Nikon 18-200 for weddings???? Whaaaat?

[scootermcq]

So being a bit of a rebel and liking to have some fun and experiment, I decided to throw my 18-200 3.5-5.6 lens on in a dimly lit reception just to see what would happen. It was actually doing such a good job I decided to leave it on for a while. Only issue I had with it, is it does really hunt for focus in the low light, as you have such a small aperture for the focusing system to work with. Anyway, I thought I would share a few so you could see what happened in my experiment. (Don't forget that this is a love it or hate it lens)

[scootermcq]

Here is what the lighting was like when I killed the flash..... just to show the ambient.

[candleman]

I use my Kit 18-135 (non VR) more then my 24-70 f/2.8 these days...

The ability to go wide and telephoto so quickly is a big advantage. The bounced flash fills in the gaps nicely.

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by candleman

I use my Kit 18-135 (non VR) more then my 24-70 f/2.8 these days...

The ability to go wide and telephoto so quickly is a big advantage. The bounced flash fills in the gaps nicely.

Another wild & crazy guy.... I knew I liked you for a reason CM

[OsmosisStudios]

Were you using the AF-Assist targeting lights on the flash? If not, theyre a HUGE help. I couldnt do nightclubs without them.

[Bruce A]

You're right about this lens hunting a bit in low light. However, this is the lens that spends most time on my camera. It's a great all purpose, take anywhere lens when you don't want to tote a bag around. For a utilitarian lens it's pretty darn good, sharp but I wouldn't call it tack sharp.

[Gaurav Prabhu]

Actually kit lenses aren't that bad as some make them. Your shot seem good enough & anyone would be happy seeing them.

[Bruce A]

Originally Posted by Gaurav Prabhu

Actually kit lenses aren't that bad as some make them. Your shot seem good enough & anyone would be happy seeing them.

er Guarav, the 18-200mm 3.5/5.4 isn't really a kit lens - a bit of a step up, but it is sometimes bundled with a body at a higher price.

[Gaurav Prabhu]

Yeah, that's what I meant.

[scootermcq]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Were you using the AF-Assist targeting lights on the flash? If not, theyre a HUGE help. I couldnt do nightclubs without them.

Adam, your comment was a light bulb moment. I have never turned it off, but then again I don't remember seeing them, and in that room I should have. I threw the flash on one of my cameras, and no AF grid.... checked the settings and it looked like it should work. RTFM, and I found:
"AF-assist illuminator is only available when the following conditions are met:

1. Illuminator is turned on (pg.273)
2. Single-servo AF is selected for focus mode (pg.62).
3. Auto-area AF is chosen for AF-area mode, or single-point or dynamic-area AF is chosen (pg.64).
4. Center focus point is selected.(pg.66)

I very seldom have the center focus point selected, because I move it all the time when composing shots. As soon as I hit the center of the jog button to set it AF point to middle, bam I had the grid. Turns out 99% of these images would have been taken in a dark room no assist whatsoever and still locked on (as the onboard would not be working either). This "amateur" lens just took another step up in my opinion.

Thanks buddy, sometimes I don't see the trees for the forest.