Nikon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Autofocus Lens

This lens was purchased as a lens that would stay on the body of my D100 80% of the time. It has been VERY good in this regard.
Pros:
- very good multi-purpose lens for the cost.
- VR technology works!
- sharp pictures (some have complained about softness with this lens. I got mine through e-bay and have noticed NONE of that)
- Doesn't cost close to $1000 for that you will pay for the 18-200mm
- The Internal Focus is lightning quick

Cons:
- Its doesn't have the reach of a 18-200mm
- The f/3.5 is a little slow, but manageable with the VR

Overall summary-
If you are considering this lens... Get it. Especially on e-bay (if you have done your homework on the seller). It does most of the work that the 18-200mm does at half, or better, of the price.

There is no other lens that I've purchased and then sold 3 times. The reason for this is I've switched camera systems several times over the last few years... going from Nikon to Canon and back to Nikon. When switching back to Nikon, the 24-120 VR is the first lens I bought.

Nikon's 24-120mm VR is a true workhorse that delivers excellent image quality through most of its range. It is a lens that can handle almost any situation

Strong points include low distortion and minimal artifacts (vignetting & chromatic abberation). Great build quality. VR is quite effective, I've had great success shooting handheld. Focusing is fast and accurate... and silent. I especially like the performance of this lens from 24-100mm. The 24-120VR is very resistant to lens flare, and I've shot directly towards the sun without flare.

Weak points: from 100-120mm this lens starts to lose a bit sharpness, although less so than a kit lens would. Only a dedicated telephoto zoom would do a better job anyhow. VR does use up some extra battery power and should be disabled unless needed (true for all VR lenses).

Main uses: everything from shooting sports outdoors, landscapes, portraits, walking around, aerial photography (best lens for aerials), and even architecture. I shoot photos for a living, and more than half my images over the years have come from this one lens.

This is a terrific lens. I had the Nikon 18-200mm VR AFS and sold it on ebay. The 24-120mm is built much better, has the same optical quality, is made in Japan, not Taiwan and is 400 dollars cheaper. The 18-200mm extends out when zooming to the point where it looks ridiculous and attracts attention. The 24-120mm only extends out about an inch.

Built like a tank. I have always gotten excellent results from my 24-120mm VR.