Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon
97 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Tamron
100 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

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

92 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom wins praise for its lightweight design, versatile focal range, and solid image quality. Users appreciate the compact build and smooth zoom mechanism, but note the slow aperture and trade-offs in sharpness compared to more expensive zooms. Verified reviewers find it an ideal travel lens that pairs well with Sony bodies.

Pros
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile 28-300mm focal range
  • Smooth zoom ring operation
  • Compact build for travel
  • Good integration with Sony bodies
Cons
  • Small maximum aperture (f/4-7.1)
  • Reduced sharpness vs. premium zooms
  • Not an internal zoom lens
  • Slow autofocus at high fps on some bodies
👍 Build quality 3
🤔 Sharpness 3
👎 Aperture 2
👍 Weight and portability 3
👍 Zoom range 4
👎 Autofocus performance 1

Scores

Street
Nikon
91
Tamron
82
Macro
Nikon
89
Tamron
91
Budget
Nikon
90
Tamron
91
Landscape
Nikon
70
Tamron
90
Portrait
Nikon
83
Tamron
87
Travel
Nikon
86
Tamron
84
Professional
Nikon
70
Tamron
84
Wildlife Sports
Nikon
71
Tamron
84
Video Cinema
Nikon
77
Tamron
80

Specifications

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mmTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min18 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max55 mm300 mm
Elements720
Groups513
Aspherical Elements23★
ED Elements12★
CoatingSuper Integrated Coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/4
Min Aperture3.5-5.64-7.1
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountNikon FSony E
FormatAPS-Cfull-frame★
Weather Sealed—✓★
Weight0.20 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread55 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typepulse stepping motorVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance55 mm★190 mm
Max Magnification—1:2.8★

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

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (93rd percentile)93rd %ile

Pricing

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm is £506 cheaper (4.9x less).

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm0.749score per dollar
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm0.157score per dollar

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm offers 4.8x better value for money

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm

Scores 100 overall, wins 5 of 9 usage categories and 7 of 22 specs.

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm Better at:

StreetTravel

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD 300mm Better at:

PortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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