Review of Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM has a very long name, so for the sake of simplicity I will refer to it as 'Nikon 55-200 VR'. This is an inexpensive telephoto zoom lens for Nikon DX cameras... Nikon 55-200 VR has a built-in focus motor and is therefore suitable for all Nikon cameras... At one time, it became a replacement for an older version - Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor ED 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G SWM, which did not have an image stabilizer, and in 2015 it was itself replaced with an updated model - Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II, which has a lens parking mechanism.

In total, there are three such lenses:

  1. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED SWM, was produced from April 2005 to 2007.
  2. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM, from this review, was released from March 2007 to 2015.
  3. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR IIAvailable since January 2015.
Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR I Lens Overview

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM Lens Overview

The focal length of the lens is 55-200 mm, which will allow using it for a large number of photo tasks. For example, with this lens you can shoot not very shy animals, sports, various events. It is no secret that a telephoto lens, in general, is suitable for shooting portraits, since it has a small distortion, does not distort the geometry, respectively, the faces are not distorted in the pictures, while a large focal length helps to achieve a small depth of field. True, the Nikon 55-200 VR still has a small level of distortion, but on the other hand, 200 mm focal length can be easily blur the background, which is sometimes very important for portraiture.

Rear view of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens

Rear view of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens

Main technical characteristics of Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM:

Review Instance Name Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM 1760879
Basic properties
Front Filter Diameter 52 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length 55-200 mm EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 82.5-300 mm
Zoom ratio 3.64 X (usually rounded to 4)
Designed by for digital cameras Nikon DX
Number of aperture blades 7 rounded petals
Tags focal lengths for 55, 70, 85, 105, 135, 200 mm, bayonet mount mark and hood mounts
Diaphragm 55 mm from F / 4 to F / 22. 200 mm from F / 5.6 to F / 32. The lens is deprived of the aperture control ring, control is via the camera menu (G - lens type)
MDF (Minimum Focus Distance) 1.1 m over the entire range of focal lengths, maximum magnification ratio 1: 4.3
Stabilizer features 3 stops by CIPA standards (for 200 mm focal length). The stabilizer monitors the movement of the camera while shooting panoramas.
The weight 335 g
Optical design 15 elements in 11 groups, including 1 low dispersion element (shown in yellow on the optical diagram). The presence of such elements is indicated on the body by the abbreviation 'ED'.

Optical design Nikon 55-200mm f / 4-5.6 AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor

Image of optical circuit clickable

Lens hood Nikon HB-37, bayonet type, plastic
Transportation With a soft cover CL-0815
Manufacturer country China (PRC), inscription on the lens: “MADE IN CHINA”
Period From March 2007 to the present. In January 2015 was supplemented / replaced by a version Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II
Instructions View–>
3D view View–>
Current prices in modern online stores

Nikon 55-200 VR belongs to the lenses of the most low price range, because you should not expect stunning results from him. The lens is designed for use by amateurs, for the pros there are much better lenses. Depending on the set focal length, the lens has a maximum aperture from F / 4 @ 55 mm and F / 5.6 @ 200 mm, and the minimum value can be set to F / 22 and F / 32, respectively.

Lens designations Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM

Lens designations Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM

The advantages of the lens and their impact on shooting and photo quality:

  1. Nikon 55-200 VR weighs only 335 grams. On younger cameras (used on Nikon D3000, Nikon D40As well as Nikon D90) It provides a normal weight distribution and holding the camera in your hands is quite simple and convenient. The lens does not pull the camera down.
  2. Zoom is 3.6 x, which is a normal indicator for such optics. The larger the zoom, the more complex the optical design and the more difficult it is to get good image quality. Also, keep in mind that the viewing angle of 55 to 200 mm on DX cameras is equivalent to the viewing angle of the lens 82.5-300 mm for full-frame cameras. More details in the section on crop factor. I used several Nikon 55-200 VR lenses and did not observe spontaneous focal length changes on them under my own weight (the trunk itself did not protrude).
  3. Built-in ultrasonic focusing motor SWM (Silent Wave Motor) - allows you to focus on all Nikon digital SLR cameras. This factor is important to owners of non-powered cameras by type Nikon D5200, Nikon D3200 etc. since they can easily use this lens on their cameras.
  4. Internal focus - when focusing, only the internal parts of the lens move, which means that the front lens and its frame do not move. This will allow you to use different filters without problems. I recommend immediately get protective filter, a filter diameter of 52 mm, filters of this diameter are considered the most common and easiest to find.
  5. The Nikon HB-37 lens hood comes with a lens. It is very pleasant that Nikon has not been stingy of additional accessories such as blends or caps for its lenses recently. The hood is quite large and with it the lens looks very solid. You can also wind the hood in the opposite direction and always carry it with you. With this installation method, the lens hood does not take up extra space, always on the lens. But if the hood is wound in the opposite direction, then it covers the focus ring and you cannot use the lens in manual focus mode until you remove the hood.
  6. VR ('Vibration Reduce') is Nikon's term for Image Stabilizer. it the most important aspect in this lens. The stabilization system will allow you to shoot without grease from your hands at slower shutter speeds. The instructions say that you can reduce the shutter speed by 3 steps, which is 2 ^ 3 = 8 times, that is, if you shot with shutter speedequal to 1/160 s, then now the same can be repeated with shutter speed 1/20 s without loss of sharpness (for stationary objects). This is an indispensable feature in the dark. For a telephoto camera, image stabilization is a very useful feature. Of course, the instructions are a bit exaggerated and in reality it will be possible to shoot at shutter speeds no longer than 1/60 s at a 200 mm focal length. There is a button on the lens to control the operation of the 'VR ON / OFF' stabilizer.
  7. The image quality is acceptable, it is useless to hope for something super-good, for it alone says its price.
Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM with hood installed

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM with hood installed

What did not like:

  1. The lens is almost all made of plastic. The bayonet mount (attachment point) is also plastic. The lens itself is made in China :(.
  2. Auto focus speed is average. It's funny, but the Nikon 55-200 VR focuses faster than the more advanced model - Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-300mm 1: 4.5-5.6G ED VR SWM HRI. The focus ring, unlike the zoom ring, is not rubberized and rotates only 60 degrees.
  3. The lens does not have any additional marks on its body.
  4. During focal length changes (zooming), the rear lens moves, creating a “vacuum cleaner effect,” which can quickly contaminate the interior of the camera.
  5. The lens shows good sharpness at f / 7.1 apertures
  6. Nikon 55-200 VR has a weak macro, with a maximum magnification of 1: 4.3.
  7. The lens does not have a permanent manual focus control mode 'M / AM'. Attention: To focus manually, be sure to move the lens to the 'M' position. During autofocus, the focus ring rotates and cannot be touched. Alas, focusing is not the quietest.

Here link to the archive with the originals - 294 MB, 37 photos in .NEF format (RAW) from the camera Nikon D80.

From personal experience using:
The built-in image stabilizer can sometimes buzz and jerk the image in the viewfinder - this is due to the fact that the stabilizer still works for some time after pressing the shutter button and when you move the camera, the stabilizer holds the picture, and then it turns off and the picture “twitches” due to moving the camera. This is absolutely normal. To check the stabilizer, you need to turn off autofocus, turn on the stabilizer and press the shutter button halfway at this time, the noise from the operation of the hybrid gyroscopic drive should be heard.

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM with hood installed in transport mode

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM with hood installed in transport mode

If shooting at long focal lengths, it is advisable to use excerpts no longer than 1/300 - 1/200 s (if you shoot without the stabilizer turned on) and always remember that the stabilizer only helps to reduce the level of vibrations, but does not completely remove them - therefore sometimes you have to use a tripod. I highly recommend reading the article as take offto prevent blurry pictures.

View of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens on the camera

View of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens on the camera

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View of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens on the camera

View of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM lens on the camera. The special enlightenment of the lenses is clearly visible.

All original Nikon DX telephoto lenses

  1. Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED SWMarel 2005
  2. Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED VR IF SWMMarch 2007
  3. Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6GII ED VRIIJanuary 2015
  4. Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G ED VR SWM HRIAugust 2010
  5. Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.3G EDAugust 2016
  6. Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.3G ED VRAugust 2016

A list of absolutely all lenses of the Nikon DX series, as well as a lot of useful information on lenses and cameras Nikon will find here.

An accurate list of all Nikon DX Nikkor lenses

  1. 10.5 mm/ 2.8G AF Fisheye [gold ring]
  2. 35 mm/1.8G AF-S
  3. 40 mm/2.8G AF-S Microphone
  4. 85 mm/3.5G AF-S VR Microphone
  5. 10-20 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  6. 10-24 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  7. 12-24 mm/4G AF-S [gold ring]
  8. 16-80 mm/ 2.8-4IN AF S VR [gold ring]
  9. 16-85 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  10. 17-55 mm/2.8G AF-S [gold ring]
  11. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S [black / silver]
  12. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S [black / silver]
  13. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  14. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  15. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P
  16. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  17. 18-70 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  18. 18-105 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  19. 18-135 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S
  20. 18-140 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  21. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Japan / China]
  22. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  23. 18-300 mm/3.5-5.6G VR
  24. 18-300 mm/3.5-6.3G VR
  25. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S [black / silver, Japan / China]
  26. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S VR
  27. 55-200 mm/4-5.6GII ED VR
  28. 55-300 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  29. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P
  30. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P VR

Conclusion:

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM is one of the most affordable telephoto lenses for Nikon DX cameras. The lens produces image quality comparable to its cost. Me aboutI liked very much its lightness and the presence of a stabilizer. Due to its low cost, I recommend it as a good addition to a standard class lens 18-55 / 3.5-5.6.

In 2015, this lens was replaced with an updated model - Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 583, on the topic: Review Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR IF SWM

  • Vladislav

    Good afternoon everyone! I have long wanted to say this. I really liked Arkady's test photos of this lens. And I also like many of his test photos taken with kit lenses with plastic mounts, and at the same time with simple old cameras - nikon d40, nikon d80,90. These test photos of Arkady are, well, just a masterpiece. Do not understand that I am praising Arkady with this, he does not need praise - he is a pro. These simple kit lenses with simple old cameras give such results that you start to doubt the objective assessment of these lenses. Arkady, do not be offended, but your words in the summary that these lenses do not give anything outstanding, cause the opposite decision to buy such lenses, while looking at your test photos.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Photo as photo. If you take modern cameras and reduce the photo to the same 6-10-12 MP, it will be approximately the same.

  • anonym

    Who will tell you which screws go to mount the lens mount of this lens and where to find them. Thanks.

  • Anna

    Good afternoon! Tell me if such a lens is suitable for Nikon D3100. I came across the opinion that such a device does not extend this lens

    • Valery A.

      Good evening. I can say that cameras from D40 to D3100-5100 “pull it out” normally, I don’t know how on modern MP-crops.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      I don’t know how the camera does not extend the lens, but the lens fully pulls the 24 megapixel d3200. But the focus is pretty slow. Changed to 70-300. But why do you need it? If you only want the camera to not crank your neck. Then 18-55 + 55-200. But can one take 18-105 or 18-140?

      • Valery A.

        Well, why, in the near nature to walk with him, dragonfly butterflies from 1,1m to 200mm to shoot, blue ticks from 5m or even eagles in the sky and airplanes: (crop)

      • Anna

        18-55 is, now I'm thinking about the Nikon 18-200mm f / 3.5-5.6G, because it's more versatile. Now I sit - wise. Needed for taking pictures in nature. Maybe you would advise?

        • Denis

          the most useless lens. a new one is very expensive. for b / y they ask from 18 to 28 sput, while 18-55 gives a better picture

        • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

          It was not in vain that I wrote about 18-105 and 18-140. The latter is not far from 200 in the focal length, but you do not need to carry two 18-55 and 55-200. And in quality they are better than 18-200, no matter how much they praise it. And if you need a telephoto, then take 55-300 or 70-300.
          But at the same time 18-55 and 55-200 have their advantages with good image quality: 18-55 is light and small and has a small MDF (for macro), 55-200 is probably the lightest of telephoto lenses. But both have a common drawback - the rotation of the front lens when focusing. You can't shoot with a polarizing filter. But over time you will want to.

          • Denis

            however, Arkady writes that the 55-200 front lens does not rotate when focusing
            Well, when zooming in on the first and VR II versions, nothing exactly rotates. I don’t know about ordinary VR

            • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

              Maybe I don't remember anymore - I sold it.
              Anna, don't sell only 18-55. Sometimes there are times when you need it - simple macro photography or make a “soap dish” for small dimensions. When I take off the battery pack from 3200 and change 18-105 to 18-55, I am amazed at its transformation)))

              • Anna

                Thanks for the advice. All the best.

              • Don Pedro

                And why then was your demagoguery about the filter if you don’t remember, or maybe you didn’t know? I haven’t read Pasternak, but I condemn him...

          • Anna

            Would you advise 18-140

            • Denis

              Well then, at the same time, change the carcass to d5200 or even d7100-d7200

              • Denis

                in general, 18-140 is much rarer on hand than 18-105, so it’s better to take the latter 2 times cheaper (for about 7 thousand rubles), and you can still choose a copy

          • anonym

            vitalik. held in his hands and carried a blizzard.

            • Vitaly N

              Will you decrypt?

  • Paul

    Something here everyone is faulty 18-200 VR, I have all the lenses 18-55, 55-200, 18-105 and 18-200. So, I’ll tell you honestly about the quality of the picture (sharpness, color) of 18-200 in the focal range of 18-90, it is no different from 18-105, I can provide photos from that and from that. Further, sharpness at infinity suffers. Those. if you take a picture of a flower 7 meters away from you, it will be clear, if the plane is in the sky, then not very. But this effect is manifested on all universal zooms, including 55-200, but on it less. But I decided that it is better to drag 1 lens on vacation than 2, because the frame itself is more important, and not its pixel-by-pixel quality, everyone decides for himself what is more important to him, I chose 18-200.

    • Valery A.

      Not very soapy at 200mm (55-200 VR, crop, 55-300 no worse). https://ibb.co/h7080S

    • Charles

      If at 55-200 you hide behind at least f8, the sharpness is decent (at least on my cameras).

    • Avvakumov

      No need to compare with 18-105, this is the first telezoom with a stub, the most unsuccessful

  • Sergei

    Good day! I have been using the lens of this model for 2 years. The Nikon D5200 camera does not cause any complaints. At first, he did not attach much importance to focusing when shooting with DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR lenses; DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G VR However, over time, I noticed that the level of quality of focusing in automatic and manual mode differs significantly with the tripod or without focusing quality when photographing with other lenses (World; jupiter-9) . An amateur-class camera and lenses would be unfair to make high demands, but nevertheless, easy disappointment cannot be avoided.

    • Valery A.

      What do you mean by focus quality?

    • Vadim

      Sergey, I agree, automatic on Jupiter 9 works much better

    • Vitaly N

      55-200 was, 18-55 still use for macro. I did not notice problems with focusing. Especially with their large depth of field, compared with fixes. There are micro lubricants from the stabilizer, maybe you take them for a problem? Try turning off the stabilizer when shooting with a tripod.

    • Vitaly N

      And the question is - do you focus on one point or with automatic selection?

  • Sergey Vladimirovich

    Arkady! Thank you for your reviews and articles on photographic equipment. With great interest and attention I read and look at materials. I recently bought such a lens. It is brand new and at a reasonable price. Of course, I immediately tested it and was very pleased with the purchase. I put it instead of the standard one on the Nikon D3000. The impression is very good, portraits, good zoom, color rendering, everything was very pleasing. I recommend everyone instead of the regular one, well, or an addition to it. I want to share a photo that I think was a success. https://ibb.co/nb0qvJ

  • Vitaly

    Glass will really like it, especially with good colors and aperture (but I can only compare with 18-55 whale). Not enough versatility. I would like to travellerzum analgic for color rendition and aperture ratio, but with less focal length. What can you advise on d5400?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      D5400 does not exist. Good options from relatives 18-105, 18-140, 18-200

  • shorymn

    Viprosal ointment

  • Vladimir

    Hello! I admit right away that I'm not a very experienced amateur photographer in terms of digital devices. So, looking at the pictures I can’t get rid of the impression that they were made by another professional lens.
    Maybe I was very unlucky with the lenses - this one and the whale one (18-55), but I don't get such sharp pictures as are shown in the article. And not only in this, but also in articles devoted to other lenses.
    I put about the same aperture, about the same short shutter speed, the white balance is not auto, but according to the situation, I tried the format both JPG and RAW, focus in the center and distributed - in general, everything seems to be very close to what is written under the pictures, and the pictures are noticeable that they are not too sharp. D3000 camera, 10MP matrix. Maybe it's not the lens, but the camera itself?
    I would like to see an answer / advice. By the way, about the same, but in other words, Vladislav noted in the comment of 03.12.2017/XNUMX/XNUMX.

    • Valery A.

      Hello. If there is no front-back focus, then this is what these lenses are capable of. It remains to sharpen (possibly contrast) in the editor. The 55-200vr I was quite comfortable with, the 18-55vr is not so, unlike the 18-55 EDII. Applying 3000 / 35g, 1,8 / 50g lenses, as well as Tamron 1.8-28 / 75 lenses (as well as Nikor 2,8-70vr) on the d300, he noted a noticeable improvement in the picture. I’m not calling for anything, just thinking out loud.

  • Irina

    Good day! I can't decide whether to sell the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm or not. For several years now I have been lying idle: I photograph mainly with 35 and 50 mm fixes. But then I think, what if the children will need to be photographed on the street ... The lens is perfect for these purposes. What do you think?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Let it lie, it’s not expensive.

  • Elena

    There is a D5200 with a whale of 18-55 (it costs most of the time on the carcass) and a fix of 50 (when shooting small things at home in poor lighting and in a burst of creative enthusiasm it is used).
    At work, once a month - once every two months, it is necessary to film sports mass events (athletes at performances and awards, sports reports). 18-55 for this, of course, is not enough. There was experience of using D5300 complete with 18-140 for the same purposes at another job - I liked everything, but that was the employer's technique.

    There is a choice: buy yourself 18-140 (used), sell 18-55 and live in peace. Use for personal purposes and at work without unnecessary troubles. True finances for these purposes need more, and they somehow feel sorry, because photography is not my main work, just a hobby that I use sometimes to the glory of a good employer :)
    Or buy a 55-200 VR (also used) and use it at sporting events and outdoor trips? Then it comes out half the price, but in this version I am confused by the park of lenses with plastic mounts that I will regularly rearrange back and forth - there is a greater chance that something will break sooner rather than later, and it will be easier to throw it out than to give it back to fix it.

    In general, there is no extra money, and something with a longer focal distance caught fire, so that it would benefit both myself and the employer. And it seems like I liked everything from 18-140, but a rational worm sharpens "you need these 100+ once a month, in the summer - three times a month, is it worth it - spend so much?"

    That suggest?

    • Denis

      plastic mount will not break
      cheaper than 18-140, will be 18-105 (but the bayonet is plastic). the picture quality, in my opinion, is noticeably better than that of the 18-55. I sold 18-105 to a colleague from work - I gave him to make test shots of his 18-55BP2 and 18-105 ...

      • Elena

        Thank you for your reply!
        My previous camera broke down on the day when I changed lenses 3 or 4 times in an hour, the shutter of the mirror jammed or the brushes .. in short, the repair of this on the D60 turned out to be equal to the market value of the used D60: D And before that, I with my bought used I happily lived with the camera for 3 years, changing the lens rarely, rarely. Therefore, now there is a phobia, that from the frequent change of “dust-boss-will-get-jam-something” - something is not specific ...
        I think that I will not be able to live peacefully from 18-105, after I have used 18-140 at work for almost a year :) In the sense of the practice of using the focal point more than 105, there is and I will think about it in similar shooting situations - that's why I suffer over your choice.
        I spent three days from morning to night studying the reviews here at Radozhiva, and the market for used lenses to sell, to choose the most optimal options for your needs and financial capabilities.

        • Roman

          In two hours of shooting, I can change the lenses a dozen times if necessary. I don’t always want to carry two cameras with me. The DSLR is sharpened for changing lenses, so if something broke, then something was malfunctioning.

          And for indoor sports you need something like 70-200 / 2.8 with a high ISO camera. There, even a stub will not help, at normal shutter speeds, the lubrication will only be from the movements of the athletes. Colleka has 24-105 / 4, you have 5.6, this is a whole stop. Another stop by ISO and he definitely has a percentage of rejects that will be less.

          • Elena

            Thanks for the reply.
            Options 70-200 and 80-200 do not suit me at the price, I thought about them, but alas, it’s too much for me.

            Photography is not a profession for me, and my shooting at work is a nice bonus for the management and help me later in my main job (I run social networks, news about athletes is monotonous, and they need to be accompanied by various and, preferably, interesting photos. There are good photos on the Internet. You will not find acceptable permission for athletes on every topic, and you don’t want to fly in with copyright, athletes buy photos for their portfolios from professional photographers working at events and also don’t share them then for a great life, no one pays for stocks :), parental photos the quality of the phone does not shine ... In short, I took it myself (I saved a database of various necessary photos) - it's easier for you. )

            On the 18-140 working past, I got used to it and the lubricant was an acceptable moderate amount, I recruited 500-200 normal reporting pieces from 250 frames, we load it on social networks: for grandparents and parents, they are for happiness. Of these, a dozen 4 were selected for my needs. I shoot in the same halls at work, when I have to do this, slowly under lighting and ceilings, I somehow learned how to adjust how much this is accessible to an amateur, to the extent that it is accessible to an amateur. But it’s ripe that I want something stupidly bigger than the FR: once a month I’ll shoot the competitions for them, but in the summer on weekends every two weeks I’m butterfly birds (besides work, I photograph 80% of nature, 15% of subject matter for personal purposes, 5% of family )

            In general, I have already realized that I will most likely buy 55-200 and for my amateur needs I will master it. Everything else is more expensive and such costs in my case are not rational. Colleagues working in other directions do not understand why I bother so much with photographs ...

            • Ivan

              And why "slowly under the lighting"? Try the flash. Ask your friends or rent. And you can try to rent lenses, otherwise buy and be disappointed.

              • Elena

                With ceilings in halls of 8,5 meters, no flash will help. I have a simple SB600. Tolu from her in huge halls - what to spit in the sea.
                And we don't have lenses for rent in the city. Friends do not either, they either have 18-55 or only fixes ...

            • Ivan

              I also have an SB-600. Great flash! Yes, it’s useless to shine on the ceiling for large rooms. Need to "beat" in the forehead. You can also raise the ISO to reasonable limits. It’s a pity that you have a D5200, and not even a D90. In conjunction with the SB600, we could experiment and put the flash closer to the shooting location and shoot with two flashes in conjunction with the built-in flash (it’s also the control for the 600th). Well, or buy more flashes and arrange them, controlling from the camera.

      • Elena

        Changing 18-55 to 18-105 \ 140 because of the quality of the picture on the same for 18-55 is not my motive. As a long-term reader-re-reader of this blog and a modest amateur photo-amateur, I believe in the fact that it is necessary to improve the skills of aligning the settings and the general photographic skill in order to get better and more beautiful shots :) there is simply not enough range - having shot three flash drives of 16 GB of competition rhythmic gymnastics wants to bite out of resentment - there are very few successful shots, so that the athletes are close-up and acceptably sharp ... From the whole series of continuous shooting, you have to choose "the best of the mediocre" and then increase the sharpness of the selected a little in the editor :(
        A colleague with a lens on Canon with a ceiling FR 105 has a better result. From 18-140 I was better at another job than his, I remember ...

      • Avvakumov

        The plastic one breaks. But you can replace it yourself. 18-55 + 55-200 will be much more versatile. A telephoto is not always needed, but with a small 18-55 the device is more compact

    • BB

      18-105 from 2011 with a plastic bayonet has gone about 100k. From the problems - a little dust inside (it practically does not affect the photo), and the “trunk” began to spontaneously leave, if you lower the lens down. I changed the lenses relatively often (while there was one body until 2015) - 18-105 / 70-300 / 50 with the mount, nothing happened. So if you want to save, save. After buying 18-140, the old man 18-105 went to the spare shelf, but did not notice much difference in the picture between them.

      • Elena

        Thanks a lot for your answer! Reassured a little :)
        And why bought 18-140 to replace 18-105 despite the fact that there are 70-300?

        • BB

          Firstly, the outgoing trunk is a little annoying, and secondly, sometimes you need two devices with 18-105 / 140, and friends, as usual, also need their own lens for these dates, and they can’t borrow it.
          From experience, if you shoot solo performances from a distance of at least 5 meters or more, then 70-300 is usually better, 105/140 is not enough.

          • Elena

            I looked - on an affordable used Nikon 70-300 mm 1: 4-5.6G for me, autofocus will not work.
            Thank you, your answers helped me to formulate a solution, I will study another 55-200 and 55-300 as an option (although according to reviews, including Radozhiva it is somehow ambiguous) and I will buy separately one of these amateur telephoto lenses, instead of replacing 18-55. Fortunately now there are kind of good offers on these two models.

            • BB

              You can also look for Tamron or Sigma 70-300. Although 55-300 on a crop is a little more convenient.

              • Elena

                Thanks for the advice! Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 there are two in the district, I will study information about them.
                There are instances close in price among all 3 options (55-200 \ T 70-300 \ 55-300), it remains to make the final choice

            • Ivan

              Autofocus from 5200-70 will not work on D300? Like this?

              • B. R. P.

                This is the one with a screwdriver.

            • Denis

              4-5.6D, and not G, you will not have focus. and 55-200 will probably be cut
              and 4.5-5.6G VR will, but it's expensive)

              • Elena

                Well, that's what I write - “in what is accessible to me”. Only Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6G will be available to me for the price as in this review: https://radojuva.com/2014/04/nikon-af-70-300-mm-4-5-6g/ and it also says that it will not be autofocus on my 5200

              • Valery A.

                I liked 55-200 VR. But I changed it to 55-300, and then I took 70-300 VR (there was a craving for telephoto cameras), by and large - extra expenses. For the street - a thing (55-200).

              • Denis

                Elena, of course, forgot about this)

  • an256

    Hello, how best to check this used lens, especially the stabilizer. At Novaya Poshta, where he will arrive, there are no special conditions, a small dark room and staff standing above the soul and repeating five minutes for you to check.

    • Trueash

      At the very least, send the staff to the ass. If their internal documents provide for "five minutes", they do not concern you - you are not their employee.

    • BB

      They never rushed me to the NP, I checked the cameras and optics for about 15 minutes. But when I took one of the cameras, the NP employee said that it was forbidden to insert my memory cards into the devices. I inserted it anyway, he was indignant but did nothing (I tried to explain that it was impossible to fully check the camera down without a memory card, but he repeated 'we have such rules'). This happened once (and I bought, it seems, about 4 fotik pieces in the last 3-4 years).

      • an256

        They also didn’t let me put a memory card on the NP, but the card came with the camera, it was just lying separately, so I convinced them that the card had to be checked, but the problem arose in another, the camera was practically without a run, the girl took off once, the battery ran out , said the camera itself can’t take pictures, the smartphone is better, so it sent it, it barely convinced the NP to allow its battery to be put, and I argued that the charge sent with the camera was sealed in a plastic bag and I said that I would charge p one battery will have to tear the packaging, and then suddenly I will not buy!

  • an256

    I’ll have to swear, but how can I check the stabilizer by the sound when the autofocus is off, or can it somehow be possible in the video mode?

    • Ivan

      Turn on the stabilizer and look through the viewfinder. Move the lens direction slowly to the side. The image is slightly “frozen” (slows down). You can turn off the stabilizer and do the same again. You will see the difference.

    • BB

      Unscrew the zoom to maximum, shake the camera down a little and look through the viewfinder - with the stub on and off. At 200mm it is not difficult to see the stub work.

  • an256

    Got it, thanks for the tip.

    • Ivan

      Yes, I forgot, I need to keep the shutter button pressed halfway.

  • an256

    Thanks guys, I checked how you prompted with the included stub slows down the picture. Here is a photo of the first stub turned on, the second not: 200 mm. 1/30, F16

  • an256

    photo with a stub.

  • an256

    Another such question, it makes sense to buy a protective glass for this lens, the lens cost 800 UAH., Well, it is clear that expensive glass is not a horse feed, but within 250 UAH, the glass will greatly affect the picture, given that the lens itself is far from top-end .

    • B. R. P.

      A cheap filter can affect not for the better.

    • Ivan

      Use a lens hood as protection in addition to its intended purpose.

  • Henogapok

    All welcome!
    In this review, the HB-37 hood is indicated, in other places I saw the HB-34 hood for the same lens. Tell me which one to take?

    • Novel

      https://www.travelersphoto.ru/blogs/poleznoe-v-fototehnike/kak-podobrat-blendu-na-obektiv-nikon

      Technically, you need the HB-37, it's round. HB-34 is made in the shape of a flower. In theory, the HB-34 should work on a VR lens, possibly giving slight flares on the sides. But on the contrary, a vignette at a wide angle may appear.

      Therefore, if you do not want to take risks and you are not confused by the cylindrical hood, take the HB-37. If you prefer the flower and the main function of the hood - protecting the front element - you can use the HB-34.

      • Henogapk

        Thank you. I ordered, nevertheless, HB-37. In the passport for the lens this is indicated, I think the manufacturer knows better.

  • Benjamin

    It would be interesting to know how the lenses with gold lettering differ from others.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      everything is simple: nothing special, except for the design

  • Roberto U

    Una consulta este modelo: AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED puede dar a un Nikon D3500 o cual de los 3 lentes 55-200mm pertenece:

    1.- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200 mm 1: 4-5.6G ED SWM [dos colores: negro/plata, país de fabricación: Japón/China], abril de 2005 – marzo

    2.-Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED VR SI SWM, marzo de 2007 - enero de 2015 (possiblemente más).

    3.- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II, enero de 2015 - hoy.

  • Vk

    Why, under the “What I didn’t like” section, paragraph 4, is the rear lens a vacuum cleaner if the review is on an IF lens?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Zoom. As the focal length changes, the lens moves.

  • Sergei

    Tell me what is better to use on the Nikon D5100 - this lens or the Jupiter 37a?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      this one will have autofocus

    • Specialist

      This one is a working lens: both tele and macro (small), and reporting from the side, and a portrait, albeit without soft-boiled bokeh. And the stub really helps. I had one of these, changed it to 55-300, I liked 55-200 better. And to play with Jupiter, to practice on the cats. It's on my shelf somewhere.

      • andrud

        For a macro decision, I confirm everything else. As for me, Nikon has a lot of budget universal ones for crops, one of the best. 55-300 at the end (200-300) either a tripod or a compromise with photo brightness

    • andrud

      d5100, self-portrait (with tripod remote control)

      • andrud

        .

      • А

        I also have a d5100,
        I settled on two options. This one and 18-105, what do you recommend?

  • А

    Tell me plz.
    this one or 18-105?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      they are extremely different, if one - then definitely 18-105

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