How does an 18-200 zoom (or built in 18x zoom) compare with say an80-200 2.8 lens?

My father is interested in taking up photography after about 40 years,
and is keen on something like athe Fuji S8000FD camera with 18 times
optical zoom, because it will give him flexibility without having to
carry lots of lenses. I have always had Nikon 2.8 lenses like the
20-35 and the 80-200 - big body, heavy lenses, huge camera bag - pain
in the neck literally.

Are there any objective reviews comparing the pro Nikon lenses to the
built in lenses on the likes of the Fuji?

 

Ken Rockwell does some pretty decent reviews on Nikon lenses.
www.kenrockwell.com

I doubt you will see P & SO lenses compared to pro lenses, of any type.
But you might try http://www.dpreview.com/

Get him the P&S and see. If he is happy with it, fine. It depends on what he
expects to do. If he is like me, he will become quickly disenchanted with
the shutter lag and other limitations.

 

I sent my prior reply too soon. I use the 18-200 as a walk around lens. It
is not nearly as sharp as the 70-200.

You might try http://www.bythom.com/70200VRlens.htm

or Google
HTH

 

The Fuji lens won't be as fast as the Nikon, and it probably has
purple finging and the like as well. I can see the attraction of a
single camera, but for image quality an SLR with interchangeable
lenses is the dog's gonads.

 

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. IMHO there are bigger issues
than lens quality when comparing a high zoom EVF with a DSLR. For one,
the EVF will most likely have a much smaller sensor, which results in
more noise in the image - at least at higher ISO settings. Many EVF
cameras have only about 110k pixel Electron ViewFinders, though that
particular one is probably adequate at 230k. On the other hand, an EVF is
certainly much more convenient - less bulky to carry and use. There are
more tradeoffs than 'lens quality' to consider. BTW - I use a Kodak P850
because the portability is a major issue for me with hiking, bicycling
and snow shoeing. I've certainly not noticed any particular issues with
image quality overall, though I've not done any definitive comparisons.