Samsung 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 ED OIS Lens Review

Samsung 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 ED OIS Handling and Features

High quality plastics have been used for much of the lens barrel's construction and the lens mount is metal. It has a smooth glossy finish and a blue metallic ring between the lens body and zoom ring. Weighing 549g and being 105.5mm, it balances well with the Samsung NX20 body used for testing, but may feel a little large on Samsung's more compact bodied cameras.



Focus speeds are reasonable, especially in good light and the thin manual focus ring is well damped and feels quite smooth to operate. Focusing is performed internally, and the 67mm filter thread doesn't rotate, which is ideal for use with graduated and polarising filters.  In manual focus mode the screen instantly magnifies the centre section of the image, making fine adjustments straightforward. This lens includes the i-Function button for quick access to camera controls and switches are provided to activate the optical stabiliser and to change between automatic and manual focus. A locking switch is also provided to stop the lens extending when being transported.

The minimum focus distance of 50cm is fairly typical for lenses of this range. With care, at 200mm, the optical image stabiliser allows sharp hand-held shots to be taken with some consistency at 1/20, which is roughly four stops slower than the usual rule of thumb would dictate is possible.

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