This really is a superb lens - sharp across its entire range, very quick to focus, produces stunning pictures, while being lightweight and compact. It's the perfect partner for Nikon's DX cameras; even with the bottom-of-the-range D3300 I am extremely happy with the image quality I'm getting.
I recently bought a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 prime; I sent it back after one day because the 18-55 is better. Sure, the prime has 3 stops advantage over the zoom at 50mm, but when I tested at equivalent settings, it simply could not match the AF-P's pin-sharpness, and there was significant CA too which the zoom does not have. Plus of course the zoom's VR goes some way to compensating for the longer shutter time. The only other lens I have to compare it against is the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VRII. Not really a fair contest, they do different jobs, and they're both good lenses but the 18-55 produces noticeably sharper images.
The 18-55 does have significant barrel distortion, but on the rare occasion that this matters, it can be corrected either in camera or software. I have yet to feel the need to do this.
Mine did not come with a hood (possibly because I bought it as part of a D3300 kit, rather than on its own) - I strongly recommend getting one for protection (as well as using a UV filter), although you will have to remove it if using the builtin flash.
I chose this lens over the older AF-S because it supposedly doesn't have as much focus noise when shooting video... however, it turns out the D3300 is not really any good for video anyway (the focusing in Live View is simply not up to the job), so that's a moot point, but I'm very happy with the lens's quality for stills.
One downside with this one as opposed to the AF-S is the lack of switches for MF/AF and VR on/off. You can of course override AF just by grabbing the focus ring, or set fulltime MF easily enough by pressing the 'i' button, but switching VR on and off requires menu-diving (I try to keep it on the "recently used" menu at all times for easier access). That said, I'm not entirely sure there's any harm in keeping it switched on all the time. On my longer zoom it does seem to impact on quality so is best switched off unless required, but on this one, I'm pretty sure I've accidentally left it switched on from time to time and not noticed any reduction in quality. (This requirement for menu support limits the compatibility of this lens - make sure your body is compatible.)
Only other complaint is the lack of focus stop at infinity, which makes it very difficult to manually focus at infinity in the dark for photographing the night sky. However this seems to be quite common, not specific to this lens.
The attached photos are all straight from the camera in jpeg; I picked them not because they're the "best" but to give you an overview of this lens's capabilities.
| Package Dimensions L x W x H | 26 x 19.8 x 11.6 centimetres |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.45 Kilograms |
| Product Dimensions L x W x H | 6.2 x 6.2 x 6.4 centimetres |
| Item Weight | 205 Grams |
| Brand | Nikon |
| Camera Lens | 55mm |
| Colour | Black |
| Country of Origin | Thailand |
| Has image stabilisation | Yes |
| Included components | 1 x AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens |
| Lens Fixed Focal Length | 55 Millimetres |
| Max Focal Length | 55 Millimetres |
| Min Focal Length | 250 Millimetres |
| Model year | 2016 |
| Plug profile | Nikon F |
| Objective Lens Diameter | 40 Millimetres |
| Part number | JAA826DA |
| Size | 1 |
| Zoom Type | optical |
| Lens Design | Zoom |
| Maximum Aperture Range | f/3.5-5.6 |
| Focus type | Manual Focus, Auto/Manual |
| Style | DX VR |
| Photo Filter Thread Size | 55 Millimetres |
| Guaranteed software updates until | unknown |
