Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens

by Nikon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches ; 12.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000BVDZ9
• Item model number: 2143
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 26, 2006

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Lens-making is an art--Nikon artisans craft Nikkor optics from the finest materials, taking pride in adding their intellect and technique to bring the world's finest lenses to life. They push the leading edge of lens-making in their effort to provide the "glass" that makes the world's greatest pictures.

AF Nikkor lenses work with Nikon SLRs for optimal performance, even the very latest. The Nikon 28-200mm f3.5-5.6G ED IF is an affordable high-power (7.1x) zoom lens in a compact design. The world's lightest 28-200mm lens also boasts the shortest closest focusing distance (1.3 feet at 200mm) of any 28-200mm lens. The ultra-compact optical system with 62mm filter attachment size also features three aspherical lenses and three ED glass elements for higher optical performance. The seven-blade rounded diaphragm achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements, internal focusing for smoother focusing, and better body balance.

G Type DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon SLR models where aperture is controlled from body, while the Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes. High-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating offers superior color reproduction and minimizes ghost and flare. The lens is fully compatible with D1X, D1H, D2H, D100, D70, F6, F5, F100, N80, N75, N65, and N55 cameras.

ED glass: An essential element of Nikkor telephoto lenses
Nikon developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to enable the production of lenses that offer superior sharpness and color correction by minimizing chromatic aberration. Put simply, chromatic aberration is a type of image and color dispersion that occurs when light rays of varying wavelengths pass through optical glass. In the past, correcting this problem for telephoto lenses required special optical elements that offer anomalous dispersion characteristics--specifically calcium fluoride crystals. However, fluorite easily cracks and is sensitive to temperature changes that can adversely affect focusing by altering the lens' refractive index. So Nikon designers and engineers put their heads together and came up with ED glass, which offers all the benefits and none of the drawbacks of calcium fluorite-based glass. With this innovation, Nikon developed several types of ED glass suitable for various lenses. They deliver stunning sharpness and contrast even at their largest apertures. In this way, Nikkor's ED-series lenses exemplify Nikon's preeminence in lens innovation and performance.

Nikon Super Integrated Coating ensures exceptional performance
To enhance the performance of its optical lens elements, Nikon employs an exclusive multilayer lens coating that helps reduce ghost and flare to a negligible level. Nikon Super Integrated Coating achieves a number of objectives, including minimized reflection in the wider wavelength range and superior color balance and reproduction. Nikon Super Integrated Coating is especially effective for lenses with a large number of elements, like our Zoom-Nikkors. Also, Nikon's multilayer coating process is tailored to the design of each particular lens. The number of coatings applied to each lens element is carefully calculated to match the lens type and glass used, and also to assure the uniform color balance that characterizes Nikkor lenses. This results in lenses that meet much higher standards than the rest of the industry.

Aspherical lens elements
Nikon introduced the first photographic lens with aspherical lens elements in 1968. What sets them apart? Aspherical lenses virtually eliminate the problem of coma and other types of lens aberration--even when used at the widest aperture. They are particularly useful in correcting the distortion in wide-angle lenses. In addition, use of aspherical lenses contributes to a lighter and smaller lens design. Nikon employs three types of aspherical lens elements. Precision-ground aspherical lens elements are the finest expression of lens-crafting art, demanding extremely rigorous production standards. Hybrid lenses are made of a special plastic molded onto optical glass. Molded glass aspherical lenses are manufactured by molding a unique type of optical glass using a special metal die technique.

Internal Focusing
Imagine being able to focus a lens without it changing in size. Nikon's IF technology enables just that. All internal optical movement is limited to the interior of the non-extending lens barrel. This allows for a more compact, lightweight construction as well as a closer focusing distance. In addition, a smaller and lighter focusing lens group is employed to ensure faster focusing. The IF system is featured in most Nikkor telephoto and selected Nikkor zoom lenses.

Distance information
D-type and G-type Nikkors relay subject-to-camera distance information to AF Nikon camera bodies. This then makes possible advances like 3D Matrix Metering and 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash. Note: D-type and G-type Nikkors provide distance information to the following cameras: Auto exposure; F6, F5, F100, F90X, F80, F75, F70, F65, F60, F55, F50, Pronea S, Pronea 600i, D2 series, D1 series, D100 and D70s/D70. Flash control; F6, F5, F100, F90X, F80, F75, F70, D2 series, D1 series, D100 and D70s/D70.

G-type Nikkor lens
The G-type Nikkor has no aperture ring; aperture should be selected from camera body.

Features include:

• New Nikkor cosmetic design
• 3 extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration
• 3 aspherical lens element for low distortion
• Rounded diaphragm to make out-of-focus elements appear more natural
• G-type DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon SLR models where aperture is controlled from body
• Nikon D-type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes
• High-performance Nikon Super Integrated Coating offers superior color reproduction and minimizes ghost and flare
• World's lightest 28-200mm lens
• Shortest closest focusing distance (1.3 feet at 200mm) of any 28-200mm lens
• Internal focusing for smoother focusing and better body balance

What's in the Box:
Lens, 62mm snap-on front lens cap CL-62, rear lens cap LF-1, bayonet hood HB-30.

Product Description

Md) Cl) Aa) Nik 28-200 F/3.5-5.6g Af

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good "walk around" lens!, May 8, 2005

By 

Capt RB - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Electronics)

I bought 28-200 G today to compliment the 50mm and 18-70 kit lens. I had some hope that the lens would be "good enough" and I'm very surprised at just how good this small lens is. I also tested the 24-120 VR. Call me crazy, but it seemed soft to me. When I got home I looked at the tests and the results from the VR lens were actually fine, so I think it was just the viewfinder. What really killed it for me was that 120 was just not enough reach (for me) for a really versatile walk-around lens. I took the 28-200 home and did some tests. This is a very nice lens. I found images very close in sharpness to the kit lens wide open. The near instant focus wasn't there of course (and missed!), but otherwise this is a lens that does a lot of things well. Focus was spot on and I tried some test macro shots fully zoomed in, also very nice. It's small and light and feels quite sturdy. At under 300 dollars it's a bargain that gives you all the reach you need in most cases. I couldn't see the point in waiting for the 55-200. It's simply starts too high for a walk-around all-in-one lens. I did more tests and shot a detailed object with the 28-200, 18-70 and the 50mm 1.8 all at 50mm at F6. The 28-200 was sharper than the kit lens! Samples may vary of course, but there's little doubt that the little 28-200 is nicely designed item that will also handle some macro work. Nikon also has a new 55-200mm on the way, but on a DSLR it'll be poor for a walk-around. I plan to add the 80-400 VR soon.
As others have said, the 28-200 may be a lens to live on the camera most days. If you're looking for a very nice all-in-one for that vacation or casual use, this lens delivers. Now if they make this lens a VR with the S motor we'd really be cooking!

Capt Robert B

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great general purpose lens, January 1, 2006

By 

M. J. Redd - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Electronics)

After I bought the D50--my first DSLR--I went on the hunt for a good all-around lens. I was upgrading from a fixed lens system with 10X optical zoom, so I would settle for nothing less than a lens with 10X zoom equivalent. Luckily, with the D50 having a 1.5x crop factor, a 200mm lens would fit the bill fine. I found this lens on Amazon, and things fell into place. The online reviews were usually very good, and doing a search on pbase.com for shots taken with this lens revealed some pretty impressive results. And best of all, the price didn't break the bank. I've since taken over a hundred shots with this lens at all focal lengths, and overall, I'm quite impressed. These are my finds.

As others have stated, the focus motor isn't exactly silent or quick. Thankfully, though, it isn't obnoxiously loud or slow, either. The motor noise is easily tolerable--unless you're spoiled by silent wave motors--and the focus speed only becomes an issue when it has trouble judging the subjet's distance. Then, of course, you wish the lens was a silent wave motor type, but the speed isn't unbearably slow. I haven't missed any shots yet because of it. When in doubt, set the focus switch to "Limit" to prevent it from scanning the entire focal range when you're using the long telephoto, or just switch over to manual focus if your hand is faster. Once it gets a good lock on your subject, the lens will very quickly compensate for recomposition if the change isn't drastic. Nine times in ten, the autofocus is sharp and right on the money. There is a slight falloff in image sharpness at 200mm, but it's nothing to pout about.

The ED elements result in shots that are virtually free of chromatic aberration. I say virtually because there is still minute color fringe on contrasting elements in the shot, in the right light conditions. Hey, no lens is absolutely free of it, and it's a drastic improvement over the aberration on many fixed lens systems.

Though the lens isn't macro rated, it might as well be. With a minimum focusing distance of just over a foot at full telephoto, who needs a macro lens?

My only real beef with this lens has been flare. I've gotten what I call "rainbow flare" when I compose the shot with brightly reflecting metal surfaces or when shooting in the sun's direction, but it's a non issue in all other situations. Again, it's impossible to find a lens that's completely free of it. Use the included lens hood to cut down on stray light rays. I surmise a polarizer filter would also help substantially with this problem.

Being a nature photographer, my true test for this lens will be shooting through the glass in zoo enclosures with a polarizer. It generally isn't a light hungry lens, but I haven't tried it with a polarizer yet. With any luck, I'll still be able to nail blur-free shots at maximum telephoto.

All in all, I am very happy with this lens. It provides all the reach I need, is easily portable (it's a wee bit heavy, but at least it's not a telephone pole on my camera body), and the optics are great. If only Nikon had built image stabilization into it, this lens would be darn near perfect.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars near-perfect everyday lens, May 18, 2005

By 

Jessica Nauright - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus Nikkor Zoom Lens (Electronics)

This lens gets along very well with my N75. I wanted a versatile lens that could go from wide-angle to telephoto, and that is exactly what this lens does. It is also extremely lightweight, extremely sturdy, and produces that classic Nikon background blur. (A pro or a con, depending on what you like.) The macro shots I've taken haven't disappointed me at all, they look very sharp to me---but I am a pretty casual photographer, and haven't played with many Nikon lenses. As a pretty casual photographer I can say that this is an ideal lens for long trips, especially backpacking---actually it's ideal for anyone who doesn't walk around armed with a tripod and/or multiple lenses. I tried the Tamron 28-300mm lens for Nikon, which does take very fine pictures, but even at 200mm I had a difficult time obtaining a really sharp image without a tripod.

This lens doesn't have silent focusing or vibration reduction. But it is 300 dollars.