For a superzoom lens, the Nikon is impressively sharp at its shortest focal length but sharpness drops off steadily at longer zoom settings, becoming quite mediocre at 300mm. Corner sharpness is also particularly disappointing at longer focal lengths.

Those looking for a convenient all-in-one zoom lens for travel, or simply to cut down on lens changes will love the extreme zoom range this 18-300mm lens offers. Sacrificing the f/5.6 maximum aperture at 300mm of this lens' predecessor is a worthwhile compromise in my opinion, as it has resulted in a much more manageable lens that is compact, yet versatile. The lens uses Nikon's F mount. It's designed for DX format SLRs - on FX cameras, DX crop mode will be engaged automatically. It can also be used on Nikon 1 System mirrorless cameras via the F mount adapter, giving a 50-800mm equivalent range, with autofocus and stabilization. My first observation was that neither of these lenses can be used reliably on a full-frame (FX) Nikon DSLR. The image circle is just too small at any focal length. That’s ok, as these lenses were both designed for use with DX format Nikon DSLRs. To use these lenses on an FX format Nikon, all you need to do is enable the DX crop mode on your camera. The image circle from both 18-300mm Nikkors does not cover the full 35mm frame, as they are designed for APS-C format cameras.THE NEW AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300MM F/3.5-6.3G ED VR LENS IS A VERSATILE YET COMPACT AND LIGHTWEIGHT TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS THAT ALLOWS USERS TO GET CLOSE TO THE ACTION 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 tests A white dot on the outside of the hood aids alignment for mounting, and the hood reverses neatly for storage. Falloff of illumination towards the corners of the frame is well controlled for a lens of this type. At 18mm the corners are 1.54 stops darker than the image centre and at 300mm the corners are 1.37 stops darker. Visually uniform illumination is achieved with the lens stopped down to f/8 or beyond throughout the zoom range.

Interesting to read that you play down the concept of such a lens. Then you look at it and can’t really fault it. Sharpness is measured at the centre and edge of the frame and across the aperture range. Levels of sharpness across the frame are good for a superzoom lensA petal-shaped hood is supplied with the lens, which does a decent job of shielding the front element from extraneous light that may cause flare or loss on contrast. Shooting into the light does result in a slight loss of contrast, especially at 300mm, but otherwise, this lens is quite resistant to flare. Supplied Accessories: HB-58 Bayonet Lens Hood, LC-77 Snap-on Front Lens Cap, LF-4 Rear Lens Cap, CL-1120 Soft Case MELVILLE, NY (April 10, 2014 at 12:01 A.M. EDT)– Today, Nikon Inc. announced the latest addition to its legendary NIKKOR lineup, the new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR telephoto zoom lens. Designed for the DX-format photographer looking to get more out of their D-SLR camera, the versatile NIKKOR 18-300mm is a compact and lightweight 16.7X all-in-one telephoto zoom lens that delivers high performance and superior image quality. Whether capturing still images or HD video, the 18-300mm lens is built to help users capture content with vibrant colors and sharp details, plus shoot sports, vacations and wildlife with confidence. At all focal lengths, subjects at 100 feet to several miles away, A and C are identically sharp. If there's any difference at all, I couldn't see it. The lens is not claimed to be weatherproof, but there is a rubber seal around the lens mount that should provide basic dust protection. Focal Range