Skip to main content

2026-05-01 Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G Lens

    There have been many versions of the Nikon 18-55mm “kit” zoom lens. Some very impressive web sites describe all the differences. It is a little frightening to see literally generations of zooms that are written off as optically poor performers.  Some versions (including this one) are reputed to be impossible to manually focus—the manual focus ring rotates about 45º, so is too touchy to get repeated identical settings—while early versions have increasingly poor sharpness as they are zoomed to the 55mm end. 
All the 18-55mm zoom lenses are pretty slow so the image you see is dimmer than “prime” faster lenses. On the other hand these zooms have pretty good (almost) macro results.
    I think this description is for the lens shown, but like most things I could be wrong. I’ll change the colour of the type of some of the telltale points this lens has in common with the description. Delight with me in all the work that must have gone into this description.
    As with Canon's 18-55mm IS upgrade, there are rather more changes from the previous Nikon 18-55mm than at first meet the eye. The physical similarity between the lenses masks a multitude of differences; most notably the new lens has a more complex optical formula of 11 elements in 8 groups as compared to 7 elements in 5 groups, and interestingly the new lens loses the Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass element of its predecessor. The use of ED elements allows superior correction of image aberrations in simpler lens constructions, and presumably Nikon consider the more complex design of the new lens renders their use superfluous.
    Other changes include a modest increase in size, with about 3mm added to the diameter and 6mm to the length, and a 60g increase in weight. As seems to be the current fashion, the smooth black plastic of the old lens has been replaced by a new stippled matte black finish, which resembles magnesium alloy and matches the D60 body. 
    Other differences include a larger rear lens element (20mm vs 15mm), an additional circular flare-cut diaphragm placed in front of the aperture assembly, and new 'Super-Integrated Coatings'.             Overall this newcomer is clearly a completely different beast to the old lens, and as the old 18-55mm had an unusually high reputation for image quality (for a kit lens at least), we will be interested to see if the new version maintains this standard.



Headline features
27-82.5mm equivalent to 35mm focal length range
Optical vibration reduction – 3 stops
F mount for Nikon DX dSLRS only

Street price:         US: $200 
Date introduced         November 2007
Maximum format         DX
Focal length         18-55mm
35mm equivalent         27-82.5mm
Diagonal AOV         76° - 29°
Maximum aperture f/3.5-5.6
Minimum aperture f/22-36
Lens Construction • 11 elements / 8 groups   
                                        • 1 compound aspherical element
# Diaphragm blades 7, rounded
Minimum focus         0.28m
Max. magnification 0.31x
AF motor type         Compact Silent Wave motor
Focus method Extending front element
Image stabilization • 3 stops 
                                        • Single mode (with automatic panning detection)
Filter thread         • 52mm 
                                        • Rotates on focus
Optional accessories • LC-45 Hood (clip-on type)
                                        • CL-0815 Case
Weight                 265 g (9.3 oz)
Dimensions         73 mm diameter x 79.5 mm length (2.9 x 3.1 in)
Lens Mount         Nikon F only
Other         Distance information output to camera body


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2026-03-14 - History and Evolution of the Kodak Logo

  While working as a junior clerk at the Rochester Savings Bank, George Eastman first began commercial production of dry photographic plates in a rented loft of a building in Rochester, New York in April 1880. In the next few years, Eastman became very successful and expanded the company several times. His company started as the Eastman Dry Plate Company in 1881, later became the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company in 1884, and soon after the Eastman Company in 1889. The last name change occurred in 1892, when the Eastman Kodak Company of New York was organized. The company has been called Eastman Kodak Company ever since.  The word "Kodak" was first registered as a trademark in 1888. The letter “K” had been a favorite of Eastman’s, he is quoted as saying, "I devised the name myself. The letter 'K' had been a favorite with me; it seems a strong, incisive sort of letter. It became a question of trying out a great number of combinations of letters that made word...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026-03-20-Manfrotto monopods

  Sometimes collecting is a matter of persistence.       The Manfrotto “GRUPPO” 434SSB monopod (shown top) showed up one day at my local thrift store. They had a price tag of $25 on it. I had bought the lower Manfrotto Compact MMC3-01 monopod at the same thrift store for $3. So I asked, “Why so much?” They answered their “expert” had found it sold for $200 on the internet. I find experts—who almost never clerk in the thrift store, so are unreachable—hard to deal with. There is also the matter someone might actually pay them $25 for a 2.27 kg (5 pound) aluminum pole, so I decided to let the Gods-of-Collecting decide if I was going to ever own it. For weeks I would pick it up, check the price tag to see if they had come to their senses, and return it to the shelf. I did try various clerks to see if they would lower the price, but they said they were not authorized to change prices. I plodded on, week after week without much hope.         ...
Post a Comment
Read more

2026-03-25 The Kiron 70-150 mm F/4

This Kiron 70-150 mm f/4 Macro1:4MC zoom was made by Kino Precision, Japan in 1980. The same company made both 1.5x and 2x extenders for this lens. It is a lovely design featuring a 52 mm filter size —common to many normal lenses—and a constant f/4 at all zoom positions. The f/stops are full stops from f/4 to f/5.6 and from f/16 to f/22 while the other apertures are half stops apart. FOCAL LENGTH RANGE:          70mm - 150mm [2.1X zoom ratio] DIAGONAL ANGLE OF VIEW: 34.3° @ 70mm - 16.4° @ 150mm   LENS CONSTRUCTION: 13 elements in 9 groups WEIGHT (Olympus OM Mount): 460 g (with hood, front and rear caps) The macro range sets in below the three foot (0.9 m) marked distance at all zoom positions but you only get to the minimum 1:4 ratio at 150 mm. Macro starts around a 1:8 macro range at 70 mm. This is the only lens I have ever collected that has the original price sticker on the rear cap. At least I assume it is the original price sticker… It ha...
Post a Comment
Read more