The Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm ED II Lens. Nikon should come up quickly with a friendlier name than this, if they have to win converts to the ease-of-use philosophy of the Nikon D40. Anyways, this lens is what comes standard with the new entry-level D40 DSLR when you buy it; Nikon does not let you buy the body only.
It’s quite impressive, really. The 3x 18-55mm focal range is sufficient to cover picture angles from shooting tight portraits to wide-angle landscapes; and, its silent wave motor (SWM) enables ultra-high-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and quiet operation, according to Nikon.
The ED glass is for minimizing chromatic aberration so you get good picture quality, while the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II’s hybrid aspherical lens element reduces astigmatism and other forms of distortion to deliver high resolution and contrast.
Whatever. Nikon should know they’re entering layman’s territory with the D40 and should christen their lenses with shorter, easier names so my grandpa doesn’t have to recite all of its specifications when he mentions the lens.
[Source: NikonImaging]