Bargain or surplus kit?

[jupiter618]

At my work someone is offering a Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR for sale at $150.

I have a 70-300mm G (without VR) and it's a crappy lens. It never performs well whenever I see an interesting bird or a far away object. The chromatic abberation is awful and with no VR it's as good as useless for birds. However, the 200mm is not really a whole lot of telephoto... not really enough for birds anyway, but it's a quality lens.

My question is; is it worth getting this lens or should I save my money and put it towards something better in the future?

[Photophil2010]

Save your money for some faster glass IMHO.

[maccaroneski]

You can buy one new on the grey market for around $165, so maybe a better price is in order - presumably you have lost the benefit of the warranty on the second hand item, so you're not losing anything by going grey.

Otherwise, it's a great little lens - anything faster in that zoom range will cost a bomb (70-200 2.8 is $2.5k at least).

[Tannin]

55-200mm ..... see an interesting bird or a far away object

"200mm" and "bird" do not belong in the same kit bag. I have no comment on this particular lens, except to observe that the price seems way too high, and that cheap longish lenses seldom perform up to expectations. But if you are even thinking about birding, you should be looking at the 400mm class. And if something shorter is enough for you, chances are that you will do better in the long run by waiting a bit longer and saving up for something that will last you well. Nikon make a really nice 70-300 VR, if my memory is worth trusting. It costs a bit, but longer glass always does (if it's worth having at all).

[Eberbachl]

The 55-200 VR is a nice kit lens, but that's about as far as it goes. Sharp, nice bokeh... but slow. VR helps you hold the camera steady, but it won't help keep your subject still. Definitely not a birding lens.

I think $150 is a bit rich for it second hand. Probably about $100-120 is in the ball park.

[danny]

Got mine second hand almost 12 months ago for $100. It is great at that price!

[AVALANCHE]

Hello,

I bought my 55-200mm VR second hand also and it is great! It is a nice zoom and I find it is great for portraits outdoors or inside with decent lighting. I highly recommend it if you are after an everyday lens. It is really light in weight too and being VR you won't need a tripod unless you are capturing a long exposure! I carry mine all day then throw on the 50mm 1.4 fixed in the evening for low light shooting!

I don't feel you would need the f/2.8 unless you were a full-time pro.