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Nikon 18-70mm f3.5-4.5G AF-S DX IF-ED  Hot PDF Print E-mail
Lenses Nikon
User rating
4.1
out of 5
Editor's rating
3.8
out of 5
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Reviewed by:
Editor
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Average user rating: 4.1 
44 User reviews
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Lens Summary

Overview

  • Specially designed and optimized for Nikon digital SLRs
  • Dust and Waterproof rubber sealing mount
  • High optical performance by aspherical lenses and ED glass elements
  • Built-in SWM for ultra-fast, ultra-quiet operation
  • M/A mode for quick switching between autofocus and manual operation
  • Lightweight and compact design

Lens Specifications

Generic Lens Specifications
Lens Type: Zoom
IS / VR / OS: None
Nikon DX lens: Yes
Min Focal length (mm): 18
Max Focal Length (mm): 70
Number of Elements: 15
Element Groups: 13
Max Aperture: 3.5
Minimum Aperture: 29
Diaphragm Blades: 7
Closest Focus Distance (m): 0.38
Filter Type: Screw In
Filter Diameter (mm): 67
Diameter at widest (mm): 73
Lens Length (mm): 75
Weight (g): 390

Details




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Editor review : Nikon 18-70mm f3.5-4.5G AF-S DX IF-ED
Overall rating (weighted)
3.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
5.0
Introduced at the same time as the D70 camera, this lens was designed as a kit lens but its reputation has put is well above that initial class.

Features and handling
At the time of is launch this "kit" standard zoom lens was well above its competitors kit offerings both in terms of reach and optical quality. Covering wide-angle through to short medium telephoto in its 3.8x ratio, it is still fairly compact and lightweight. It even offers the Silent Wave Motor autofocus mechanism for rapid, quite performance.

Performance
The performance of this optic is higher that you would expect for a lens in this price range and, although it does have some anomalies, it performs admirably. As often the case in this range, the wide end of the zoom is a touch better than the longer end. At all focal lengths the image quality improves by stopping the lens down a notch, although the optic is still usable when wide open. There is a little distortion, varying from pincushion at the wide end to barrel at the long end, but it is minimal and, for the most part, not too distracting. Chromatic abrasion is not viable to the naked eye. Nowadays availability as a stand alone item, as a standard lens this is certainly well worth considering if you can't bankroll the excellent 17-55mm f/2.8.
Why should you care what I think?
My relationship with this item: I own it
Where did you buy this item?: N/A
Price paid: 0
When did you buy this item?: N/A
Conclusions at a glance
Would you recommend this Item: Yes
Pros: Cheap, better that all other kits lenses, very good for the price.
Cons: None for this price.

User Lens Reviews

Average user rating from: 44 user(s)

Overall rating (weighted)
4.1
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.1
AF Speed
4.2
Value for Money
4.1
 

Add new review


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Good value, Friday, 30 April 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
This is a fine lens - the pictures are sharp, it's relatively small and light. The construction quality is decent. It does show Vignetting when shot wide open and zoomed to 18mm, but that can be photoshopped out, along with the Barrel Distortion. OK, you're not going to save the $600 for Photoshop with one lens, but over time I can rationalize that.

The lens hood on mine shows at 18mm - I don't know if I'll need the hood with the ED to keep flare down. For now I'm leaving the hood off, until I replace the hood or file off the corners.

With no VR, I'm going to use it more at the wide end than the telephoto. If you're dead set on VR, don't want the cheesy 18-55 and have more money to spend, go for the 18-105 or the 16-85.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Good value, Friday, 30 April 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
This is a fine lens - the pictures are sharp, it's relatively small and light. The construction quality is decent. It does show vignetting when shot wide open and zoomed to 18mm, but you can either Photoshop that out, along with the barrel distortion, or set the camera to remove the distortion. Photoshop does a better job, but the in-camera processing (on a D5000) works well enough if you want out-of-the-camera JPEGs.

The lens hood on mine shows at 18mm - a Bit of a disappointment for a lens of this cost and overall quality. I had to file off the corners to get it right.

With no VR, I'm going to use it more at the wide end than the telephoto. If you're dead set on VR, don't want the cheesy 18-55 and have more money to spend, go for the 18-105 or the 16-85.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Good compromise - get this one or a point-and-shoo, Friday, 16 April 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
This lens is an good "walk-around" lens, which is per se a little bit problematic. A walk around lens needs to be small, lightweight, still reasonably fast, and should range from medium wide to short tele. Nikon's kit lenses have all incorporated these features more or less. The problem is that the demanded verstility and portability requires sometimes ugly compromises in terms of image quality and built quality.

Therefore I keep asking myself the question, if it would be better to spend money on point-and-shoot cameras instead of spending it on compromise lenses. We all bought SLRs for a special purpose, and kit lenses most likely defeat that purpose, whatever it was.

Anyway, this lens does it's job pretty well. In my opinion it has the perfect range for a walk-around lens. It's small and lightweight.

Compared to other available "compromises" there are some pro's and con's:
Pros:
- optically maybe Nikon's best kit lens according to various tests on the web.
- longer telephoto reach than the cheaper 18-55 mm lenses.
- better built quality than almost all Nikon kit lenses (metal mount).
- with f/4.5 at the long end it's faster than other kit lenses and Nikon's 16-85 VR (which is otherwise in a different class for price and built quality).
- way lighter and cheaper than pro alround lenses (17-55 f/2.8)

Cons:
- no VR.
- funny built: the mount is high quality and the lens body seems strong. but the front element that pumps when zoomed wiggles losely, the zoom action is very uneven.
- some people report dust-sucking problem.

In summary, I have mixed feelings about using a all-in-one lens in general, because on today's point-and-shoot market smaller cameras might be able to outperform a kit lens at a much lower price. But if you need one, I think this is one of the better ones, at least optically.
I think Nikon discontiued it's production, thereby forcing customers to step down to full-plastic-lenses or step up to better built alround lenses at $600 or more.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

King of the cheapies - get this one or a point-and, Friday, 16 April 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
This lens is a good "walk-around" lens. A walk around lens needs to be small, lightweight, still reasonably fast, and should range from medium wide to short tele. Nikon's kit lenses have all incorporated these features more or less. The problem is that the demanded verstility and portability sometimes requires compromises in terms of image quality and built quality.

Therefore you have to ask the question, if it would be better to spend money on a decent point-and-shoot camera instead of spending it on a compromise lens. You bought a SLR for a special purpose, and kit lenses will most likely defeat some of that purpose, whatever it was.

Anyway, this lens does it's job pretty well. In my opinion it has the perfect range for a walk-around lens. It's small and lightweight.

Compared to other available "compromises" there are some pro's and con's:
Pros:
- optically maybe Nikon's best kit lens according to various tests on the web.
- longer telephoto reach than the cheaper 18-55 mm lenses.
- better built quality than almost all Nikon kit lenses (metal mount).
- with f/4.5 at the long end it's faster than other kit lenses and Nikon's 16-85 VR (which is otherwise in a different class for price and built quality).
- way lighter and cheaper than pro alround lenses (17-55 f/2.8)
- Bokeh is not bad and seems to be uglier in many of Nkon's DX zooms.

Cons:
- no VR. In my opinion this could be the only real deal breaker. VR works great for what it is made for and you get it now in newer cheap lenses basically for free. The faster long end of this lens (f/4.5 instead of the usual 5.6 now) will help your low light focus but the it won't compensate for VR in terms of Camera shake. The difference is not big enough.
- funny built: the mount is high quality and the lens body seems strong. but the front element that pumps when zoomed wiggles losely, the zoom action is very uneven.
- some people report dust-sucking problem.

In summary, a relatively cheap crop frame zoom will never be a perfect lens. But if you need one, I think this is one of the better ones, at least optically.
I think Nikon discontiued it's production, thereby forcing customers to step down to full-plastic-lenses or step up to better built alround lenses at $600 or more.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

King of the cheapies - get this one or a point-and, Friday, 16 April 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
5.0
This lens is a good "walk-around" lens. A walk around lens needs to be small, lightweight, still reasonably fast, and should range from medium wide to short tele. Nikon's kit lenses have all incorporated these features more or less. The problem is that the demanded versatility and portability sometimes requires compromises in terms of image quality and built quality.

Therefore you have to ask the question, if it would be better to spend money on a decent point-and-shoot camera instead of spending it on a compromise lens. You bought a SLR for a special purpose, and a kit lenses will most likely defeat some of that purpose, whatever it was.

Anyway, this lens does it's job pretty well. In my opinion it has the perfect range for a walk-around lens. It's small and lightweight.

Compared to other available "compromises" there are some pro's and con's:
Pros:
- optically maybe Nikon's best kit lens according to various tests on the web.
- longer telephoto reach than the cheaper 18-55 mm lenses.
- better built quality than almost all Nikon kit lenses (metal mount).
- with f/4.5 at the long end it's faster than other kit lenses and Nikon's 16-85 VR (which is otherwise in a different class for price and built quality).
- way lighter and cheaper than pro alround lenses (17-55 f/2.8)
- Bokeh is not bad and seems to be much nicer than in many of Nikon's other DX zooms.

Cons:
- no VR. In my opinion this could be a deal breaker. VR works great for what it is made for and you get it now in all newer cheap lenses basically for free. The faster long end of this lens (f/4.5 instead of the usual 5.6 now) will help your low light focus but the it won't compensate for VR in terms of camera shake. The difference is not big enough.
- funny built: the mount is high quality and the lens body seems strong. but the front element that pumps when zoomed wiggles losely, the zoom action is very uneven.
- some people report dust-sucking problem.

In summary, a relatively cheap crop frame zoom will never be a perfect lens. But if you need one of the cheapies, I think this is one of the better ones, at least optically.
I think Nikon discontiued it's production, thereby forcing customers to step down to full-plastic-lenses or step up to better built alround lenses at $600 or more.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Nice Lens, Sunday, 31 January 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
4.3
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
I'm a beginner but I think the lens is nice. It is easy to use, light weight and seems to produce good quality photos.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

pretty dang good, Saturday, 09 January 2010


Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
I bought this after looking for a walk around lens and so far have been very impressed. It is much sharper than the 18-105VR lens. The lens construction isn't hugely inspiring but the image quality more than makes up for it, especially considering I got this lens for $220 on Ebay. I would recommend buying a used lens which you can easily find for close to $200.

I just rented the 17-55 2.8 DX lens this weekend to compare to this 18-70 and after 20-30 comparative shots, I can't tell any difference. If a person were making large prints there might be a difference but for an everyday lens the 18-70 works great. I don't do a lot of low light work, so the 2.8 isn't a big deal. If the light gets a little low, just jack up the ISO with the 18-70.

Great lens!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Excellent budget priced lens by Nikon, Monday, 16 February 2009


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
I purchased this lens after being unhappy with the kit lens that came with my d80 (18-55mm VR). While that kit lens produced some good pictures, I found the autofocus to be tooo slow for my personal taste. This lens (18-70) has no such problem. It autofocuses quickly, is quiet and the built quality is worlds better than my previous lens. I got the lens refurbished thru Cameta.com and works perfectly.
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

Best General Use Lens, Sunday, 23 November 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.8
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
This is the best general use lens I have ever used. The minimum focal distance surpasses most standard lenses. I would recommend this lens to replace any lens that is standard with teh Nikon D40.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Kit lens quality for three times the price, Thursday, 18 September 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
2.8
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
2.0
AF Speed
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Actually, I have used better kit lenses in the past that this one. This is a really, really un-sharp lens. Every picture it churns out is soft and fuzzy, and it doesn't take much magnification in PS to see it. This one is great for 4x6 and 5x7 prints and maybe an 8x10 on a good day but that's about it. For the casual shooter only. On the bright side, the pincushion and barrel distortion was better than expected and less than most kit lenses I have used. Seriously, though, this is one of the weakest--if not the weakest--Nikon lenses I have ever shot with. 200 shots and I'm done and it was sold on the used market.

If you are looking for a good lens in this price range, take a look at the 35-70mm f/2.8D (a pro lens from the mid-late 90's) which can be had for around $250-$350 on the used market (a true steal) and churns out razor sharp pictures. Steer clear of this lens and the highly overrated 18-200mm VR unless you are just really looking for a casual snapshot lens. If you must have a lens starting at 18mm and you want to stay in this price range then go with the 18-55mm VR which is a fine lens and far superior to this one. If you want a longer maximum focal length in this price range then go with the 18-135mm which is also a superior lens to this one.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Great for casual shooters, not pros: great budget , Saturday, 16 August 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
3.5
Sharpness
3.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
I got this lens in my D200 kit, and within a year sold it off. While I found the lens to be adequate for many of my uses, until I purchased the 17-55 f/2.8 DX, I had no idea what my D200 was capable of.

CONS first (because you've probably already read all the good things):

First of all, the build quality of this lens is what I would call 'poor'. It's made of plastic. While I never abuse camera equipment, it's pretty vulnerable. The zoom ring feels cheap, as well as the focus ring.

The lens is not sharp until around f/5.6, for most applications. Below f/5.6, in most situations, the lens caused images from my D200 to look more like that of a point-n-shoot than a pro DSLR.

Of utmost importance: The lens vignettes like crazy wide open. Yeah, this can be corrected in Photoshop, but why? Even my cheap old $100 Tokina zoom lens doesn't vignette on my old film camera. This is not something that I expect to see from Nikon products, at this day in age.

Additionally, this lens is quite soft, compared to better lenses - you won't achieve 'prime sharp' with any combination of zoom/f-stop on this lens.

This must be a symptom of Nikon products, but the AF switch on the lens feels cheap/fragile - I hate these cheap little switches.

PROS:

Since this lens falls into the "normal zoom" range on a 1.5x crop factor DSLR, this lens is very versatile, and is not a specialty lens. For versatility, this lens is excellent. 18-70 (28-105 35mm equiv) is a very useful range, for casual photography.

I did mostly landscapes and some people shots, and it did quite well in these situations. At f/11, this lens is almost indistinguishable from it's pro brother (the 17-55 f/2.8 DX) at the same f/stop.

This lens is excellent for the price - definite bargain, especially since you can even use 17-55 f/2.8 and this lens in the same sentence, when talking about image quality.

CONCLUSION:

If you're beginning in photography, this is an excellent lens to start with. It can be found for around $200 from independent sellers (that's what I sold my mind-cond one for), and is a great bargain. Also, if you're just starting out in DSLR's, you will probably find it to be more than necessary for your needs.

If you're expecting pro results, this probably isn't the lens for you. If you're looking for professional results, and will be spending a lot of time post processing RAW's, and doing people photography, save for a while and get the Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8 DX ED IF.

I was quite happy with my Nikon 18-70, but sadly, I quickly outgrew it and became bothered by it's flaws. In this price range, you probably won't find anything better in Nikon, Canon, or any of the after marketers.

I would strongly recommend this lens for D40, D40x, D70/s, D60, and D80 users. D200 (maybe even D80) users will be sold quite short with this lens - it takes a pro lens to see what the D200 (D300, and other pro DX bodies) are even capable of.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Well Made and Heftier Than the 18-55!, Monday, 19 May 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
4.5
Sharpness
4.0
Build Quality
4.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Having purchased a D40 Kit, I got to look at the 18-55 lens. Certainly a bargain priced Nikkor to compete with the Canons. The 18-70 new style ED IF lens is far and away the heavy duty superior. I ordered one and immediately noticed the differences. The optical quality of the little lens isn't really bad at all, but the 18-70 is certainly better. The greater reach also helps keep it on the camera most of the time.

It's heftier construction and feel is more steady and sharper. While there is some distortion at the low end under certain conditions, like most DSLR Zoom lenses, it is not readily noticeable, and only occurs under certain conditions. Certainly not a deal killer!

This 18-70 is the one you will have on the camera most of the time, and can take the job and do the work. Overall a heavy duty Nikkor with a reasonable price, and tack sharp results. You'll like it!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

it's nice but..., Monday, 05 May 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
2.3
Sharpness
2.0
Build Quality
3.0
AF Speed
2.0
Value for Money
2.0
I really like this lens for the optics and the range but my 18-55mm VR lens works out so much better for the kind of shots I have been taking. I like the fact that this lens has the manual focus override with auto focus but I really noticed how much better my shots are in low lighting situations with my VR lens. the stops can be alot slower, and for me I found out that that comes in real handy. I liked this lens but have noticed my VR lens is cheaper and with it I rarely reach for my 18-70 lens now.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

Fantastic lens for 200 or less, good lens for 300, Saturday, 03 May 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
It's hard to really rate medium range lenses, since their prices eventually fall, as newer better lenses invariably are released.

When this lens first came out, it was a fantastic deal. Good to Great optics at the 18-70 range for only ~300 bucks! What a bargain!

But times have moved on, and as others have noted, the standard kit 18-55 is just as good, or slightly better, than this lens in terms of optics, though suffers from a slightly narrower range, and is offered at a lower price.

In the end. If you're looking for a wide to moderate zoom lens, I think the 18-70 is still a great choice, so long as you can find one for <200 bucks. I got one used for ~150, and at *that* price I think they're a good deal.

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great Lens from Nikon, Thursday, 10 April 2008


Overall rating (weighted)
5.0
Sharpness
5.0
Build Quality
5.0
AF Speed
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Yet another awesome piece on lens design from Nikon. Bought it slightly used, but the vendor was very honest and provided me with a high-quality lens at a great price.
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