It is cumbersome to tote but just buy a good camera bag.

Since there are new better camera bodies for the same price coming out pretty much every year and the lenses hold value very well I'd suggest you to consider buying the best lense you can afford and maybe saving a bit on a cheaper body

I brought it to a local camera shop that I trust

I am not worried about selling any pics, so this camera is a winner for me.4 stars only because its too expensive.

-200mm F3.5-5.6G VRII (72mm filter) is the most versatile walk-around lenses from NIKON:a) where there is no need to change lenses often (dust, moisture may wreak havoc to your camera mirror or worse damage the image sensor)

Well, yesterday I dropped the camera and lens in a river (Grrr!

While I enjoy tinkering with the settings on my D90, I tend to let the camera do the work for me.

The camera itself was fantastic

internal focus motor means you don't need the greatest camera ever to have the autofocus function.

and I love the camera and my 85mm 1:1.4 D lens.

I am not worried about selling any pics, so this camera is a winner for me.4 stars only because its too expensive.

Bottom line, this lens provides results no better that a decent smaller sensor camera and, combined with a Nikon DSLR, is like putting a student driver in a Ferrari, that is, pointless

Having said that, with some finessing and the right technique, you can churn out some pretty impressive shots with this lens, both indoors and out (the aperture maxes at f/3.5, but if you are using one of the more modern cameras, this limitation can be somewhat overcome by increasing ISO, something the D7000 does admirably)

I occasionally go that way and get more satisfying results if I set the camera to 'Vivid' instead of 'Standard'.Photography sometimes just becomes 'work', right?

I just purchased this lens for the 2nd time as I dropped my camera and destroyed my first 18-200

Modern Nikon cameras can fix them internally

The weight of the lens is reasonable as well (if you are used to SLRs, if not you might find the body a lens weight a bit much if you have been used to compact cameras or point and shoot cameras).Overall a very versatile lens with a very wide range of focal lengths, eliminating the need to buy more lenses for the average photographer who doesn't really want to spend the money on several prime lenses that would cost a mini-fortune

I dropped my camera and my filter broke in several pieces and badly scratched the lens.

If you have a smaller camera body like the D40 or D60, just be aware that this lens is on the larger side

And while I won't say I made a mistake (it is a good lens for the money - especially on a DX camera) the camera is better than the lens - but you really discover that by using other lenses on it and comparing the photos on your computer - especially if shooting at high resolution (and/or in raw).So to keep this short and sweet, before you buy it - rent it

I love this lens as it takes great close ups or long distance shots with out changing the lens.

Not as sharp as my primes (but sharpness is controlled mostly by me, not the lens)

I love this lens as it takes great close ups or long distance shots with out changing the lens.

Not as sharp as my primes (but sharpness is controlled mostly by me, not the lens)