Nikon 18-200 mm VRII Avaliability

Hi all just joined this forum looking forward to reading through it. I will introduce myself properley later in the newbie thread. I just wanted to ask if anyone else has been waitig a long time for the Nikon 18-200 mm lens and does anyone no more about its avaliability. I ordered it for my D5100 from Jessops way back on the 9th March because I had high street vouchers I could use there and I'm still wainting for it. I thought I remember her saying something about the 300 odd people waiting they just where telling me it can take up to 28 days they have to tell me that but usually it comes much sooner. They have apologised and said there is no stock anywhere and that it is due to the flooding of the Nikon factory in Thailand. I didnt think I'd be waiting nearly 10 weeks though. Next month me and a friend plan a day to Edinburgh shooting and I'm meeting friends for a four day trip to Amsterdam on the 18th of June it would be great If I had the lens by then for those trips. From all the reviews in particularly the Nphoto Nikon Magazine Ive read its a great lens and out of all the tele zooms they tested scored best. I cant wait to have it in my hands and put it to the test. Thanks.
Peter.

I'm sorry to hear that. Here in the US the 18-200 is in stock at Adorama and B&H Photo so it must be a UK thing. However, Nikon lens supplies are hit and miss because of the flooding. I've been looking for a 50mm 1.8g and they are hard to find. I think you will really like the 18-200 for traveling because it does it all decently.

Would you consider Tamron?

Hi thanks it must be something to do with Nikon as Jessops have told me they are wainting for stock from Nikon to their depot and that they would call me as soon as it came in. I did have a look around at some other online retailers and some where out of stock and on back order others didnt state their stock level and there was one avaliabke from a seller on Amazon UK. I think I'm getting a pretty good price for the lens at £518. I was switching energy suppliers from Scottish Power to NPower and N Power sent me £100 of love2shop vouchers. But even though for various reasons I ended up going back to Scottish Power (long story) N Power said the vouchers where mine to keep and there wasnt many retailers accepting the vouchers that sold that particular lens. Hence me buying it from Jessops. I think I would consider buying other Tamron lenses in the future provided they got a decent review as they are a cheaper price too but wouldnt consider a 18-200mm Tamron equivalent of my Nikon Lens as the Nikon one got the best review and score by far. I have also looked up these lenses and read that the Tamron version is good if you are on a budget but that you should get the Nikon one if you can afford it. I will be using this lense for years to come and thought the cheaper one may be a false economy and that I'd end up wisjing I'd bought the dearer one later down the line.
Peter.

get your money back and get a second hand one from Mifsuds (just google mifsuds), i got the VR 1 version from there at Xmas, it was £399, and its in mint / new condition, I dont think there is really any difference in the VR 1 and 2 versions, there is a nice little video review on DigitalRev TV (you can see them on youtube). HTH

Hi John havent check out that video yet but I've had a look at mifsuds that lens is a good price definately something to consider. Though on Ken Rockwells site he says there is no different apart from the zoom lock I did think that the VR I lens was supposed to allow three stops handheld and the VR II four stops.
Peter.

here is the link -->

Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Hands-on Review - YouTube

its a good lens, I think they are very close in performance. depends what you want from it. I tend to find I barely use the lens because its pretty big and bulky, and most of the time I dont need all that zoom. my other lenses are lighter and give sharp images, the prime is great for portraits and low light photography, the 28-80 is a great walk around lens, soon to be replaced by my 24-85. If you are doing a lot of shooting outdoors, like wildlife photography then its the one I would use (out of my lenses). The VR works very well.