Lens review

Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED VR

3. Build quality

Savings can be seen in many places when it comes to the tested Nikkor’s construction. First thing that really sticks out is the extensive usage of cheap plastics – even the mount is made of it. The second serious flaw is the manual focus ring: positioned at the very end of the lens, small, uncomfortable, not allowing to achieve any accuracy and without a scale. Fortunately the zoom ring is a lot bigger and you can operate it with more comfort.

There are two switches on the left side of the lens: one to change the focusing mode from manual to automatic, the second to switch the stabilization on and off.

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The 55-200 mm model without stabilization weighed just 255 grams and consisted of 13 elements in 9 groups with two elements made of low-dispersion ED glass. The 55-200 mm VR lens has already 15 elements in 11 groups (but only one ED element). The amount of elements is bigger, a VR system was added, small wonder the weight increased (to 335 grams) and so did the physical dimensions. There are also disadvantages – the minimal focus increased from 0.95 to 1.1 meter. The construction is complemented by a 9 diaphragm blades aperture which can be closed down to f/22-32 (depending on the focal length) and a 52 mm non-rotating filter thread.

The buyer will find a bayonet lens hood and a soft pouch included in box.

When it comes to stabilization we were very curious how will it really perform. Our previous tests showed that stabilized sensors reach results from 2 to less than 3 EV and stabilized lenses- from less than 3 to less than 4 EV. How the Nikkor fares in this category? Let’s have a look at the picture below with test chart scenery crops taken at 100 mm and at exposure times from 1/125 to 1/10 s.

When the lens works without stabilization the first traces of blur can be noticed between 1/100 and 1/80 s. With the stabilization switched on, sharp pictures can be taken up to 1/15 s. inclusive. We can extend the time of work about 7 times and it can be translated into near 2.8 EV efficiency. This result is similar or a tad better than the best results of stabilized sensors.