Used Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II AF-S DX Nikkor Lens

2018-07-09T20:00:00

This is a terrific lens for travel. It is very light weight, being made of plastic, with a plastic mount. It has advanced optics and takes excellent photos in the 55mm to 135mm range and very good photos in the 135mm to 200mm range. We old folks convert DX lenses in our minds to their 35mm film versions: this lens has the same reach as a 35mm film camera's 85mm to 300mm zoom lens. At the short end, and using f/4 to blur backgrounds, this is a fine portrait lens. Fully zoomed out, it is useful for sports and for travel photos. The VR II vibration reduction makes it possible to get sharp photos at low shutter speeds. At the full 200mm extension, I get sharp photos at just 1/50th of a second shutter speeds. At the wide end the best results are at f/5.6 and f/8. Fully extended, the best results are at f/8 and f/11. When taking sports photos, it is important to remember that the VR II vibration reduction "freezes" the minor movements of your hands. It does not "freeze" the movement of the runner stealing second base. To freeze sports action requires high shutter speeds of 1/500th of a second or 1/1000 of a second. Folks who say their photos are not sharp need to take a moment to lock in focus and use a fast shutter speed to freeze the movement of their subject. It is very light because of its plastic build and plastic mount. It is NOT a heavy duty lens designed for someone taking photos in all sorts of weather, day after day as many pros do. Yet, I suspect some professional photographers DO carry this lens instead of a pro zoom that weighs three times more and costs ten times as much. It is so light you can forget it is in your bag. And, the photo quality is superb.

AlanHouston

Originally posted at

2018-06-06T17:53:10

This guy was so cool. Easy to use and got great shots from it.

Monica S.

2018-05-09T09:07:32

Very good for an inexpensive lens. I was shocked at how good it is. I took it to Bend, OR on a trip - it was the only lens I had with me and used it to shoot some birds.

rich c.

2018-03-21T12:13:22

You get what you pay for. Light lens, but not the sharpest lens either.

WOLFRAM L.

2017-12-28T19:00:00

I recently purchased this lens as a bday gift to myself :-) and was even thinking about returning it for something more along the lines of a 18-300mm lens since I already have a 18-55mm & a 50mm lens. However, when I went out to use it for the first time I was amazed at the clarity of my photos from this lens. I think that this will make a good walk around lens - especially if you're just getting started in photography, like myself - unless you're looking for a walk around lens that will give you more in the way of wide angle to telephoto shots. I'm looking forward to seriously road testing this lens.

SReliford

Originally posted at

2017-07-12T18:14:11

I tries it on my D610 and the VR seems to work very good. Don't expect a lot from its image quality but it should be OK for your purpose.

Minh T.

2017-06-23T13:57:52

I love it ! Just the right size for average zoom shooting

John G.

2017-05-23T17:42:07

This zoom lens is as good as my 70-200 f 2.8 Nikon, except for the smaller aperture of 4.5. Otherwise it only weighs and costs a fraction of the other.

JAIME L.

2017-05-16T18:28:55

Really, I just got back into photography after a long default to Canon Powershot point & shoot which were good cameras. My Nikon DSLR 3400 is the first foray into higher level shooting. I have an FE2 film SLR with many telephoto & wide angle lenses. So that's my touchstone. Regarding this lens, It's light and useful as a long lens choice. It's easy to use and easy to switch out with the standard 18-55 lens that came with my camera. I sort of wish I went to the 300 mm choice. It's kind of like having an old 4speed manual sport car and wishing for overdrive for an extra kick. Also wish it was a motorized zoom. But those are small issues. I like the sharpness, it's easy to focus, it's lightweight and the results are satisfactory to me.

jerrold a.

2017-04-28T20:00:00

I love it but I wish it could be faster on the D3200. I recommend it to junior photographers such as me. If you are a new beginner you have to buy this lens and the reasons are its cheap, its got VR, Its got a zoom rande of 55-200 which is pretty good for sports and wildlife.

ProNikon

Originally posted at

2017-03-21T17:51:24

I purchased this Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR II lens as part of a package deal from Adorama. The price was great and the lens is outstanding. I've taken some great pictures of my grandchildren's basket ball and soccer games with this lens.

Walt M.

2017-03-02T01:37:40

This lens is nice and lightweight. It folds down to a smaller size when not in immediate use. I can place it into a jacket pocket easily when running out the door. I have four of them that I leave on my cameras all the time.

JOHN G.

2017-01-27T07:50:26

I bought this lens to replace my Sigma 70-300mm APO DG lens. I needed a lens with VR and a sharp image. I chose this lens based on the specs alone. The lens produces very sharp images with little distortion (more than my Sigma but when shooting nature shots barrel/pincushion really don't matter). The lens is freakishly small and light to produce such good images. Wish the filter size was at least 58 though as I've tossed all my tiny 52 filters.

ANDY G.

2017-01-13T10:04:35

A great lightweight lens that works really well. I purchased it as an extra lens for my Nikon D5300 and it's the perfect addition. The pictures are fantastic. I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a great lens at a fantastic value.

SUSAN K.

2016-12-23T08:43:56

Great lens, inexpensive. Takes awesome portraits.

Timothy T.

2016-10-25T10:55:55

Great lens, highly recommend it! Pictures are very nice!

KATIE D.

2016-10-24T14:48:26

I love the picture quality for the price. I am just starting off as a photographer and it allows me to capture longer distance shots, especially for action sports. The price you pay is the quality you get, not a professional lens by any standard but great for starting off.

Kevin P.

2016-10-12T09:12:25

Nikon has developed a new generation of lenses using what seem to be state-of-the-art plastics to hold their state-of-the-art glass. Old timers like me worry about (and penalize star ratings for) their not having steel bayonet mounts on the lenses, but as we do not bounce our lenses around like basketballs anyway, perhaps Nikon is right and we are wrong. IF IN FACT YOU HAVE A USE FOR a relatively long-focus zoom lens, this is a great bargain, very compact in storage, light in weight, and sharp as a tack even at 200mm. I more often need the range of my 18-105mm zoom, but for more elusive subject matter--birds and small wild animals, for example--this 55-200mm is much to be preferred. That the filter diameter is the old Nikon standard 52mm may be seen as some advantage, as most of us by now have a closet full of them left over from our Nikon SLR days--and of course 52mm filters are still less expensive. The combination of VR and light weight make successful hand-held photographs a reality even at 200mm. All the electronics needed to handle this lens are already built into your camera, so you may be confident of your results.

DOUGLAS J.

2016-10-03T18:07:17

Excellent lens and fast shipping and excellent customer service.... i was in a hurry to get my lens because I was traveling and I contacted them and they did their best to ship it for me quickly I got it in two days.. And I love the Filters that came with the lens I would recommend it to anyone . I would like to thank Adorma customer service team .

MOSTAFA E.

2016-10-01T15:57:23

If you own a D3000/5000/7000 series Nikon that came with one of the many Nikkor 18-55 kit lenses, this is a good option to add some additional reach to your bag. Like the 18-55mm, the lens is small, light and takes the same 52mm diameter filters; so you can share them across both lenses. The lens has vibration reduction for additional steadiness. The auto-focus mechanism is quiet and reasonably fast. I found the 55-200mm (approx. 80-300mm, full-frame equivalent) to be great for photographing kids' sports from the sideline. It gave good reach across the field and was still wide enough to get some shots closer in. The two biggest things I noticed on the down side for this lens was that the zoom ring on my sample is a bit stiff. Not terrible, but not as smooth and easy as some of the more expensive Nikkor lenses I've used; but it also doesn't creep in or out from mid-zoom. The other thing is the plastic lens mount. In general I prefer the metal mounts, but at the price-point of this lens it's what you're going to get. If you need more telephoto reach, either the 55-300mm or the 70-300mm options might be worth considering, but be prepared for some additional size and weight. I also own a 18-200mm Nikkor, and while the convenience of having just the one lens for this same zoom range without swapping lenses is nice, I think the combination of the 18-55mm and 55-200mm is better. These two lenses give sharper images with less overall distortion than the single lens option with no zoom creep. Overall, I recommend this lens--especially with the ($) instant rebate offered at the time of this review.

RICHARD S.

2016-09-22T10:07:08

Just read Ken Rockwell's review (kenrockwell.com). 'Nuff said.

DANIEL L.

2015-06-19T20:00:00

This camera lens worked great with my D5000 but 2 parts out of 3 parts that locks the lens to the body has broken and will only stay on if you hold it in to place and the photos are now coming out burly because of it :(

YesI'm13

Originally posted at

2015-06-03T20:00:00

Took this lens with me to the ball park today, fully extended and handheld took sharp crisp pictures with great contrast and color. Works really well with mr D7100. Recommend? Absolutely! Two things that are impressive, lightweight and sharp on the long end. I live in San Francisco mainly shoot with a wide angle or my 35mm, never really have use for a telephoto normally. Today found me in a luxury box far from the field at the Giants game so I thought I'd try out my telephoto all I can say is wow.

Phil

Originally posted at