Nikon AF-S 55-200mm f4.0-5.6 IF ED DX VR Lens
Posted by Notcot on May 4, 2010 in Photography |
Product Description
A high-quality compact 3.6x DX zoom lens that features Nikon s cutting edge Vibration Reduction (VR) system and exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM). With optics designed for the Nikon DX Format digital SLR cameras, this high-performance lens delivers a picture angle equivalent to that of a 35mm format, 82.5-300mm zoom lens.
If you own a Nikon D series SLR with its stock autofocus DX series zoom lens rated at 18-55mm new style (equivalent to 27-83mm old style), this is the obvious next step purchase. Rated at 55-200mm new style (83-300mm old style) it’s small, light and really does cut out camera shake to allow genuine “point & shoot” at its higher focal lengths, giving you a “tripod-less”, perfectly matched combination of two autofocus Nikkor lenses covering a full 18-200mm (27-300mm old style). Just perfect… and, for the price, stunningly good value.
Rating: 5 / 5
Bought this lens in Tokyo to go with my D40X. Awesome value for a genuine Nikon lens. Works perfectly alongside the stock 18-55mm standard lens.
good price on Amazon, i paid similar in tokyo!.
VR works great on max zoom. 10 out of 10…
Rating: 5 / 5
I am strictly an amateur photographer who likes to record my real passion, travel, so I bought this lens 2 months ago. I can’t comment on long term durability, however I have just come back from 2 weeks travel in Alaska where it performed faultlessly. It was constantly swapped with the standard lens on my D40 which I used to shoot over 1100 images of landscapes and wildlife. The lens coped well with experimental shots of birds in full flight at maximum zoom and produced suprisingly sharp images. Bears, seals, moose and other more static subjects filled the viewfinder nicely and left me in no doubts that I had done the right thing to buy this in addition to the standard 18 – 55 lens (which is great for the huge landscapes and close shots of plant life). My only regret is that I can’t afford the 300mm VR Nikon lens but for half the money this is a real bargain.
Lens changes were quick and the plastic lens mount won’t be a problem if you are careful and patient with your equipment.
The bigger lens does add some weight to the camera but I found the VR system worked well to stabilise camera shake even on maximum zoom. The lens’ AF worked well even on the camera’s auto settings; I am still exploring the manual settings being a DSLR newbie. Overall I am really happy with the lens and would recommend it to other amateurs looking to extend their camera’s (and their own) repertoire.
Rating: 5 / 5
If you’ve bought a Nikon D40 or D60 where the auto-focusing motors are inbuilt into the lens body, then you probably got the 18-55mm kit lens. However, the desire for a bit of zoom quickly builds, and this 55-200 mm lens is the perfect step for the cash concious photographer.
The 200mm zoom length on this DX lens equates to a traditional 300mm zoom, as the DX range of cameras have a different sized sensor. The lens is compact and does not extrude too much even when at full zoom. The VR really does work, eliminating a lot of blur at full zoom, and permitting some decent handheld photography. The lens casing is plastic, but even so it feels well built for the money it costs.
Downsides, well the D40 has only 3 autofocus sensors, and this lens can be slow in autofocus mode. So it’s not suitable for high-speed. Manual focus is enabled by sliding a switch at the side of the lens, and the focus ring is a little fiddly.
Overall, it’s a great lens for the money. It quickly gives the starting photographer some decent zoom with VR. It’s pretty sharp throughout its entire range with decent contrast. Autofocus in low light can be funky espcially at full zoom but the optics are overall excellent.
Rating: 4 / 5
I bought this lens to compliment my 18-55 VR lens which came with my Nikon D5000. It’s a very good buy but after a few weeks I decided that I would prefer the 18-200 VR lens to replace my 2 lenses and I also bought a very fast 35mm f1.8 lens for poor lighting situations. The 18-200 is certainly the most used but it is expensive! VR works brilliantly on the Nikon lenses and you won’t really realise just how good it is until you turn it off and compare the results. When it’s on, it means that you can use a slower shutter speed hand-held and it works so well. If you are thinking of buying the cheaper 55-200 lens without VR I would advise you to spend the extra money. Your hand is probably not as steady as you think it is!!
Rating: 5 / 5