Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Zoom Nikkor Lens

The quality of this lens is great. The only negative aspect would be that it is usually used together with a midrange or close-up (macro) lens (such as 18-55mm) and switching between them can be inconvenient.

This lens comes recomended by Ken Rockwell as the best match for my D40 and offer the best features to grab personal photos for pleasure. It offers the connection for the full spectrum that I shoot in at a reasonable price.

Great price, shipping and wonderful product! Love the quality and the sharp pics I am getting with this lens!!! Go for it!!

Long story short, the first copy of this lens that I purchased was a real stinker (e.g., really BAD, at least by my standards). I returned it, believing that all the positive reviews I'd read might have been relative to offerings in this lens class from Canon, Pentax, Sony, etc.

Fast forward 2 years, I'm looking for a compact tele zoom lens for family vacations. Noticed that a reputable NYC retailer (starts with the letter "A") is selling Nikon factory refurbished copies of the lens for <$150. "What the heck", I said to myself, "that's a decent price for a vacation tele zoom". I received the lens today and took nearly a hundred test shots with my Nikon D5000.

The VERDICT: My refurbished copy of the 55-200 VR lens is tack sharp throughout the focal range (55-200mm), from wide open apertures to at least f/11, by which point the effects of lens diffraction will start to kick in with the 12 MP sensor of the D5000. There's a bit of a drop-off in sharpness at the borders at 55mm but not so from 100-200mm, at least at f/8.

The bottom line is that if you buy this lens and find that it produces anything less than excellent image quality (e.g., as in results reported here: [...]), RETURN IT and request another copy. Alternatively, if my experience is representative of the typical quality of Nikon refurbished lenses, I'd STRONGLY recommend that you consider saving $60-80 and buy one of these. You'll give up the 5-year Nikon extended warranty but can get a transferable 2-year warranty from SquareTrade for around $20.

Work as describe. Work on D40. Obviously not a prime lens. But, IMO, every photographer use Photoshop or similar.