikkor lens. I became jealous.

Nikon has really hit the mark on this "kit" lens. They have somehow manipulated the optics on this and its' sister lens (the 55-200mm VR AF-S) to keep distortion down to a minimum. It has the typical barrel distortion in the wide range (18mm) but cleans up nicely in the middle (28-30mm) and far end (55mm). But even at the wide end, it takes alot of scrutiny to see that distortion and most people will never notice it.

Light fall-off is another area where this little lens shines. It is virtually non-existent. Whether you are set at 18mm or 55mm, f/3.5 or 22, the corners have the same appearance as the center. Once again, out-performing some of the more costly Nikkor lenses.

But the best feature is the VR, or vibration reduction. With it, she has been able to hand-hold shots that she would have otherwise blurred due to camera shake at slower shutter speeds. This is very important, especially for the beginner since they are not always checking shutter speed when shooting, just concentrating on composition.

The weight of this lens is phenomenal. Published weight is 9.2 ounces, but mounted on her D100, you hardly notice it.

The only down-side to this lens is its' construction. It is made entirely of "plastic" and is not the most durable of materials. I sometimes cringe when I see her swinging her camera around especially near large immoveable objects. I am not saying it is cheaply made, I just wish Nikon could have used more metal in its' construction, especially the mount. That's the trade-off, weight for convenience. She uses this lens the most because it is the most comfortable for her. If it was heavier due to more metal parts, I don't know if she would feel the same way about it.

Overall, she is happy, I'm jealous, (so much so I bought me one), and she enjoys going out taking photos with me.

Here I am talking about Nikon Nikkor 50 mm f1.4 G
(I don't have any 18-55 mm)

Excellent compromise if you don't want to pay an expensive 60 mm or 85 mm with similar f-number. Fixed focal length is compensated by amazing luminosity: you can take really good pictures with very low amount of light.
Be careful: sometimes f1.4 has a VERY SHORT depth of field.

Image Quality, I am very pleased with the image quality of this lens. I have not yet had time to conduct tests in a controlled environment but my preliminary field tests indicate that this lens will give me the high quality images in outdoor sunlight, under studio lighting conditions, with the built-in flash unit, and with external flash units.
Focal Length*--18-55mm is a very usable focal length range. This range is good for the times when I only want to carry one DX digital SLR body and one lens.
Vibration Reduct.

Produces a clear image. Like brand new. I am very satisfied with it and have no complaints. I bought this product because my old lense had been dropped and produced a good image, but something on the inside was broken, and often it would be very hard to focus, creating a clearer picture. I needed a new lense quick, and the place I called to have it fixed never would give me a price. I felt the price of this new lense would be better than having to go through the process of fixing my old lense.