Just bought the Nikon 55-200mm VR!

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.

 

good luck with the lens.
don't forget to post some test shots here.