This 3.6x zoom, designed exclusively for use with Nikon’s DX-format, features Nikon’s VR image stabilization and is perfect for portraits and action.
Award Winner
American Photo Editor’s Choice 2007 Award
List Price: $249.99
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Go to –> Nikkor 55-200mm detail
Lens nikkor Reviews
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Incredible Bargain - Sharp Lens with VR for $250!, April 13, 2007
By Henry P. Wolfe “Hank” (New Brunswick, NJ)
This lens is sharp even at wide apertures, the VR (image stabilization) works great, autofocus speed is more than acceptable, and it it is very light and compact. The fact that it costs $250 and has effective VR is pretty amazing - no other company offers a lens with this feature for anywhere near this price.
As for image quality, search the various internet photo sites, such as dpreview and nikonians for sample photos taken with this lens by real users. The results are impressive! My copy produces similar results. The previous reviewer must have a bad sample.
Of course, the lens is slow (like almost all consumer zoom lenses), in that its widest aperture is smaller than a professional zoom or prime lens, so it’s not a good choice for action photography in lower light conditions (like indoor sports without flash or outside sports at dusk). But a fast telephoto zoom will cost at least three times as much and weigh a ton.
I give the lens 5 stars based on a combination of image quality, value, and compactness/lightness.
VR really works and the price can’t be beat., June 7, 2007
By K. Plourde - See all my reviews
I had the 55-200mm non VR version for about 5 months, sold it to essentally recover my cost, and bought the VR version as a replacement. The non VR version was very compact and light, and produced excellent photos, but the slightly larger VR version is so much more usable I don’t miss the other lens at all. The VR works as advertised and allows me to take pictures at 3 times or more lower shutter speeds than the non VR version. While I would love the 18-200mm VR for the convenience, I will never be able to justify the $750 price, so my 18-55mm kit lens and this lens will likely cover my needs as long as I own my camera. I also seriously considered the 70-300mm VR, but couldn’t accept twice the price for only 50% more reach. And at twice the length of the 55-200mm non VR version, it would be too awkward for me to carry around. I am very satisfied with this 55-200mm VR lens and if you are considering it, please give it a try. You will not be dissapointed.
Better than I thought., August 7, 2007
By Ricardo (New York City) - See all my reviews
My Nikon ownership goes back over 30 years to the days when cameras were made of metal and carrying one with a few lenses tested your stamina.
Times sure have changed. There’s hardly a metal camera to be found and you can carry a bag full of equipment in one hand. The Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor lens is the latest lightweight from this heavyweight of the camera industry.
Plastic construction right down to its lens mount. This thing looks and feels like the label should say Fisher Price and not Nikon. However, looks can be deceiving as I soon found out.
My only reason for buying this lens was that I needed to fill a void in my kit until I saved up enough for a 70-200mm f2.8. I had no intention of keeping the 55-200 VR once the 70-200 arrived.
After shooting with the 55-200 for a few months I’ve come to appreciate what it can do. It’s limited to use in good light as even VR can’t change the laws of physics. In this case, it’s not even the current VR-II but the original VR that Nikon developed a few years ago.
With sufficient light and good technique, the 55-200 is capable of very good performance. No, it’s not as sharp and contrasty as the 70-200. It’s also not going to survive the bad weather or a few solid knocks that professional use would expose it to.
Where the 55-200 excels is in its portability and above average performance. For travel or just walking around, it would be hard to beat this lens if it’s used within its limits. I use mine on a D80 and have no problem getting excellent 13×19″ prints.
As an added bonus, it works very well with the Nikon CL3T closeup lens and does double duty as a macro zoom. Again, it’s not a substitute for a real macro zoom like the Nikon 70-180, but it’s not intended to be.
Given my original opinion of this lens, I have to admit that I’ve gotten much more than my money’s worth out of it. Instead of selling it, I’m going to keep it and use it when my 70-200 is just to big and heavy to carry around.
If you’re on a budget or just want a nice, lightweight lens in this range, take a look at the Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR. Like me, you may be very much surprised at what it can do.
the VR works perfectly, June 20, 2007
By Douglas H. Haden (Ridgecrest, CA United States)
I was at first disappointed in my new Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G DX VR lens. Then I found the VR on/off switch on the side. Since then I have been pleased with the lens’ VR capability (what I bought it for).
My previous digital camera was a Canon PowerShot S1 IS. Without being aware of it, I became used to that little camera’s image stabilization. I casually took handheld shots that came out tack sharp. I didn’t realize how dependent I was on the image stabilization until a few months ago when I got my Nikon D80. I love the camera but was driven to using a tripod for most of my shots. I was taking close-up photos for publication and had to have perfect sharpness. And, I have two kittens; kittens beg impromptu, handheld shots. I was excited when I found this lens because of the low cost.
You really can take photographs three stops slower than is possible without a VR lens. That means more depth of field for close-up shots (used with a filter-like close-up lens). I’m taking my first manual mode outdoor photos so the extra speed range helps me out of tight spots.
The rest of the lens (construction, zoom range, weight) are just fine. One unexpected advantage is the lens’ 52mm filter size. Most of my lens accessories (close up lens set, teleconverter, extension tube set) are 52mm.
Good performance… But question yourself first., July 22, 2008
By bl4ckprint
I bought this lens to complement the kit lens (18-55mm) that came with my Nikon D40. After about a month of using this lens, my fondness for it has depleted… let me explain:
The performance of this lens is quite surprising for its low cost. It’s relatively sharp, and the colors are quite good. Obviously (since this is a cheap lens) the body of this lens is not rugged and up to pro standards, but average amateur photographers will probably not be disappointed by it. It is sturdier than the 18-55mm kit lens, but not A LOT sturdier. The bokeh (out-of-focus area rendering) that this lens produces is well controlled. It’s un-distracting and smooth, but not “stunning.”
At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself that this seems like a great lens for the price. It is… However, after only about a month of use, I have returned this lens, and bought the 70-200mm VR f/2.8 Nikkor. Why? Because I realized quite quickly that this lens (the 55-200mm VR) does not allow me to get many of the shots that I desire. The biggest issue with this lens is that the focus is very slow, and it tends to hunt a lot (meaning that it doesn’t always get the focus on the first try). The other issue that *I HAVE* with this lens is its aperture. With a maximum aperture of f/5.6 at 200mm, it is quite difficult to get good shots on cloudy days, or indoors. This is the reason for the title of this review (”question yourself first”).
Who are you as a photographer? Can you afford to take your time with 99% of your shots? Is most your photography of still life? Do you just want a lens that gives you more range, and don’t care about the other details? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this lens might be the one for you. As I stated earlier, the performance is quite good for the price, and I personally have no major concerns with the optical quality.
If you answered “no” to the above questions, I advise you to reconsider your options before purchasing this lens. Do you need fast shutter speeds, fast focus, and the best of the best build quality for your photography? Then you may want to look into the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens instead.
Unfortunately, I didn’t ask myself those questions before I made my purchase, and I was stuck with a lens that didn’t satisfy the job. I missed too many shots due to slow focusing and slow shutter speeds, and that’s why I bought the 70-200.
Now, the f/5.6 (versus f/2.8) aperture of this lens is a known limitation, so that is NOT why I gave it 4 stars out of 5. I gave it 4 stars because of the slow focusing, and usefulness (or lack thereof) of the VR (vibration reduction) system. So how about a direct comparison of this lens vs. the 70-200mm? Sure!
55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR AF-S Nikkor:
- Good optics. Good colors. Fair bokeh.
- Maximum f/5.6 aperture at 200mm (slow shutter speeds in poor light)
- Slow, slow, slow focus.. You’d expect better from an AF-S lens
- Not very useful VR system (it does sort-of work, and you will see it working, but it’s not revolutionary)
- Average build quality. Roughly equivalent to the 18-55mm kit lens.
- Minimum Focus Distance: 3.6 ft. (1.1m).
- Price: approximately $200
70-200mm f/2.8 VR AF-S Nikkor:
- Extremely good optics. Beautiful colors. Beautiful bokeh.
- Maximum constant f/2.8 aperture through the zoom range (relatively usable shutter speeds in poor light)
- Insanely fast focus
- Excellent VR system. This lens is much, much heavier than the 55-200mm lens, yet I see LESS camera shake when using this one, because the VR system is much better.
- Amazing build quality. Solid as a rock, and heavy as a brick! (or maybe a few bricks…)
- Minimum Focus Distance: 5 ft. (1.5m). This is the only thing that I dislike about this lens…. I can’t get as close to my subject as I can with the 55-200mm lens.
- Price: approximately $1650 (from a reputable dealer like B&H)
Concluding thoughts: Obviously, you get much greater quality, for a much higher price. Analyze yourself and decide if the extra quality is worth the high price for your photography. If you shoot action, or you just shoot everything (like me) the 70-200mm lens might be worth it (for me, it is). If you don’t need lightning fast performance for your photography, then the 55-200mm lens should have sufficient quality to meet the majority of your needs.
I hope that this review has aided you in making a purchasing decision. If I was a foolish reviewer, I would have given this lens a rating of 1 out of 5 stars, because it’s virtually useless to me now. However, I gave it a rating of 4 stars because that is what I feel it’s worth in terms of the price to performance ratio (for an average shooter).
Good luck with your photography!
