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:
- Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6G ED SWM, was produced from April 2005 to 2007.
- 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.
- 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 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
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'.
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
The advantages of the lens and their impact on shooting and photo quality:
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
What did not like:
- The lens is almost all made of plastic. The bayonet mount (attachment point) is also plastic. The lens itself is made in China :(.
- 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.
- The lens does not have any additional marks on its body.
- During focal length changes (zooming), the rear lens moves, creating a “vacuum cleaner effect,” which can quickly contaminate the interior of the camera.
- The lens shows good sharpness at f / 7.1 apertures
- Nikon 55-200 VR has a weak macro, with a maximum magnification of 1: 4.3.
- 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
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
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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. The special enlightenment of the lenses is clearly visible.
All original Nikon DX telephoto lenses
- Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED SWMarel 2005
- Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED VR IF SWMMarch 2007
- Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-200mm 1:4-5.6GII ED VRIIJanuary 2015
- Nikon DX AF S Nikkor 55-300mm 1:4.5-5.6G ED VR SWM HRIAugust 2010
- Nikon DX AF-P Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4.5-6.3G EDAugust 2016
- 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
- 10.5 mm/ 2.8G AF Fisheye [gold ring]
- 35 mm/1.8G AF-S
- 40 mm/2.8G AF-S Microphone
- 85 mm/3.5G AF-S VR Microphone
- 10-20 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-P VR
- 10-24 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
- 12-24 mm/4G AF-S [gold ring]
- 16-80 mm/ 2.8-4IN AF S VR [gold ring]
- 16-85 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
- 17-55 mm/2.8G AF-S [gold ring]
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S [black / silver]
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S [black / silver]
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P
- 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR
- 18-70 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
- 18-105 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
- 18-135 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S
- 18-140 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
- 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Japan / China]
- 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
- 18-300 mm/3.5-5.6G VR
- 18-300 mm/3.5-6.3G VR
- 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S [black / silver, Japan / China]
- 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S VR
- 55-200 mm/4-5.6GII ED VR
- 55-300 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR
- 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P
- 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
thanks! 2. and which one will do.
Both will do.
no, from telephoto.
Better to take 70-300vr https://radojuva.com.ua/2011/10/obzor-nikon-70-300mm-f-4-5-5-6g-ed-if-af-s-vr-zoom-nikkor/
Hello! What can you say about Nikon 16-85mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR Nikkor as a staffer or is it a waste of money compared to 18-55 VR! Thank you in advance!
Nikon 16-85mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR is the best kit of native cheap crop lenses.
Yeah thanks! And more interesting, but what do you recommend to him from telephoto lenses! Thank you in advance!
For example, Nikon 55-300 f / 4.5-5.6G VR Zoom-Nikkor
yeah, that’s still interesting, if you take a picture indoors (for example, an apartment, a house), then the Nikon 16-85 will probably be a bit dark, it can still take a fast-fix (for example, the Nikon 50mm f / 1.8G AF-S Nikkor)! I think for gatherings it will be the most it, do you think? Thank you in advance!
For a fifty dollars it will be narrower, better https://radojuva.com.ua/2011/03/obzor-nikkor-af-s-35mm-f1-8-dx/
I want to buy a camera I climbed on different forums and it seems to have made a choice
when I arrived at the store I saw the Nikon D5100 Kit AF-S 18-55, 55-200 ED costing 24 and the Nikon D300 Kit AF-S 5100-18 VR, 55-55 costing 200 and now I think what is the difference between them and which one to take?
I ask for your advice with a choice
Most likely the difference is simply in the price that the stores offer. Perhaps the first option has 18-55 non-VR versions.
good day. Arkady, please advise Nikkor DX 55-300mm f / 4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S normal addition to the whale 18-55? or better is this: Tamron SP AF 28-75mm F / 2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Nikon F. There is only enough money for one, I don’t want to make a mistake
Better 55-300, it will be just 18-55 + 55-300
I think what to take? AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm f / 4-5.6 VR or Nikon 50mm AF-S F1.8 what do you recommend?
Good budget option.
That is the first or second?
On Nikon D 3100
Due to the difference in lenses, first decide who you need - a dark telephoto lens, or a fast prime. Both options are fine, but they are fundamentally different lenses.
Thank you more!
Thank you very much Arkady!
Tell me, Arkady. Now before the New Year promotions in stores, help with the choice
1) Nikon D3100 18-55VR + 55-200VR
2) Nikon D3200 18-105 VR
there is not much experience in photography and there is a great desire to learn! Thanks in advance for your reply.
Definitely the first option. D3100 shoots video, has a new matrix, and 55-200 will serve as a good telephoto lens.
Thank you Arkady!
Good afternoon, Arkady. I want to buy the first Nikon 3100 DSLR, but I couldn’t decide on what lens kit: the 18-55 + 55-200 or 18-105 kit. You just got somewhat contradictory answers to this score (comment on the date 06,08,12 and 27,10,12)
Describe what you need the camera for, and I will try to find the best option for you. The answers are different due to different questions.
Many THANKS for very useful articles, there is something to learn the basics of this matter.
I need a camera for amateur photography, I want to do photography as a hobby. To begin with, photograph the child for a family children's album; I am constantly replenishing my working portfolio - made furniture (indoor photo). For example, panoramic shots of kitchens, of course, cannot be taken with a soap dish, and even this is not necessary - you want to achieve the maximum angle with a distance of about 2-3 meters to the subject; and, of course, nature photography. As for the camera itself, it seems to me that the choice is the most optimal, but as for the lenses, I doubt it. Or maybe you can take Kitovy 18-55 and buy some fifty kopecks in the future?
... more precisely "fix".
Fifty is a fix. For starters, 18-55 can do a good job.
I meant not only fifty dollars .. If I understood you correctly, then at first there will not be much sense from the kit, so the choice is either 18-55, or 18-105. From 105 of the advantages I will get a larger ZOOM, and they are similar in characteristics.
What to stop on, which of the two evils to choose ??? )))
18-105 is more interesting in that you can get a more or less human portrait at 105mm.
Arkady, many thanks for the advice. Now I have definitely made my choice !!!
Great site and informative articles! And, by the way, Happy New Year to you, all human benefits and successful photographs !!!!
Scrolling through the pages of Ineta, I stumbled upon a Nikon D3100 Kit Tamron AF18-200mm F / 3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for 640u.e., what do you say about this Kita in comparison with 18-105 ???
D3100 does not support normal focusing at aperture of 6.3, this is indicated in the instructions, although there will be nothing wrong with the day. So this is a good option, something better than 18-105, but in the latter there is a stabilizer.
Good afternoon!
Arkady, please answer, I cannot understand ...
If DX is written on the lens itself, does it still mean that the real focal length is indicated and you need to consider the crop of the matrix of your camera?
Those. the lens will be at least for DX, at least for the FX camera, the focal length must still be recalculated for crop always ???
Yes, that's exactly what you always need to recount. A cheap whale lens can’t give a super super wide-angle picture like 18mm in full frame.
Thank you for your reply!
Arkady, despite the fact that I don't have my own DSLR yet, I've been reading articles on your site with enthusiasm for about a month and a half. Well, it's very simple and interesting, and most importantly, with examples you write about photography and reviews ...
Yesterday I followed the link (at the top left of the site) “Wedding Photographer Kiev” and if you say that I was delighted, it means - say nothing! I was just shocked with delight! Every photo is a masterpiece!
Looking at them you understand that no matter what you and how you write everything on this and other sites, you are a Professional in your field with a capital letter !!!
I want to express my great gratitude to you for your titanic work! Both for photographic and for writing !!!
In connection with my indescribable delight, I want to ask a couple of questions.
How did you start as a photographer, with what equipment did you work (of course, a year is also desirable, because everything changes and is updated), from whom you studied, etc.
I ask you to answer these questions, if they, of course, are not a secret. If you do not want to answer here, I would be grateful to receive a reply by e-mail.
Thanks again Thanks!
Most likely you saw my site for services http://wedding-photographer.tv/... He was interested in photography all his life, started taking photographs from the university, since 2005, took pictures a lot on phones 1, 1.3, 2, 3.2, 5MP. From the first DSLRs - d40 and d90, from the first lenses - 18-105 and 50 1.8d, I studied reading a lot of literature and taking a lot of photos, not always everything worked out, and even now it does not always work out, but photographers are like cacti, they grow very slowly ...
And further! Happy holiday to you! Merry Christmas!!! :-)
Good time!
Please tell me which model to choose from DSLRs. Two year old D7000 or the new D5200?
The D5200 is an excellent camera, well suited for simple photo tasks, the D7000 is a more advanced camera for more serious photo surveys.
Thanks a lot for your answer!
So D7000. If your body, then which lens within $ 300 to purchase for home shooting and street for short distances.
In the set 18-105, in my opinion, it’s just for that kind of money, I advise him.
Tell me, as a beginner, should I take 55-200 for shooting birds and distant objects? Or is it better to take a more expensive 55-300?
It’s better to take 55-300, it brings it closer, as a result, it’s easier to remove birds.
Thanks. I just doubted, as some people write that the 55-200 autofocus is faster
Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-300mm f / 4.5-5.6G ED VR and 55-200 - quality, autofocus and stabilizer: your advice in choosing?
All three points are very similar, you can do 55-200 and not spend extra money.
Thank you so much
And if there is only 55 grams of difference between 200-55 and 300-350, maybe it makes sense to take 300? thankful in advance - just with your advice it becomes easier to live ... ..
Strange, usually the price gap is much larger. If there is such an option, then 55-300 will be better because of the longer focal length.
This is if such a chip burns out, and between them a gap of 1000-1200 gr
One more question: 300 has a “structure” like 200, i.e. without a trunk?
Hello Arkady! Your blog is a godsend, especially for a newbie like me! Thanks for the reviews available. It is thanks to them that for Nikon3100, in addition to the 18-55, I purchased 50mm 1,8. Now I'm thinking about zoom. And of course your advice is needed. What to choose 18-105, 55-300 or 70-300. The lens is needed for shooting on trips (architecture, mountains, but also people, of course), at sea. In 55-300 it is confusing that the front lens rotates when focusing, and I would like to use a polarizing filter ...
70-300 is pretty good, I advise him.
Thank you Arkady!