Used to have the 18-135 and I prefer the 18-70 to this, but if given a choice between the 2 lenses, the 18-105 is a much better lens.

If you can afford, take Nikon 18-200VR II or Tamron 18-270VC these lenses will be able to take a bit of everything b'cos of their wide focal range.

Anyway to point 2), 18-135,18-105, 18-200 all have pretty bad barrel distortion. The 18-70 has much less distortion compared to the three lenses mentioned.

Tamron 18-250 no VC but Sigma 18-250 OS HSM has.

There is a difference. You can feel it in the build quality and in the colours of the shot. You can check out a brand called Tian-Ya. Quality is not bad and not as expensive as Hoya.

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Added on December 18, 2009, 10:34 amFor the price. Very decent lens.
This post has been edited by project-o: Dec 18 2009, 10:34 AM

I have the same lens model as you have. From what I was told, the warranty covers external cleaning only (cleaning only the outer parts of the lens). My advice is check with the service centre or the dealer which you bought it from first. If you do send it in, ask them to do a check on the VR mechanism and the SW-motor as well, these are the most likely parts to fail.

I sent mine in for repairs after having problems with the VR-mechanism. There was no charge for the VR mechanism replacement but I was charged RM80 after requesting for a CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Align) service for the internal parts.

Going to get a +10 close up filter. Price less than RM 100. Will let you all know how well it works.

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Added on December 19, 2009, 8:21 amDepending on the body also, better to test it first. It is a heavy lens and will feel imbalanced on smaller bodies.
This post has been edited by project-o: Dec 19 2009, 08:21 AM

If it doesn't appear in the pics, very likely it is just viewfinder dust. Not sure whether this is covered by the warranty or not. But if it doesn't affect the image, it would be better to just leave it alone.

Practically all the copies of this lens come with motor. The model code for the built in motor model is A14NII whereas the older one which has been phased out since last year is A14N. Also look for the "built in motor" wording on the side of the box.

Yes it will work with D3000. If your lens is kit lens, this lens will increase the range for your D3000.

How much did the 18-55VR cost you ? Did you buy new or used ?

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Added on December 21, 2009, 7:56 pmQuite a fair comparison. Anyway to me, both are about the same, except for the better build quality and fast AF speed of 18-70 vs VR of the 18-105. Having had the 18-135 for more than a year, I still don't think it is THAT bad a lens but I let it go to buy the 18-200VR which is much better.
This post has been edited by project-o: Dec 21 2009, 07:56 PM

Wide end distortion will be there in most wide angle lenses. Optics are the same in both versions so the distortion should be the same also. Apart from the zoom lock switch and some minor changes, VRII and the older version are the same. It's a trade-off between more distortion vs a longer focal range so the choice will depend on the individual.

From my experience, it is between 18-24 that the distortion looks bad. Anyway don't worry too much about the distortion. This is a lens that once you understand its shortcomings, the more you shoot with it the more you will like it.

Yes... 35, 50 and 90 (Tamron SP90f2.8) very nice combination + a 2X teleconverter.

Can be a toy or a tool depending on how you use it.

Or a sign of a boom in the DSLR market until the trend moves on to something else.

Can try using circular polariser filter to make the grass greener.

Live view is useful to check your composition but for shooting, not that practical as the AF technology for live view isn't that good yet.