Like the title states, just ordered the new 55-200 VR from Adorama...hope it lives up the the first-look billing that it's been getting across the web! Brief snippets from Hogan and review from Rockwell rate it very favorably...quite a lens, getting VR, good range and all for $254 shipped! Anyone have/played with one yet?
Once you get it, please let us know your first impressions! It sounds like a nice lens for the price (and a perfect compliment to most kit lenses). I'm really hoping Nikon will be releasing more AF-S + VR lenses this year. I'd particularly like to see the 80-400 get updated to AF-S - I'd have to scrimp and save for quite a while to afford it though.
It looks like Sigma is now selling the HSM version of the 50-500 in a Nikon mount. My (Non-HSM) Bigma is sharper at 500mm than my 80-400 is at 400mm.
At first i wasn't sure what they point of this lens was over the 18-200, but I guess the price is pretty critcally different there, so it seems to be a great deal if you already have a shorter lens and dont' mind changing. I have the 50mm 1.8 Nikon, and the 18-200 for my D200. I'm thinking that I could really use something that goes to 400mm, and something in the 10mm range too. Then, i'd be pretty much all set.