The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR and the Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR is the longer of the two lenses at 144mm. The Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF with a length of 87mm, is 57mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR also has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF's 74mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF weighs 385g, 48% (360g) lighter than the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR's weight of 745g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR and the Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF have the same Filter thread size of 67mm.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G VR has a focal range of 70-300mm and
4.3X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
105 - 450mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6G ED-IF has a focal range of 18-135mm and 7.5X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-202.5mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.