If you want to know why your lenses are so expensive, check this video out.

Pretty intense eh? $1000 USD per kilo just for the glass!

Loads of people have raved about the Nikon 18-200mm VR, the ultimate walk-around lens, having tried one out I can’t say I’m over-impressed.

It’s one thing however Canon users were sorely missing, a lens that hits the whole range from pretty wide indeed to a decent 200mm zoom (Something like an 11.5x zoom in normal terms).

Now Sigma has just announced a similar lens! There’s has been 3rd party 18-200mm zooms before but all without image stabiliser which renders the 200mm quite useless.

The new Sigma has Optical Stabiliser!

This high zoom ratio lens is exclusively designed for digital SLR cameras and is capable of covering a wide range of focal lengths from wide angle to telephoto. It is equipped with Sigma’s own unique technology OS (Optical Stabilizer) function. This function uses two sensors inside the lens to detect vertical and horizontal movement of the camera and works by moving an optical image stabilizing lens group, to effectively compensate for camera shake. It automatically detects movement of the camera and compensates for camera shake when shooting moving subject such as motor sports.

Two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and two aspherical lenses provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. This lens provides superior image quality throughout the entire zoom range. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using circular polarizing filters and the petal-type lens hood supplied.

I won’t deny it’s a very handy range, the difference between 200-300mm is minimal and 18-200mm is such an amazing walk around range, the quality of SLR with the convenience of a super zoom, you’d only have to change for Macro, Super Wide-Angle (10-18mm) and low light (something with a f/1.8 aperture).

Will be waiting to test this one out, I expect it should be around RM1500-2000.

Image from dpreview.com

Ah the new Nikon D80 kit lens looks like a peach too, yet to see any good hardcore reviews of it yet though, it’s a nice new release though to go along with my much sought after Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED as I currently don’t have any telephoto past 70mm!

I’m actually using the Nikon D70s kit lens most of the time which is the superb Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED I shall do a proper review of it one day.

It’s a very sharp lens though at least at f/5.6 and above, I find it a nice focal range too, but it does distort a bit at 18mm, but is fine again by 20mm.

The 18-135mm gives a nice boost in focal length without the weight of going up to 200mm.

From the Nikon press release:

Nikon is pleased to announce the introduction of the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, a compact, lightweight 7.5x zoom lens. Boasting a range of state-of-the-art optical technologies, this new lens offers outstanding performance at a remarkably affordable price.

The AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED features Nikon ED glass, aspherical lens elements and SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for enhanced performance. With a focal length range of 18-135mm, the lens is suitable for a wide variety of shooting situations; from sports, action and portraits to wide-angle landscapes. The picture angle is equivalent to a 27-202.5mm lens in the 35mm format.

RRP: £299.99
Sales release: September 2006.

That makes it around RM2000 in a direct conversion, so perhaps we’ll get it for about RM1800, not bad!