Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Nikon
97 Overall Score
vs
Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO 33mm

Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO 33mm

Laowa
41 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

Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO 33mm

78 out of 100 medium confidence 14 reviews

The Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and solid build quality, especially at a price much lower than comparable fast lenses. Users appreciate the long focus throw for precise manual focusing, but some note the lack of weather sealing and stiff aperture ring. A few verified reviews mention sample variation and softness at wider apertures, particularly when compared to Fujinon alternatives.

Pros
  • Sharp images wide open
  • Beautiful bokeh
  • Solid build quality
  • Good value for money
  • Long focus throw for precision
Cons
  • Not weather sealed
  • Stiff aperture ring
  • Soft at wide apertures on some samples
  • Long focus throw may be slow for some
  • No click stops on aperture ring
🤔 Sharpness 5
👍 Bokeh 6
👍 Build quality 5
👍 Value for money 4
🤔 Focus throw 4
👎 Weather sealing 3

Scores

Street
Nikon
91
Laowa
39
Budget
Nikon
90
Laowa
36
Macro
Nikon
89
Laowa
51
Travel
Nikon
86
Laowa
26
Portrait
Nikon
83
Laowa
49
Video Cinema
Nikon
77
Laowa
39
Wildlife Sports
Nikon
71
Laowa
24
Landscape
Nikon
70
Laowa
33
Professional
Nikon
70
Laowa
36

Specifications

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mmLaowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO 33mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min18 mm33 mm
Focal Length Max55 mm33 mm
Elements714
Groups59
Aspherical Elements2★1
ED Elements11
CoatingSuper Integrated Coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/3.5f/11
Min Aperture3.5-5.6f/0.95
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountNikon FFujifilm X
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed—✗
Weight0.20 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread55 mm62 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Typepulse stepping motor★manual focus only
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops4 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance55 mm★350 mm
Max Magnification—1:2★

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

Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO 33mm

  • Strong optical (65th percentile)
  • Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
  • Below average social proof (31st percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (32nd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)

Verdict

★ Winner: Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm

Scores 97 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.

Nikon NIKKOR 20059 18-55mm Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports