The Nikkor DX 55-200mm VR is an entry-level telephoto zoom for DX-format Nikon DSLRs. Launched alongside the Nikon D40x in March 2007, it’s designed to complement the standard DX 18-55mm kit lens and extend the maximum equivalent coverage from 83 to 300mm. This makes it ideal for portraits, wildlife and sports photography, while the shorter end remains practical for many day to day shots.

Unlike the earlier DX 55-200mm lens, the new model features Vibration Reduction, VR, technology which provides optical stabilisation, allowing you to handhold shots at shutter speeds three stops slower than normal. It’s also an AF-S model which means quick and quiet auto-focusing and compatibility with both the D40 and D40x, along with other DX-format Nikon DSLRs.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the DX 55-200mm VR is its relatively low price – indeed it’s the most affordable Nikkor lens with Vibration Reduction facilities at the time of writing, and when coupled with the DX 18-55mm II lens, matches the coverage of the popular DX 18-200mm VR at a much lower price. Of course the DX 18-200mm VR features Vibration Reduction throughout its entire range and the convenience of a single lens solution, but a pair of lenses with shorter focal ranges are easier to design, lighter, cheaper and have the potential to perform better optically.

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