There are faster, longer, and higher-quality lenses on the market. That's a no-brainer. You can find lenses that beat the humble 55-200mm f/4-5.6G in every possible respect. But that doesn't make this lens any less valuable in a startling lineup of lenses. It's an excellent performer all around at rock-bottom prices. It makes an amazing second lens for a beginning DSLR user, with no two doubts about it. Here's the breakdown.
PROS
+ It's thoroughly manageable to carry. This lens is ridiculously light and reasonably compact for a telephoto zoom. If you get a chance to handle its bulkier cousins, the 55-300mm and the 70-300mm (or third party equivalents), you'll appreciate just how little the plastic 55-200mm weighs. It also takes up next to no space in just about any gear bag, whether you bought it or improvised. You know what they say about the best camera, right? Same goes with lenses-- if you didn't carry it with you, it's not doing you any good! Even with the hood, it's compact.
+ Versatile zoom range. The 55-200mm reach gives you the ability to take shots while walking around without trouble. The wide end (55mm) is a medium telephoto in DX terms, but you can still be reasonably close in before having trouble fitting something in the frame. 200mm isn't going to get you near exotic wildlife, but you'd be surprised at how well you can grab birds or other small creatures with "just" 200mm. With the increasingly high-resolution sensors DSLRs are fitted with, you're also likely able to crop inwards a bit further if needbe.
+ Quiet. Focusing and vibration reduction are both very discreet, enough so that I'm more than comfortable using this lens during events. Audible? Sure, but not enough to bug anyone more than your standard shutter. Speaking of vibration reduction though...
+ Vibration reduction. It works. And it's completely worth it. You must remember that you're still going to get subject blur at lower shutter speeds, but for all intents and purposes I've been able to forget about handheld shake for daily shooting with this lens. It's really quite remarkable. On the other hand, don't think you're going to be doing much shooting during a car chase or anything.
+ Image quality is excellent. The lens is sharp with no particularly nasty characteristics, and no distortion that can't be fixed by your average post-processing RAW developer (or indeed, in-camera JPEG correction).
+ Beautiful compliment to the 18-55mm kit. Its aperture at the wide end (f/4) handily beats the kit lens' f/5.6, which can give you a little more breathing room if you need it without overlapping enough to make the kit lens superfluous.
+ Precise build and functional, tactile controls. The zoom ring is well damped, not prone to creeping, and turns with a great degree of precision for such a cheap lens. Sure, the manual focusing ring is tiny, but if you do need to use it I've found it works just fine (although a bit on the looser side). Infinitely better than the kit 18-55mm's ring, in my opinion.
+ Internal focusing. The lens doesn't extend unless you want it to, and the filter ring doesn't mess about if you're into polarizers or graduated ND filters.
+ 52mm filter size. This makes it a great companion to the kit lens (you can swap filters), and it's a common size that's easy to provide for.
+ Autofocus doesn't mess around. The lens isn't any more prone to hunting than you'd expect, and usually locks on quickly and silently.
CONS
- Focusing ring is a bit slim. If you do really want to take advantage of manual focus, you'd be better served by a lens that's ergonomically designed for it. In a similar fashion,
- Dedicated manual/autofocus modes. Nikon's more expensive lenses (or their newer primes) generally have a M/A mode which allows you to override the autofocus by simply grabbing the focus ring and turning. This lens requires that you switch the lens into manual before you make such adjustments (at the risk of damaging the lens otherwise).
- 200mm maximum reach means that more distant subjects may leave you wishing for "just a little more." That said, take this with a grain of salt-- I upgraded to a 300mm lens recently, and while I appreciate the additional range it's hardly a revolutionary change.
- Slower speeds. It's an f/4-5.6 lens, so it's not going to be pretty if you're shooting indoors or at night. Your camera will need to have a solid higher ISO performance if you want these kinds of shots; even with vibration reduction, you'll either hit the VR system's limits or run into subject blur unless you can shoot at at least ISO 800/1600.
This lens was my second, and while I've moved on since I will miss it dearly. Amazing lens and a wonderful, wonderful place to start with photography.
Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Nikkor Zoom Lens Bulk packaging (White box, New)
4.6 | 4,345 ratings
Price: 186.99
Last update: 12-12-2024
About this item
55-200mm zoom Nikon lens with f/4-5.6 maximum aperture for Nikon digital SLR cameras
2 extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration and superior optics
Silent Wave Motor produces quick and quiet high-speed autofocusing; weighs 9 ounces
Measures 2.7 inches in diameter and 3.1 inches long; 1-year warranty
White box(bulk packaging)
2 extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration and superior optics
Silent Wave Motor produces quick and quiet high-speed autofocusing; weighs 9 ounces
Measures 2.7 inches in diameter and 3.1 inches long; 1-year warranty
White box(bulk packaging)
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 3.94 x 2.87 x 2.87 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 11.8 ounces |
| ASIN | B000O161X0 |
| Item model number | 2166 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Customer Reviews |
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars
4,329 ratings
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #44 in SLR Camera Lenses |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | June 17, 2003 |
| Manufacturer | Nikon |
Top reviews from the United States
Gale Lee
A versatile, cheap telephoto. It works splendidly for a general-purpose lens.
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2014
F. Paik
Best performing lens for its price
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2008