Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon
97 Overall Score
vs
Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm

Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm

Canon
54 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

85 out of 100 low confidence 9 reviews

This Nikon 18-55mm lens is widely praised for its sharpness, light weight, and excellent value for money, especially as a kit lens. Users highlight its vivid colors and quiet autofocus, though some note the plastic build feels fragile and the barrel can wobble at extended focal lengths. Overall, it's considered a fantastic starter lens that outperforms its modest price point.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Excellent value for money
  • Vivid color reproduction
  • Quiet autofocus
Cons
  • Plastic build feels fragile
  • Barrel wobbles at extended focal lengths
  • No image stabilization
  • Loose tolerances can affect focus
👍 Image quality 6
🤔 Build quality 4
👍 Value for money 5
👍 Weight and portability 4
👍 Autofocus performance 3
👎 Image stabilization 2

Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm

84 out of 100 high confidence 40 reviews

This Canon RF lens lineup receives overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users praising exceptional sharpness, fast and silent autofocus, and a lightweight, compact design that is ideal for both photography and video. Many reviewers highlight its outstanding performance for astrophotography, noting minimal coma and excellent star rendering wide open. A few criticisms mention heavy reliance on digital corrections, noticeable uncorrected vignetting, and some distortion, but these are generally seen as acceptable trade-offs for the size, weight, and price. Overall, it is considered a significant upgrade over older EF lenses and a top choice for hybrid shooters.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Fast and silent autofocus
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Excellent for astrophotography
  • Minimal coma and aberrations
Cons
  • Heavy reliance on digital corrections
  • Noticeable uncorrected vignetting
  • Some distortion and color fringing
  • No image stabilization
  • Loose, clunking elements (one report)
👍 Image quality 25
👍 Autofocus performance 12
👍 Weight and size 15
👍 Astrophotography 8
🤔 Digital corrections 6
👍 Build quality 5

Scores

Street
Nikon
91
Canon
53
Budget
Nikon
90
Canon
47
Macro
Nikon
89
Canon
53
Travel
Nikon
86
Canon
44
Portrait
Nikon
83
Canon
56
Video Cinema
Nikon
77
Canon
61
Wildlife Sports
Nikon
71
Canon
49
Landscape
Nikon
70
Canon
60
Professional
Nikon
70
Canon
64

Specifications

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mmCanon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm20 mm
Focal Length Max55 mm20 mm
Elements715
Groups511
Aspherical Elements22
ED Elements13★
CoatingSuper Integrated CoatingCanon SSC (Super Spectra Coating); SWC (Sub-Wavelength structure coating; ASC (Air Sphere Coating); Fluorine protective coating on front element
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/16
Min Aperture3.5-5.6f/1.4
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades711★
Build
MountNikon FCanon RF
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed—✓★
Weight0.20 kg★0.52 kg
Filter Thread55 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typepulse stepping motor★VCM
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance55 mm★200 mm
Max Magnification—0.19x★

Pros & Cons

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

  • Strong macro (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile

Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm

  • Strong optical (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong build (68th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm is CA$2,020 cheaper (12.9x less).

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm0.572score per dollar
vs
Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm0.024score per dollar

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm offers 23.8x better value for money

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Canon L-Series RF 20mm f/1.4 L VCM 20mm

Verdict

★ Winner: Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 22 specs.

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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