Thoughts on Nikkor 55-200mm VR f/4-5.6 lens?

Hi! New to the forum... I have a Nikon D5200 and was not a fan of the kit lens 18-55mm that came with my camera. I bought a 35mm f1.8 for portraits and I love it. I was looking into what my next lens should be. I wanted a zoom lens. I ordered the Nikkor 55-200mm VR f/4-5.6 lens. Does anyone using the D5200 have experience with this lens? I bought it used, it's in great condition. I can't figure out though if this was a kit lens for any camera or if it was a good buy. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet. I use my camera for taking photos of my kids and their friends playing, mostly. Also some scenic shots. I'm interested in possibly starting to offer small inexpensive packages to local families as my experience increases. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

LannaPhotography said:

Hi! New to the forum... I have a Nikon D5200 and was not a fan of the kit lens 18-55mm that came with my camera. I bought a 35mm f1.8 for portraits and I love it. I was looking into what my next lens should be. I wanted a zoom lens. I ordered the Nikkor 55-200mm VR f/4-5.6 lens. Does anyone using the D5200 have experience with this lens? I bought it used, it's in great condition. I can't figure out though if this was a kit lens for any camera or if it was a good buy. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet. I use my camera for taking photos of my kids and their friends playing, mostly. Also some scenic shots. I'm interested in possibly starting to offer small inexpensive packages to local families as my experience increases. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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The Nikon 55-200mm is a pretty good lens; not great, but pretty good. Kind of lower-end, Jack-of-all-Trades-Master-at-None sort of lens. It gets a lot of love because it performs as well as it does at a very reasonable price-point.

....

I have the same lens, and to be honest I don't use it that much at all.
Mostly used at kids school for when I'm stood at the back of the hall, but otherwise I find that the longer end of the lens is not wide enough to get my kids in.
The shorter end serves me well, but then there's a lot of overlap with the 18-105 I have, so it's only on the rare occasion that I need something beyond 105mm that I would use that lens (like at kids school).

The 55-200 is certainly not part of any standard Nikon kit, but you might find that retailers sell it as a bundle with standard Nikon kits.
Most typically Nikon bundles (for its DX range) either the 18-55, 18-105, or more recently the 18-140 as part of their kit boxes.

What you might find useful is to keep the 18-55 on (its not a bad lens, but its not a super lens either), and just go about your day taking pictures. Then look at whether you are always near the 55mm end or the 18mm end and that might point you towards the kind of lens you might be after.
If a lot of your pics are on the lower end - are you in need of something wider?
If a lot of your pics are the the top end, then maybe you need something with a bit more reach.

Unfortunately on paper it's hard to say what you need until you go out and try it for yourself.

And of course budget will play a big part in your choice of lens too

For the money, it's hard to beat. I use mine regularly on my D3300. Here are some actual examples.







My only other suggestion, going forward, is to inquire about equipment before you buy. You'll be a lot more confident in your purchases. Good luck.

The Nikon 55-200 is a good fairly cheap lens with a plastic mount that takes a good photo. I usually am seen around with a Tamron 16-300 that fills the bill for my type of photos. Read as much as you can, ask questions here, and then you'll still have trouble deciding. That's the way it is, LOL. And enjoy yourself.

Not a bad lens, for the cost it seems a bit of a bargain. I picked up my refurbished copy for $95 a year ago. do a search, bet you can find yourself a deal too.

I like mine and chose it because I often used a Nikkor 80-200mm f/4.5 from the late 70s until I bought my D5100 and found it perfect for my needs. I rarely need the reach of anything greater. I think this has been my most extreme shot and one of the very rare times when I could have used a wee bit more reach.

Nice train capture Sandpatch!

crashton said:

Nice train capture Sandpatch!

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Thanks crashton. Taken in Ridgecrest, NC. I've wanted this picture for years and if finally came together last winter. Each year those trees grow in a bit more!