55-200 VR vs 70-300 G

[jwbenning]

Hi

 

I'm looking for some advice. Would you recommend the Nikon 55-200 4-5.6 VR or

the Nikon 70-300 4-5.6 G? The 70-300 is less expensive, but I've heard about

quality issues at the long end, and it doesn't have VR. This is my first

telephoto and I'd be using it for outdoor photography and not always with a

tripod. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

John

[elliot1]

55-200 VR is a much better value and will possibly give you sharper pictures. There is very little difference in zoom from 200mm to 300mm. You may find the VR handy at times.

[eric_arnold]

shooting telephoto handheld is challenging. i'd pick a VR lens for that reason. in good lighting, which is required for fast shutter speeds to prevent blur, you can handhold a 70-300mm at 300mm. but if you want to take a longer exposure, you need a tripod. i went out shooting last weekend with a friend who just got the d300 and 18-200 vr. i had the 70-300 ED and a d300. most of my 70-300 shots were a bit sharper due to better optics (the G version is supposedly not as good), but i could see the wobble in the viewfinder at 300mm, while he got some crispy pics at 200mm with vr. i was able to shoot at 1/320, but when the light began to fade, i had to switch to a faster lens.<div></div>

[arnold_schmidt]

I will go with what the above two have said, the 55-200VR is the choice if you're not totally commited to a tripod.

[jwbenning]

Thanks for the input. I love these forums; it's like having instant advice for every possible situation that could come up.

[peter_k4]

of course, you're going to have people also giving you more advice than you need, and tempting you by saying such things as, "for just a few bucks more you could get the 70-300 VR, which has better optics and better VR function than the 55-200 VR"

 

but don't let those people influence you ;)

[david_littleboy]

Why not consider the 70-300 VR lens, since you want VR? I'm debating between the 55-200 VR and the 70-300 VR, and leaning towards the latter.

[ajay_ukidve1]

70-300 VR without doubt :-)<div></div>

[ajay_ukidve1]

Sorry bad image due to compression further its a 55%crop.

[ajay_ukidve1]

heres another one

[ajay_ukidve1]

And another one. The lens is at its extreme with 66% crop in both cases. Both 300mm F 7.1 1/60 Cheers.