Nikon DX Zoom Nikkor 18 mm-135 mm F/3.5-5.6 AF-S ED IF G Lens

I purchased one of these lenses originally in 2007 to be the only lens i would need for use on my new D40x. the lens worked excellently for that purpose. i later bought a D300 and put the 18-200 on that camera. i know it's a VR lens and has a longer range, but i still tended to rely on the 18-135 more. i've been a photographer for many years. i realize that VR is nice, but i went so many years without it that i never feel i'm at a loss for not having it. after purchasing a new D3100 with it's very limited 18-55 it was time to pass the d40x to my daughter. no way was i going to give this lens up so i bought her a second one so that she could use it as i had. this lens has now been disontinued. i believe the replacement is the new 18-105 VR lens. i think the extra range on this lens makes it an awesome choice and was glad to fid one used at half of what i originally paid for the same item new. i have many lenses Nikon's 105mm micro, sigma 50-500 OS, 70-200 OS, and the 18-200. This lens is light weight, portable and very versatile and was too important to give up.

This lens is all images. Sharp Images. Very contrast images.
Fairly quick in bright light. It gets pretty slow in low light.
Not built for low lighting, but with tripod and still images, it can be very good lens. I took it on skiing trip this weekend, 70% of the shot was focused and expose correctly. Many of them were moving subjects. Many of them which were not focused or not expose correctly were under the shade or from light to dark photos.
Still lens is very useful if you get use to it and get the timing correct.
To me its a keeper. For the price, it is excellent choice for beginner and serious amateurs. Not a pro caliber. Plastic mount worried me little at beginning but it stayed on my camera all day so it's all good.

Great lens for digital cameras only! Construction is strong like the old days, focus is smooth like glass and the pictures are rich with color using a 81A filter and UV filter combo. I like to leave the 81A and UV filter on unless I use the circular polarizing filter so then I remove the UV filter. I suggest that you put the 81A on first then the UV filter, this allows you to always have your lens protected from dust and scratches. These combos will improve the quality of your pictures to professional standards. Always carry a couple of ND3 filters for sunlight that is too bright. Nature has a lot of awesome opportunities for us to enjoy such as waterfalls, sunrise and sunsets, the waves at the beach or an animal from the wild can truly give you memories to see over and over again. This lens can shoot family portraits by using the 81A only to add the warmth even when we have no tan. I like to use a 81A and a soft filter for grandma and grandpa because it makes them look young again. Try this combo with some pictures of your wife for practice, have her pose with her back facing you and she looks back over her right shoulder. The key to a great photo is learning proper composition of your subject and filters to give you the effect your after. Practice, practice and practice makes perfect pictures. Anyone can take professional pictures with any digital camera if the subject is not moving. Use a tripod and remote shutter release for best quality photos. In the old days with film it would cost us an arm and a leg to get the practice that you can now get for free! Read your camera manual and try each feature until you actually perfect your technique to improve your photos while your learning all of the new things your camera can really do. Todays cameras like my D200 can match the quality of an F5 or F6 camera hands down, because you can practice for free! I can use almost every lens Nikon has ever made using this camera body or the D300 or any of the professional camera bodies in the DX series. I only print the pictures that I feel are stunning in quality by using my Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer. It is amazing what we can do at home today, no more dark rooms and dangerous chemicals and special papers that would cost a fortune to develop 10 rolls of 36 exposures or 360 pictures just so you could see the labor of your efforts regardless of the quality they might be. With digital cameras we can see for free and possibly repair or customize each photo using PhotoShop software. This lens is one of the most cost effective lenses available for you to buy. You don't have to buy the Super Zoom 18-200mm VR lens to be happy with your photos. Do like I did and buy this lens and the Epson printer for the price of that Super Zoom lens... Try to use the 85mm setting which is actually equal to the 105mm on a 35mm camera to achieve some great portrait shots. I like to try and fill my picture with the subject by adjusting the lens up or down, then you can experiment from there. Enjoy your lens and have some fun! Best Wishes to all of you.

I have only used this lens for about a week but it sure takes nice pictures. The image quality is really sharp and auto focus is fast. I would have loved to have had the 18-200mm with VR which is about 11x, but it is $650-$750. This lens is about 7.5x and I bought it used for less than 1/3 the price of the 18-200. The image quality is actually rated a little better on the 18-135 at www.slrgear.com. As a working father with a family to provide for, I can't afford to buy everything that I want to take pictures with and this lens is a more affordable, very good compromise, wide zoom range lens. Now, one of these days, the 70-300mm VR would make a nice addition. I use this lens on a Nikon D40 and the combination produces very nice results, even for an amateur like me. Update 9/24/09 I have used this lens for over a year and a half and have taken over 6,000 pictures with it and it still takes wonderful pictures. I still use it on the D40. It has been money well spent.

The Nikkor 18-135mmG ED came with the D80 I bought last month, and I decided it would make a nice mate for my D40. Together, they make a sweet, light-weight run-around setup, although I do miss the VR of my 18-200. I get a bit more zoom than the 18-55 kit lens (which I now regret selling), and it feels well-balanced with the D40. Image quality is acceptable, although, like the 18-55mm, it has a plastic mount. Yes, I know it's tough plastic, but it's plastic just the same. That's why I can only give it a "Good" rating. I wouldn't buy one on its own, but since it came with my D80, I won't complain too much.