Best "Super zoom" on the market?

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Elliot87

Senior Member
Hi folks,

Having had a brief search for information on various "Super zoom" lenses, I've noticed that there are plenty of conversations about individual lenses here and there but I've not come across much comparison between them. So I'm starting this thread to try to draw all your collective experience into one place.

I think it's clear that there some big downsides to these highly versatile and convenient lenses, primarily in terms of image quality. Bearing that in mind, I think a discussion revolving around IQ and in particular how good or bad individual lenses are at overcoming problems such as distortion and chromatic aberration, would be very interesting. Any thoughts on build quality, weather proofing and how well they auto focus etc. would also be good to hear.

So here's a run down of the main contenders I've come across and their current price on Amazon.co.uk.

[h=3]Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Lens - £1043.78[/h][h=3]Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens - £679 [/h][h=3]Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR Lens - £629 (maximum aperture at 300mm is f/6.3 vs f/5.6 on the lens above)[/h][h=3]Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD LD Macro - £319.99[/h][h=3]Tamron AF 16-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD Macro - £529[/h][h=3]Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM - £270.75[/h][h=3]Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 11 DC OS HSM - £209.90[/h]
I've not included lenses like the Nikon18-140mm because I'm not so sure they fit into the one lens does all category, as they'll be more limited in terms of shooting wildlife on holiday for example, but feel free to discuss them here too or any other "Super zooms" I may have missed, such as the older Tamron 18-270mm.

Looking forward to hearing what you've got to say even if its somethin g along the lens of "Don't buy any of them!"

Thanks!
 
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Elliot87

Senior Member
Just thought I'd quickly add that I'm looking at these types of lenses for travelling, ordinarily I'd be happy to carry more than one lens and change when needed. However this also means I could be using it to take once in a lifetime shots of places I may never visit again, so the image quality still needs to be pretty good, otherwise I might as well just take a compact point and shoot camera.
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
Elliot87 said:
Hi folks,

Having had a brief search for information on various "Super zoom" lenses, I've noticed that there are plenty of conversations about individual lenses here and there but I've not come across much comparison between them. So I'm starting this thread to try to draw all your collective experience into one place.

I think it's clear that there some big downsides to these highly versatile and convenient lenses, primarily in terms of image quality. Bearing that in mind, I think a discussion revolving around IQ and in particular how good or bad individual lenses are at overcoming problems such as distortion and chromatic aberration, would be very interesting. Any thoughts on build quality, weather proofing and how well they auto focus etc. would also be good to hear.

So here's a run down of the main contenders I've come across and their current price on Amazon.co.uk.
d to hearing what you've got to say even if its somethin g along the lens of "Don't buy any of them!"

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have not tried any of these lenses since I only have 1 DX lens. I would suggest the Nikon 18-300mm VR lens since they tend to AF faster than Tamron or Sigma. Good luck with your lens selection.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Elliot87 said:
Looking forward to hearing what you've got to say even if its something along the lens of "Don't buy any of them!"
Click to expand...
While I'll admit there are some lenses on that list I'm not familiar with, my advice would generally be something along the lines of, "Don't buy any of them." Just my opinion but you know there's going to be a trade-off to have that degree of flexibility and the low hanging fruit is image quality. The DXO Mark scores for some of them are just... Well, check and decide for yourself.

I've yet to find "One Lens to Rule Them All" that exhibited what I consider suitable IQ out of the gate that was also in my price range. I'm one of those people that demands better, even if that means having fewer and, typically for me, that translates to the latter more often than not. But that's me and my way of thinking; I fully appreciate not everyone looks at this the same way I do.

...
 
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hrstrat57

Senior Member
Elliot87 said:
Just thought I'd quickly add that I'm looking at these types of lenses for travelling, ordinarily I'd be happy to carry more than one lens and change when needed. However this also means I could be using it to take once in a lifetime shots of places I may never visit again, so the image quality still needs to be pretty good, otherwise I might as well just take a compact point and shoot camera.
Click to expand...

Pick up a used nikkor DX 55-200 and stick it in your pocket. That and the kit lens on your camera you have it covered. I have been walking around with that very combo with D300 and very pleased. KEH has em for around $100. Put a 35 1.8 DX in the other pocket for low light if you wanna go gear head crazy
 
Nero

Nero

Senior Member
I use the kits lens and a 55-300mm. Definitely worth the extra money over the 55-200mm IMO but either way works. You'd be better off than getting one of those lenses. Even with my experience limited to me reading a few reviews and looking at sample images it still looks to me like a "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" kind of deal.
 
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Elliot87

Senior Member
hrstrat57 said:
Pick up a used nikkor DX 55-200 and stick it in your pocket. That and the kit lens on your camera you have it covered. I have been walking around with that very combo with D300 and very pleased. KEH has em for around $100. Put a 35 1.8 DX in the other pocket for low light if you wanna go gear head crazy
Click to expand...

I actually had a DX 55-200 but decided to upgrade it for the 70-300 as I wanted the extra reach and better glass for wildlife photography. At the time I wasn't really thinking about a walk around holiday lens, so when my friend made me an offer for it I sold it, figuring he'd be putting it to better use. Also he got me into photography and helped teach me the basics so was happy to "give" him something in return. In any case what I'd really like is just one lens to take on holiday, which would need to cover wider than 55.

With luck I'll be getting a 35 1.8G on monday for my birthday, if not I'll buy one. That combined with the 70-300 and my feet for zooming will cover most situations, I'll just have to put up with lens switching and carrying the hefty 70-300. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to try out some of these super zooms and will look for further reviews and recommendations on here.
 
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Elliot87

Senior Member
gqtuazon said:
I have not tried any of these lenses since I only have 1 DX lens. I would suggest the Nikon 18-300mm VR lens since they tend to AF faster than Tamron or Sigma. Good luck with your lens selection.
Click to expand...

Nikon 18-300 does look like one of the better options, it covers the range I want, its just a case of whether the IQ would be good enough. I'm off to see what sort of price they go for used.
 
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