Nikon 2216 AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300 mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR Lens, Black

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Zooming is not internal – as you can see, the front extends considerably upon zooming to 300mm. The ribbed zoom ring is sufficiently wide – and somewhat stiff too, but not annoyingly so. Zoom creep is not an issue. MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth. The good news is that it does not rotate on autofocusing, which makes use of polarizing or ND gradient filters a bit easier.

An array of switches on the side of the barrel control focusing and stabilization. The top one selects between manual focus (M) and autofocus with manual override (M/A). Next down is a switch to turn stabilization on and off, and at the bottom, one to select VR mode. So-called ‘superzoom’ lenses tend to give you a mighty zoom range at the expense of a degradation in image quality, especially when it comes to sharpness, color fringing and distortions. This Sigma superzoom for APS-C format cameras gives you a bigger zoom range than most, equating to 27-450mm in full-frame terms (28.8-480mm for Canon), while still delivering very respectable image quality, although handling could be better. All in all, it’s a very versatile lens that makes a good travel companion.One feature worthy of note is the focusing system - the lens has an A/M position that allows manual override of autofocus at any time, and the focus ring doesn't rotate during autofocus. It's also geared, which means it has a much-longer travel from closest focus to infinity compared to most of its peers, which should facilitate more-accurate manual focus. These characteristics are all associated with a ring-type focus motor. Zoom action / zoom creep These tests show us the limitations of such lenses, and makes us realize why its often preferable to have several lenses instead.

Typical of superzoom lenses, barrel distortion at the shortest zoom setting is clearly visible, but it’s rather less extreme than the Tamron 16-300mm. Colour fringing is noticeable, especially at long zoom settings where it’s very similar to the Tamron 16-300mm. Overall, the new Tamron’s huge zoom range doesn’t come at the cost of a greater compromise in image quality compared to other superzooms. Tamron 18-400mm: Lab testsLooking to upgrade your equipment? Get competitive prices on major brands with our part-exchange service. On a positive note, the lens is built well and feels solid in hands – certainly better than the Tamron and Sigma equivalents. It has a plastic barrel with plastic focus and zoom rings (the zoom ring is covered with rubber). Most of the recently-announced lenses by Nikon have a plastic exterior, which does not necessarily mean that the lenses are not solid. The interior of the Nikon 18-300mm contains plenty of metal to hold optical elements, although judging from the weight, it feels like the lens has nothing but glass. The lens mount is also made of solid metal, not plastic as in some cheap kit lenses like 18-55mm DX.