Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR II Review

 Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 55-200mm f/4–5.6G VR II Handling and Features

As the SLRs Nikon release keep getting smaller, so do the entry level lenses in their range. The collapsible design shaves valuable inches off the overall length of the lens when it is stored in a bag or case, making it ideal for taking on your travels. A button on the zoom ring releases the lens along with rotating the zoom ring and the process is reversed to fold it back in. Build quality is typical of Nikon entry-level lenses, with high-quality plastics being used for all of the construction, including the lens bayonet. The light weight of 300g and compact size make this lens the perfect companion for compact Nikon DSLR bodies, such as the D5500 used for testing.

Autofocus is powered by a silent wave motor, and auto focus speeds are pretty quick for a lens of this level. Unlike more expensive AF-S lenses manual adjustments cannot be applied at any time via the focusing ring and autofocus needs to be disengaged via the switch on the side of the lens. The manual focus ring is flush to the part of the lens that extends when unfolded and is not damped at all. This can make applying manual focus adjustments trickier than with a smoother focusing ring. The zoom range felt quite gritty in operation during testing too.

Closest focus distance is 1.1m throughout the zoom range. The 52mm filter thread does not rotate, which should make this lens ideal for use with graduated filters and polarisers.

Nikon's Vibration Reduction II system promises to allow hand-held shots to be taken at shutter speeds slower than would be possible without the technology. So long as the system is given time to kick in properly and images are shot with care, hand-held shots at 1/40sec are possible around half the time at 200mm, which is around three stops slower than the usual rule of thumb would advise.

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