Nikon AF-S 18-200mm VR lens
I have been taking my photographs with the 18-55mm lens that came with my Nikon D40 for a while now. For most of my usage, it has worked well and always gave me clear shots. However, from time to time, and more often lately, I found myself taking photos in low-light situations. In such instances, I was forced to go with slow shutter speeds and a higher ISO. I was disappointed with the noise and the motion blur that I got in my shots. There were also times when I needed to get close, but my lens couldn’t get any closer.
It was then that I thought that I needed a new lens. One that would allow me to get close while also allowing me to switch to my wide angle end of 18mm without having to switch to a different lens, and also one that would allow me to take shots at slower shutter speeds while avoiding or minimizing motion blur. For a while now, I have had my mind on the Nikon AF-S 18-200mm VR lens. This lens seemed to solve the problems I was having.
I read the reviews and the technical details on the lens. Many people that have the lens have testified to its quality and utility. The review by Ken Rockwell was very detailed and helped me a lot in deciding whether it was worth getting. The lens was not very cheap, so I had to take some time to save up for it. A few days ago, I picked it up from McBain Camera (who gave a good sale price for me 
). They had a sample that was mounted on a D40 body - the same setup that I would have if I bought the lens. I was able to try out the VR and the nice zoom that it provided. I was ready to pick it up before I walked into the store, but seeing it in action on the same setup that I would have was icing on the cake.
When I got home, I took out my D40 with its mounted 18-55mm lens. I removed the lens and held it my hand. I then picked up my new lens. The first thing I noticed is that it was considerably heavier than my kit lens. My kit lens suddenly felt really light. I also noticed that the body of the 18-200mm lens was a lot more solid and felt metallic compared to the plastic body of the 18-55mm. The 18-200mm was also a lot more solid and not clunky like the 18-55mm.
After mounting my new lens. I took off the lens cap. Whoo that’s a huge lens. It was 72mm in diameter compared to the 52mm of my old lens. Holding my D40 with the 18-200mm mounted on it, it felt like the lens was heavier than the body! I guess it makes sense because of the glass lenses and the amount of metallic mechanical moving parts in there (most of which I read about in the tech specs which can be found all over the net). Looking through the viewfinder, I turned the zoom ring and out went the lens. I had a grin on my face as I looked through the viewfinder and was able to see closer than I could before. The zoom ring was firm, unlike the lenses that had lens creep in the reviews that I read. The lens did not extend or retract under it weight, so it was good 
The focusing was quick, although, it seemed a little louder than my 18-55mm. I particularly liked the Manual/Auto focus option where I could manually focus without having to flip a switch. I then tried out the vibration reduction. I took a few shots under low light with a 1/30 shutter speed. No blur. I incrementally took shots while switching it slower and slower and there was no blur until I got to 1/4 when I saw small hints of motion blur. My old lens would have shown motion blur at around 1/20 or 1/15. So I can say that I was greatly impressed. Now, I know that my tests weren’t very technical and not as detailed as the other ones on the net, but from what I found in my first few minutes with the lens, I LOVE IT ALREADY!
The next day, I took it for a field test at Hawrelak Park here in Edmonton, Alberta. I normally carry my tripod around with me, but I resisted this time I went out at sunset so that I could take shots with a good amount of light and then have low light when the sun has gone down. While the sun was up and there was a lot of good lighting, I tested my zoom and the VR. I took shots of some ducks and birds - undisturbed - because I didn’t need to get close to them if I used my zoom. The zoom was excellent. I took photos of the lake using the wide angle end as well. That also turned out great. There were people on racing bicycles going around the park so my girlfriend and I drove around with them while taking their photos. The park roads were bumpy, but there was no blur. We had the VR turned on and in active mode. The final test was in low light. When the sun went down, I took photos of the North Saskatchewan River with a shutter speed of 1/6. All the shots were taken with just handholding and they turned out great.
I understand that there are some flaws with this lens as well. Those include the distortions in the low end and the high end of the focal range. It has not been much of a concern for me and it has not manifested much in my photos so far.
Overall, I think it was an excellent choice, and I would definitely recommend this lens. It has an excellent focal range and the VR totally makes it worth getting. I look forward to taking my shots with it from now on. I don’t think I’ll be unmounting anytime soon…maybe until I get a 10-20mm wide angle lens 