So Ive been shooting with my D7500 for like four years now and I thought I had my kit dialed in but my 18-140mm just started throwing this weird fEE error and the autofocus is hunting like crazy even in broad daylight. Super annoying because I have a trip to Glacier National Park in less than three weeks and I really dont want to be stuck swapping primes the whole time while trying to catch shots of bears or whatever. I tried cleaning the contacts with some iso but it still feels clunky and the barrel creep is getting out of control.
Im honestly just done with this lens and looking for something better. I know some people say just go full frame but I like my DX body for the reach and Im not ready to drop 3k on a new system right now. Looking for a high quality zoom that wont break the bank but also isnt another cheap plastic kit lens. My budget is around 800 bucks tops and I need something that stays sharp at the long end because thats where I usually live.
Is the Sigma 18-35 still the king or should I be looking at the Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4? Or maybe something even longer? What are you guys actually using on your crop bodies these days that doesnt feel like a toy...
@Reply #2 - good point! Honestly that 50-100mm is a total optical masterpiece but man, lugging that thing up to Hidden Lake overlook in Glacier would be a serious workout lol. Since you mentioned living at the long end of your current zoom and needing something for wildlife, you really need glass that can resolve fine detail for those distant goats or bears. In my experience, people often sleep on the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR because they want the f/2.8 prestige, but the MTF charts on the f/4 version are basically best-in-class for center-to-corner sharpness. Over the years, Ive found that for DX bodies, that 70-200 gives you a perfect 105-300mm equivalent reach which is the sweet spot for park landscapes and larger animals. Its significantly lighter than the tank build suggested earlier and the VR is actually rated for 4 real-world stops, which I can confirm holds up even when youre shivering in the mountain wind. You should be able to find a clean copy used for about $650. Forget the Sigma 18-35 for this specific trip... it is sharp as a tack but 35mm as your long end is gonna leave you feeling really frustrated when there is a grizzly 200 yards away. If you want even more reach while staying around that 800 buck mark, take a look at the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary. Its surprisingly compact for what it is and the AF is way snappier than the old Nikkor 80-400mm. That fEE error on your current lens is usually a sign of the signal contacts or the aperture lever failing internally btw, so definitely dont sink money into a repair. Glacier is way too beautiful for gear failure.
TL;DR: Skip the 16-80mm; it feels flimsy for the price. Grab a used Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED if you want a tank, or the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art for serious wildlife reach. Unfortunately, I had quite a few issues with the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR. For a lens that costs that much, the vignetting at the wide end is just unacceptable, and the focus ring had a weird gritty feel after only six months. It wasnt as good as expected for the flagship DX zoom. If you are hunting for bears in Glacier, that 80mm ceiling is gonna feel really short. Honestly, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art is brilliant glass but useless for wildlife. You might want to consider the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art instead. It stays incredibly sharp at the long end, though its a heavy beast to carry on trails... worth the weight for the f/1.8 tho.
I totally agree that the lens you mentioned is the absolute best move! It is an amazing piece of glass and honestly feels like a professional tool compared to the basic kit stuff.
- super fast focus
- way better colors The constant aperture makes a huge difference for wildlife, youre gonna love how it performs!
This thread is gold. Bookmarking for future reference 🔖
Re: "Works great for me" - honestly, consider yourself one of the lucky ones because the reliability of mid-range glass is just appalling lately. Just catching up on the thread and hearing about that fEE error really triggered me. It is such a scam how companies charge a premium for gear that is basically built to fail once the warranty ends. Over the years I have tried many times to DIY fix these common issues myself, but when the internal construction is this flimsy, there is only so much you can do with a screwdriver and some patience. It drives me crazy that we are expected to just accept barrel creep and failing AF motors as normal wear. The quality control is going downhill so fast while prices keep climbing, and it is beyond frustrating when you have a big trip to Glacier coming up. We should be able to rely on our gear without having to worry about it becoming a paperweight out of nowhere. Honestly, it feels like the manufacturers just want us on a constant upgrade treadmill and they dont really care about the long-term reliability of their DX kits anymore. Its just ridiculous.
If youre worried about reliability and want to stay under budget while getting that reach for Glacier, I have two recommendations that have worked really well for me. Both feel way more premium than the kit stuff and dont feel like they are gonna fall apart.
- Nikon AF-P NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6E ED VR
- Make sure it is the E version, not the cheaper DX kit one. It is incredibly sharp at 300mm and the autofocus is basically instant. No clunky barrel feel here and it is light enough for hiking all day.
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
- You can find these used for about 800 bucks if you look around. It is heavy, but the constant f/5.6 is super reliable when the light starts dropping in the valleys or under tree cover. Either of these will feel like a massive upgrade over your old 18-140mm. I been using that 70-300 for a while now and I am very happy with how it performs. No complaints at all.
Works great for me
