Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IF-ED Lens

For those who don't want to read the detail below: if you're an everyday amateur shooter with some money to spend, get it. if you're serious about you're work and working with ease, put you're money into a lighter faster lens.

id say this lens would be fun at the zoo or at a birthday party...for what i refer as snapshots. as far as taking photos, you're going to have to do some extra work yourself (tripod, slower shutter speeds, higher ISOs).

i myself, i'm thinking of taking mine back and getting an 18-70mm. i know, stupid right? the 18-70mm has some lens distortion, but so does the 18-200mm. i just really don't need to zoom into 200mm from 18mm. the 18-70mm is much lighter, faster, and half the price. plus, ive already got a nice 70-300mm which produces better results at high focal lengths.

Pros:
1. covers a great length, coming from 18mm into 200mm. this is handy for travel, or trip where you've never been, in which case you're not sure exactly what focal length will be best (as this covers many).

2. yes, it has a Vibration Reduction (VR) system built into it. its pieces of glass inside the lens which move when the camera moves to compensate for small movements (breathing, breeze, small tremors inside cam body).

Cons:
1. 18-200mm...who cares? this is a f/3.5-5.6 lens, so if you're in any low light forget about it. you'll either have to compensate with a slower shutter speed and use a tripod, or you'll have to crank the ISO up high and get a nasty pincushion effect on your photo. unless you're working with a D300 (ISO is pretty nice up to about 800-100), or a D3 (crank the ISO as high as you like with minimal pincusion), this is not a lens friendly to every environment.

2. heavy. i think this is the real reason this lens has a VR system on it...to compensate for extra shake because this lens is a little on the heavier side, especially zooming into higher lengths.

3. VR system...this vibration reduction system can obviously be used to only compensate for very small movements from the camera. i would rather just have a lens that weighs less than have a heavy block with this VR system on it.

4. sharpness is weak. call me crazy, but my 18-135mm f/3.5 is sharper. yes, im picky about sharpness, so unless you're making large prints or using photos for digital design online, you probably won't notice it.

5. cost...i know why this lens cost about $700, but i think the feature you are paying for are not very valuable features; i.e., VR system, 18-200mm, hasselblad glass.