Design

The eighteen-300mm is distinctly supersized compared to other DX-format superzooms, and indeed contrives to be larger and heavier than the full frame AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. Its design and construction are both typical mid-range Nikon, with all-encompassing use of high-quality plastics for the lens barrel, and a runner seal around the metal lens mount to aid forbid dust and water getting into the camera. The large butt does mean that the zoom and focus rings are both generously sized.

An assortment of switches on the side of the lens controls the focus and stabilization systems. These are smaller than on third-party superzooms, which makes them a flake more fiddly to operate, just has the advantage of reducing the gamble of changing settings accidentally. There's also a switch to lock the zoom at the fully-retracted 18mm position, to forestall information technology extending under its own weight when you're carrying it around.

One feature worthy of notation is the focusing arrangement - the lens has an A/Thou position that allows manual override of autofocus at any fourth dimension, and the focus ring doesn't rotate during autofocus. Information technology's as well geared, which means it has a much-longer travel from closest focus to infinity compared to most of its peers, which should facilitate more than-authentic manual focus. These characteristics are all associated with a ring-blazon focus motor.

Zoom action / zoom pitter-patter

Superzoom lenses, with their long extensions and heavy front end elements, tend to suffer from two related ergonomic bug - uneven zoom ring actions, and 'zoom creep', i.e. a tendency to extent under their own weight when carried around. This tends to be most problematic if yous habitually carry the photographic camera with the lens pointing down, either in-hand or using a sling-type strap.

The 18-300mm has large front elements and and a weighty extending barrel section, then might exist expected to exist predisposed towards zoom pitter-patter. Nevertheless we found our sample to be impressively resistant - the lens tended to stay put even when carrying it around with the camera pointing downwardly. The trade-off is a slightly stiff zoom action, simply not to an extent that interferes with shooting. The lens also has a zoom lock switch to forbid inadvertent extension, handily-positioned on the side of the barrel for quick performance by your left pollex.

On the camera

The 18-300mm's size is emphasized on the meaty D3200 we used for this review, and its weight makes for a relatively unbalanced combination (essentially yous end up supporting the camera by the lens when shooting, rather than vice versa). Naturally it'll feel much better-matched to larger camera bodies which have more than-substantial handgrips, such every bit the D7000.

Compared to Tamron xviii-270mm F/3.five-6.three Di II VC PZD and Sigma eighteen-250mm F3.v-6.iii DC Macro OS HSM

Here's the Nikon xviii-300mm dwarfing its closest rivals, the Sigma eighteen-250mm F3.5-5.6 DC Macro OS HSM and Tamron 18-270mm F/iii.5-6.3 Di Two VC PZD (both here in Canon mountain, and therefore a couple of millimetres longer than their respective Nikon versions). The Tamron and Sigma have shorter zoom ranges and smaller maximum apertures at the telephoto end, and utilize micro-type ultrasonic focus motors which don't allow total-fourth dimension manual override. Only they practise both take congenital-in optical image stabilization, and are fiddling over one-half the weight of the Nikon.

The images below give an thought of the difference in magnification you'll get between these three at their telephoto ends. All 3 were taken inside minutes of each other from the same photographic camera position.

Nikon 18-300mm @ 300mm Tamron 18-270mm @ 270mm Sigma eighteen-250mm @ 250mm

The increased magnification of the 300mm telephoto end is articulate here - the 18-300mm does give noticeably more than 'reach', and of form gathers a fleck more calorie-free than the other lenses likewise. Simply whether this is worth the increased majority and price is very much a personal decision.

Autofocus

The 18-300mm uses Nikon'due south 'Silent Wave Motor' for focusing, which is reasonably fast and nearly-silent in normal operation using the optical viewfinder. Nosotros saw no bear witness for any systematic focusing errors during our real-world shooting, but using the D3200 every bit the exam trunk, we saw a certain predisposition towards random misfocusing towards the telephoto end of the zoom. As usual, though, it must exist noted that focus speed and accuracy is dependent upon a number of variables, including the photographic camera body used, subject contrast, and lite levels.

Switch the camera to live view or movie mode and, as is common for SLR systems, autofocus slows dramatically, although on Nikon's latest SLRs information technology's quite usable equally long as your bailiwick isn't moving. Unlike the latest generation of lenses designed with video in mind, though, AF during movie recording isn't silent, and the audio of the lens buzzing to itself like an angry insect will exist clearly audible on your soundtracks.

Dependence of effective focal length on focus distance

The lens's angle of view widens dramatically on focusing from infinity to 0.45m, especially at the telephoto finish. This is a common trait with superzooms, and the Nikon xviii-200mm, Sigma eighteen-250mm and Tamron 18-270mm behave in just the same way. The result is that when the lens is focused to 2m, the 300mm telephoto end has an effective focal length that looks much closer to 200mm. In context, it's worth begetting in mind that long telephotos generally tend to used more than for afar subjects, in which case the lens naturally behaves as a 'true' 300mm (as y'all tin can come across from the comparison above). Meanwhile at short distances you merely have to move a piddling bit closer to compensate.

Lens body elements

The lens uses Nikon'southward F mount. It's designed for DX format SLRs - on FX cameras, DX crop mode will be engaged automatically. It tin besides be used on Nikon one System mirrorless cameras via the F mount adapter, giving a 50-800mm equivalent range, with autofocus and stabilization.

Here you lot tin also see the rubber 'O'-ring that surrounds the mountain to protect against grit and moisture getting into the camera.
The filter thread is 77mm. This is unusually big for a modern superzoom - its Sigma and Tamron competitors take 62mm threads - which means filters volition exist correspondingly more expensive.

The expert news is that it does not rotate on autofocusing, which makes use of polarizing or ND gradient filters a flake easier.
The bayonet-mount HB-58 hood is provided every bit standard, and clicks positively into place on the front of the lens. It's made from thick plastic, with a matte blackness stop on the within to minimize reflections of stray low-cal into the lens.

A white dot on the outside of the hood aids alignment for mounting, and the hood reverses neatly for storage.
The zoom ring has a 31mm wide condom grip, and rotates a generous 120 degrees clockwise from wide to telephoto. It rotates reasonably smoothly, although with a pronounced increase in stiffness effectually the 50mm mark.

The forepart element extends fully 86mm on zooming. There's noticeable 'play' in the barrel at the telephoto end.
The focus ring has a 12mm-broad ridged rubber grip, and rotates fully 210 degrees anti-clockwise from infinity to 0.45m, in principle allowing much more precise manual focus than most other superzooms. It doesn't rotate during autofocus either.

A basic distance scale, marked in feet and meters, appears in a window just in front of the focus band.
An array of switches on the side of the barrel control focusing and stabilization. The peak one selects between manual focus (Grand) and autofocus with manual override (K/A). Next downwardly is a switch to plough stabilization on and off, and at the bottom, one to select VR mode.

To the left of these is a switch which can be used to lock the lens at the 18mm position, and prevent it extending nether its own weight.

Reported aperture vs focal length

Here we prove the maximum and minimum apertures reported by the photographic camera at the marked focal lengths.

Focal length 18mm 28mm 50mm 105mm 200mm 300mm
Max aperture

F3.5

F4.0

F5.3

F5.6

F5.vi

F5.6
Min aperture

F22

F25

F32

F32

F32

F32

From 18mm through to about 105mm, the 18-300mm offers similar maximum apertures to other superzooms such as the Tamron 18-270mm F3.5-vi.three Di II VC PZD or Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.iii DC Macro OS HSM; where information technology differs is in then maintaining F5.6 out to its 300mm setting. Compared to the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm F3.v-v.6G ED VR II, information technology's roughly the same across the shared range (perhaps 1/3 stop slower at 50mm, which isn't exactly the end of the globe).