Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens (Black) Reviews

• Don't expect a Mercedes for the price of a Hyundai- great lens for the price!!

  
  By A3LVY0XWDL61FI on 2006-02-03
  I bought this lens to complement the 18-55mm lens that came with my D50. The people who criticize this lens certainly have the right to their opinions but I don't feel they are keeping the price of the lens in perspective while reviewing the lens. One can spend thousands of dollars on a single Nikon lens. And to me, the fact that I can get a lens with great optics that's a little slow but is incredibly light for under $200 is nothing short of miraculous. If you would have told someone in 1968 that a lens of this quality would be available for such a low price, they would have laughed. Nikon is indeed the king of making lenses and they had made a lens that allows those that are beginners or who can't afford incredibly high priced lenses the ability to step into a very nice range lens with great optics for a pittance of what professional lenses cost. So what if it's a little slow? If I had the money, I guess I'd be spending $1500 on every lens but the fact is I don't have those resources and appreciate Nikon opening the door and letting me in on the fun too at a very reasonable price for a very reasonable quality lens. For those that dislike this lens, take it back and get a truly great lens for 10 times the price- they're available- no ones' stopping you- so why knock this lens down so badly? It services a certain market- those of us who want nice pictures but can't afford super fast super expensive lenses. These lenses are what they are. Quit all the whining and either just enjoy the lens for what it can do considering it's very low price or go out and buy that expensive lens that does everything you want it to. The super lenses are there for the buying. It's Not like they're not available and this is the only lens out there and Nikon is charging $700 dollars for it. I could understand some whining then. I got this lens on sale for $140. That's incredible. Enjoy this lens for all that it can do for such a reasonable price!
  
  

• DX 55-200 Not so good!

  
  By A2V9RLTYVAF73K on 2005-12-24
  Hi,
  
  I'm taking off for some extended travel and thought I'd delve into the Nikon D50 package because it's so light weight and I wouldn't have to worry about film.
  
  I did an exposure test on this lens with an evenly lit (.1 stop variation) test grid. Basically just black lines on a white background. The lens is absolutely horrible! There's a huge hot spot in the center of the lens with fall off towards the outside and the corners. At the same time I tested the 18-55 that came with the D50 package and also tested two other old lenses - a 300 Nikkor-H and a Nikkor 35-105. Every one did great except the 55-200. I contacted Nikon support because I thought I received a lemon but the tech support came back, after I sent him some jpegs, and told me that he did some tests with theirs and it looks basically the same!
  
  I just received an email back from him stating:
  
  (Quote) Dear Robert,
  
  Through the testing that I have done with the exception of the distortion the exposure appears to be normal. The audience the lens is intended for is for entry level amateur photographers that are just starting in photography and cannot afford or are not sure they want to invest in higher quality Nikkor lenses. And with the use of the lens an entry level amateur would not need the uniform exposure of the lens. The only thing that we can do to correct the distortion is to service the lens. I apologize for the inconvenience. (End Quote)
  
  
  "would not need the uniform exposure of the lens."???!!!!!
  
  Yikes!
  
  

• Incredible telephoto zoom lens

  
  By A3JOYHJODEGFNB on 2005-07-02
  Just got this lens for my Nikon D50, which I bought because it is smaller and lighter than the D70s. This lens is amazing; it's the same size as the D50 kit lens (18mm-55mm zoom) and the same weight. For someone like me who values carrying around the least weight possible, this is exactly the right lens. And from the test shots I've made it looks to be plenty sharp enough for my taste. Autofocus is fast and silent. It amazes me that Nikon lens technology has progressed so much to produce such a lightweight and quality lens.
  
  

• Good, basic utility lens

  
  By A37MLHK6X8TTNZ on 2005-09-21
  I bought a Nikon D70s body only and put together a range of coverage from 10mm through 500mm including the 55-200mm Autofocus Nikkor Zoom. It is, as most of the DX lenses, a plastic based barrel and is light enough to travel and easy to hand hold in most lighting situations. Although I have not had the lens that long, it seems to be fast focusing and sharp optically. If it holds up as well as it appears from other reviews I have read, the price makes it a good general usage lens. The plastic construction should not be held as a negative as it seems to be sturdy nonetheless. The manual/autofocus switch is easy to use and the lens shade bayonets in and also stores reversed by bayoneting as well. The mount is plastic but, unless you abuse your equipment, seems to seat well and does not appear to be a negative factor.
  
  

• Review of Nikkor f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX 55-200 mm lens

  
  By A2AAZ5F68DDGGY on 2005-08-16
  This lens is a very good companion for the 18-70mm lens that came with the D-70 Nikon camera Kit. I would say it is a must for anyone who will be doing landscape or animal photography (such as birds or wild animals in natural habitat). The lens elements are well made, but the lens motor system is slow in focusing which could cause problems when following moving subjects. The other complaint is that the auto/manual switch on the case does not include the M/A function of the 18-70mm lens. When the camera body is switched to manual mode, the lens MUST be manually switched to manual mode also; if you forget, then the camera and lens will not function properly together.
  
  
• Focus is very slow
  By APSV02SOZ0LNY on 2005-08-29
  Pros:
  - Very light weight lens
  - Pictures are sharp and have good contrast
  - Silent focus
  
  Cons:
  - The lens takes a long time to focus. Much slower than the 18-70mm lens that came with my D70.
  
  
• Out of the box great
  By A222LHL23AH0GK on 2005-09-08
  As per usual Nikon ED lenses are so good. This is my first small telephoto lense. I took it outside with my Nikon Digital D70s. The pictures were WOW. The light weight made focus without vibration or tripod simple. It was silent too, so when I went for a second shot on a butterfly it wasn't the least disturbed.
  Five out of 5 great shots.
  
  
• Splendid Bargain Nikkor Zoom Lens for Digital Nikon Cameras
  By AKT8TGIT6VVZ5 on 2005-08-10
  I just came across an excellent test report on this lens published in Popular Photography. This lens garnered enthusiastic praise for its optical excellence and fine mechanical quality inspite its relatively inexpensive price. By optical excellence I mean that the lens was quite contrasty with superb resolution at both the center and corners of this lens in virtually every focal length from 55mm to 200mm. It is designed to take advantage of the digital sensors in Nikon's digital SLR camera line, of which the ones which will appeal most to amateur users will be the new D50 and the D70s. Nikon was a pioneer in manufacturing zoom lenses back in the 1960s and 1970s, so I am not surprised that this lens has earned such lavish praise.
  
  
• Wow! Nikon Digital Lenses Rock!
  By A1N1M6J7PK6RG8 on 2006-01-30
  If you are looking for a scholarly, technical, or engineering review of the Nikon 55-200 lens, I do apologize. As a former Air Force photographer, studio photographer and avid amateur, I should talk about its specifications in great, knowing detail.
  
  Sorry, I am too busy having fun again with my new lens and camera! What a zoom - look at the heavens - super portraits or get in close. Yahoo!
  
  Go for it - you'll love it and while the technical stuff is grand, with so many raving reviews, I won't write another. Why is it that other artists (painters, musicians, writers etc.) can talk for hours about their art, without discussing their equipment?
  
  :-)
  
  Go ahead; buy it, try it, love it!
  
  Now, go read all the great technical reviews while you are waiting for it to be sent to you.
  
  North Dakota Paul
  
  
  
  
• Okay for the price
  By AO0CQQRR8A2DL on 2005-12-11
  This is an okay lens at the price it is at. It is very compact and lightweight, because it is mostly plastic. The biggest problem with it is that the autofocus is slow. This is not the lens you would want to use if you were trying to shoot anything moving fast.
  
  
• Don't let the price fool you, it's actually a pretty good lens
  By A2NOIWPJDD7WIQ on 2006-07-07
  I first bought this 55-200mm through an outside vendor and it's amazing how these electronics megastores will mark up their items to a ridiculous price. This lens is NOT worth over $200 and if you paid that much, I advise you return it and save $$$$ by ordering through amazon.com which was what I did. I returned this nice lens to that store but bought it again through amazon.com and saved $100! Anyways, this lens goes great with my 18-55mm lens that came with my Nikon D50. The 3.6x zoom is not bad at all and if you can live with the slow autofocus, it's actually pretty good bang for your buck. You start losing a little depth when you near 200mm. The images are still sharp (depth starts to suffer the more you zoom in). This lens is actually quite good in regards to image quality. If you're expecting rapid focus, this lens is not for you. No matter how good the lens/camera is, I always photo edit afterwards anyway. This lens is worth the money if you are not really willing to fork out the $$$ for Vibration Reduction (don't get me wrong, it's great to have, but I was taking pictures fine with a tripod and remote and I don't mind lugging those along). Plus changing lens is no big deal for a photographer of my type. This 55-200mm lens is a winner in my opinion.
  
  
• Lightweight, compact, moderately priced telephoto
  By A5OCRUW61J98Y on 2006-07-15
  Nikon 55-200 AF-S DX makes a perfect complement to the kit lens for Nikon D50 (the 18-55 AFS DX). The size of the lens is similar to the kit lens and it weighs marginally more with the construction quality being all plastic consumer grade.
  
  The autofocus is smooth, noiseless and fast in good light conditions. The 4-5.6 aperture of course makes it not suitable for any low light photography particularly without VR. The small size and weight means it's excellent for carrying around on trips unlike some professional quality lenses of similar range like the 70-200 2.8D.
  
  The picture quality is all right for a consumer grade product. Though I must report some noticeable vignetting at the longer focal lengths which is a big dampener for an otherwise fine compact telephoto lens. Not sure how well it compares with the Nikon 70-300G model, though the jury is split in the middle about the verdict as to which one is better in the photography forums. However, the additional reach as well as lower cost of the 70-300G makes it worthy of serious consideration.
  
  
• Excellent optics, slowish focus speed
  By A1FBKJK1OYK7WW on 2005-09-29
  This is a very good lens for the price. The optics are excellent. The only downside is that the autofocus speed is relatively slow.
  
  
• A good value - inconsistent results
  By A1SHHQSPOWR00F on 2007-10-02
  If you are looking for something relatively inexpensive and fun to carry around, this is the lens for you. Quality is good in good light, most of the time, and can be exceptional sometimes. The plasticy feel doesn't bother me because I avoid carrying around a hunk of metal.
  
  The VR works like a charm in good light.
  
  However, I've noticed softness (at all apertures, including f/8) often enough where I would not use this lens for any professional work. For example, the Nikkor 180 f/2.8 blows this lens away in quality of manufacture and resulting photos.
  
  I've also noticed softness and noise in almost all of my night photos using this lens, even with a very heavy tripod and no wind.
  
  The focusing system on the lens also is slow as molasses. I tried to capture the Blue Angels flying low over the homes in my neighborhood (an awesome annual occurence), and each shot was blown as the lens hunted for focus. Plenty of good light for high shutter speeds (midday, 1/2500s at f/4), but by the time the lens was focused, the subject had moved so far the photo was blown.
  
  If you want to have fun and need a good lens, buy this one. If you are a professional or OBAM (obessessed amateur), save for the higher quality lenses because you'll be disappointed. Moving subjects, such as sports or action photography, again not your lens.
  
  I wish more people would objectively weigh the positives and the negatives in their reviews so that those considering buying this lens can make an informed decision. While this is a very good lens on a tight budget, this is not a great lens directly compared against other similar (and more expensive) lenses.
  
  
• Very good when cost is considered
  By A3L9PLAWSOO61V on 2006-11-04
  This has turned out to be a very nice lens for the money. I purchased it about 6 months ago to photograph my sons tee-ball and soccer games and it has been perfect for that purpose. The focusing is quick enough to keep up with him, especially outdoors. Optical quality isn't perfect, but it is good, and I don't notice the weaknesses in this lens when taking photos of the kinds of subjects I am interested in photographing - people and nature.
  
  This isn't a "pro" lens, but I'm not a pro and don't need that level of durability. Still, at the low price I paid at Amazon, I don't really worry about it getting bumped, etc. I won't be out a fortune if something does happen.
  
  The most inconvenient part about owning this lens is having to swap lenses from my 18-55 kit lens, and having to think far enough in advance to have this lens on when I need it. That is obviously a personal issue and not a problem with this lens. The 18-200 lenses on the market might solve that problem for a LOT more money, but then I would probably leave my lens cap on...
  
  
• Don't hesitate to purchase this lens
  By ATDNLTS27R8D9 on 2006-06-23
  Read the negative reviews and was filled with aprehension on purchase of this lens. Am very pleased with the lens. It's an excellent price and, for me, pictures produced are great.
  
  
• A Good Quality Lens for the Money Paid
  By A1TDSE56RVPGRI on 2007-01-09
  I liked this lens. I used it, for the first time, while traveling through Peru. It was light-weight and easy to use. At 200mm, most of my pictures turned out great, especially when I was on steady ground (taking pictures from a rocking boat with no tripod is a bit of a challenge!). I've printed some 8x10's of close-ups I took using this lens and I was quite impressed with the quality. It was also in my price range. Overall, I'd say it was a "good bang for the buck."
  
  
• Very nice and unexpensive
  By A1J99REDHEGJIJ on 2007-03-04
  For the price that I paid for it, this lense is the best zoom lense any Nikon photographer shold have. I picked this one (over 70-300mm Nikon lense) as it fully complimented my Nikon D50 with 18-55 lense. I was using it outside to make photos of my son swimming polo game and I couldn't understand what other reviewers were saying that this lense is slow at stopping an action. I was able to freeze actions of the game to each water splashes then the ball was flying and hitting the water surface. I am hightly recommending this lense.
  
  
• Great bang for the buck
  By A18PEPK06IT1H0 on 2007-03-19
  For the money you cant beat it.
  It's not a pro lense.
  It doesnt have a pro lense price.
  
  First you need to learn what your doing.
  A F/4-5.6 isn't a low light lens. You need to use a flash for that.
  Outdoors it's fine.
  
  Its a lense not a photographer.
  If you dont know how to use it, it can't teach you.
  If you do, you'll love it.
  
  
• Love the Lens!!
  By ACOQ64O9VOGP3 on 2006-08-07
  For the money this is a great lens. Speedy focus, light weight, and very good picture quality. I am glad I bought this lens and not the much higher priced lens. For my purposes this lens does it all.
  
  
• Not the lens I thought I was buying
  By A3AYIJ1XXFTQ2Q on 2006-02-16
  This lens came with the 2 lens kit so I'm not sure what I paid for it. I only know it is a nikon and I expected much more from it. It is light and cheesy feeling. It does not focus well, it just tries and tries to the point that I take it off and use another lens. Mine is marked "made in china", maybe that explains it. I am not happy at all with this lens and I feel like I have been taken for a ride. It is not even close to the quality of the other lens in the kit. I thought it was defective until I have read the other reviews on this lens, I should have read them before I bought the kit. The D70s is great and the 18-70mm lens is very good too. Don't waste your money on this lens.
  
  
• Disappointing Lens
  By A1P5N909O9ZLK5 on 2006-12-09
  I got this lens in a kit with a Nikon D80 camera. This lens failed to deliver the goods 99% of the time. Why buy an expensive camera and then use a cheap lens like this? Its silly to spend big money on the camera and have only blurry pictures to show from it. It was only tolerable in very bright situations and using less than 100mm focal length. A cloudly day or all of the 200 mm zoom would result in a picture that had significant distortion noticeable even on little 4x6 prints. Very few pictures came out when it was used in the fullest zoom (200mm). I disliked this lens enough to return the entire camera kit and purchase a different camera (D200) that came with the highly ranked 18-200 VR lens from Nikon.
  
  If your interested in nice sharp pics, then pass on this lens. If you want to save a few bucks and like blurry photos, this lens is for you...
  
  
• Perfect Telephoto for Budget Shoppers
  By A700QM96Y4HG9 on 2006-12-16
  I wanted to get a decent start with a digital SLR, but for a hobby camera, I can't justify spending $1000 on one lens. This zoom lens gives me sharp results in good light, and passable but grainy results in low light. If you learn the strong and weak points of this lens and use it accordingly, you won't be disappointed. If you aren't willing to learn to work your lens, you probably won't be happy with the high-dollar ones, either. ;) This makes a good partner to the 18-55mm kit lens with the D-50.
  
  If you're up for spending the extra money, skip the other lenses and get the 18-200mm Nikkor for about $1000.
  
  Another good choice in this category is the 70-300mm Nikkor, also available on Amazon.
  
  
• Wonderful lens at a fair price!
  By A2S7LYQ1BQRLNQ on 2006-12-30
  For a beginner or an avid photographer this is really the lens to buy. The clarity of the picture is quite nice and weighs no more than the 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera. I am very pleased with the performance of this product and would highly recommend it to others. I have not noticed grainy pictures like some others have said and as for the plastic on the focus, you would never think twice about it. Great lens! Thanks Nikon for making a product that is reasonable yet high in quality! Works great with my D50.
  
  
  
• Not quite what I had expected
  By A3DBJS6KIFX5LB on 2006-08-22
  Bought it for the price which was a bad idea. It has a plastic lens mount, which I hate! The quality of the photo's is pretty good. I don't use it often in my wedding photography but it serves it's purpose for letting me zoom in close when I need to.
  
  
• A nice value at the low price
  By A3NUZ3FNPIHPQX on 2007-03-29
  I got this lens with D50 package. It is not a pro-lens by any stretch of imagination, but it works well in 99% of the situations. The only limiting factor that I found is the f4-5.6 range. In some situations (mostly indoor) you are forced to use flash. However, we are talking about dimly lit rooms at this point. I've done some indoor action sport shooting with this lens - a gym lit by fluorescent lights and this lens had no problem delivering quality pictures without use of flash. (Crisp sharp images, correct colors, no distortion) Focusing was not an issue.
  
  
• Nikon lens
  By A3FMGEP5SUEI12 on 2006-08-04
  I have a Nikon D70. This lens was designed for the Nikon D50, but it works fine on the D70. If you want a better lens you will have to spend more money.
  
  
• amateur eye
  By AR05TYRE2CQWS on 2008-01-18
  I have only owned a Nikon D40 since June, but was eager to get this lens for personal sports photos. I am still learning how to best use my camera, but I have been using this lens for a couple of weeks and am very pleased with it. It did take me a little while to get used to the weight vs the 18-55mm lens, but that is the user and not the lens. I have only used it on manual focus, with a sports setting, because I am still learning, but pictures are great. I did try it with the P mode (program auto), but the pictures were not as clear. Again the user and not the lens. It came with a storage pouch and lens cover.
  I would recommend it from the amateur point of view
  
  
• Nikon 55-200 Ed AF-S DX
  By A29R1HSVAJ78QE on 2007-01-11
  I'm not a professional but this lens makes me feel like one. It is a very versatile lens, working well inside or out, low light or extremely bright. Am looking forward to taking sporting pictures next spring.
  
  
• Slow
  By ASE8VDX0ANO1Z on 2007-07-12
  The autofoucus on this lens is slow. The pictures are fine, but if you have the money buy the more expensive lenes. The kit lens is alot faster than this. sometimes i switch to mannual because it will be faster, but it has that stupid little ring and no real focus grip. There is also no mannual overide by grabbing the ring, you have to switch it on the body first. there is no VR. It was affordable though. Don't use it for sport.
  
  

• Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor Lens
• Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-70mm Nikkor Lens
• Tiffen 52mm 25 Filter (Red)
• Tiffen 52mm 11 Filter (Green)
• Tiffen 52mm 47 Filter (Blue)

• Nikon HB-34 Lens Hood for 55-200mm DX Nikkor Lens
• Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Filter
• Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens
• Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control for Nikon D40, D40x, D60 & D80 Digital SLR Cameras
• Nikon EN-EL9 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery for Nikon D40 and D40x Digital SLR Cameras