Nikon AF-S DX Zoom NIKKOR 18 55mm F 3 5 5 6G ED II Review | 54 Data compared

The Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX is highlighted as an exceptionally lightweight, compact, and high-performing kit lens that delivers outstanding sharpness, excellent color, and impressive close-focusing capabilities. It features an internal silent wave motor for quiet autofocus and uses ED/aspherical elements to provide high-quality imaging, making it a strong, budget-friendly choice for general photography. Conversely, the lens has a budget plastic construction with a plastic mount and lacks a focus distance scale. Notable disadvantages include significant barrel distortion at 18mm, an inconvenient and small front focus ring for manual adjustments, and the requirement for use on DX-format cameras only, often with limitations in low-light.

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II as a lightweight, budget-friendly, and compact starter lens that delivers impressive sharpness for its price point. It is praised for being the smallest in its class, featuring a durable plastic construction with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) that ensures satisfactory, quick, and quiet autofocus performance. However, the lens suffers from pronounced barrel distortion at the 18mm end and a slight drop in contrast at the 55mm setting. A key, user-noted disadvantage is the rotating front element, which makes the use of specialized filters, such as circular polarizers, more difficult, coupled with a lack of a lens hood included in the kit.

The NIKKOR Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II is an affordable DX-format entry-level kit lens highly regarded for delivering impressive optical sharpness at a low price point of around $149. It features premium ED glass and an aspherical element that significantly reduce chromatic aberration, yielding clearer results than its more expensive VR successor. Weighing only 205 grams, it has a 7-element construction and offers a close-focusing distance of 0.28 meters, which provides a decent macro capability for beginners. The lens has a wide zoom ring with a comfortable ribbed rubber texture, accurate auto-focus, and produces beautiful 14-point soft sun stars. However, the lens has notable build and ergonomic limitations, including an all-plastic construction that extends to the lens mount, reducing long-term durability. Manual focusing is exceptionally frustrating due to a tiny, front-positioned focus ring and the lack of a manual override, meaning users must switch manually from auto to manual to prevent motor damage. Furthermore, its 52mm plastic filter thread rotates during focusing, making the use of polarizers and ND filters cumbersome. Optically, it exhibits visible barrel distortion and chromatic aberration...

The Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II review by Markus Stamm on Opticallimits (formerly Photozone) characterizes the optic as a typical entry-level kit lens that balances high affordability with compromises in build and features. Tested on a Nikon D7000, the lens delivers excellent center sharpness across its entire zoom range and manages vignetting surprisingly well. It offers an attractive, versatile focal length equivalent to 27-82.5mm and features a near-silent Silent-Wave Motor (AF-S). This motor guarantees full compatibility with all Nikon DSLRs, including budget, motorless bodies. However, the lens suffers from notable flaws due to aggressive cost-cutting measurements. The build quality is sub-standard and feels cheap because it relies heavily on plastics, extending all the way down to the lens mount. Optical flaws include pronounced barrel distortion at the 18mm wide end, high chromatic aberrations (color fringing), and dropping border/corner resolution on high-density camera sensors. Mechanically, manual focusing is described as a "nightmare" because there is no dedicated focus ring; instead, users must turn a wobbly inner lens tube that causes severe viewfinder shaking. Furthermore, the front element rotates, which...

The ⁠Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED DX II is a standard kit zoom lens introduced in late 2006 for entry-level Nikon DX-format DSLRs. This upgraded version retains the identical optical layout of its predecessor but introduces minor cosmetic revisions, such as updated outer contouring and an added silver ring. Architecturally, the lens relies on seven elements arranged across five groups, which includes one Extra-low Dispersion (ED) and one aspherical glass element to help regulate optical aberrations. It delivers a highly practical, full-frame equivalent focal range of 27–82.5mm. On the upside, the lens is incredibly lightweight at just 205 grams, highly affordable at under $130, features a smooth and broad rubberized zoom ring, and integrates a Silent Wave Motor (AF-S) that ensures near-silent autofocus operation. However, the review highlights significant drawbacks resulting from severe cost-cutting measures. The physical build is sub-standard, constructed out of cheap plastics that feel completely out of place on higher-end bodies like the D200. Manual focusing is described as a "nightmare" because Nikon omitted a dedicated focus ring; instead, users must rotate a thin, fluted section...