You may find that changing to 800 ISO and activating the noise reduction feature in the D40 gives you just what you need - fast shutter speeds that stop the action without degrading the photo

DxO Analyzer Blur tests of the lens' first-generation VR system (at 200mm) showed an improvement for three users of about 3 stops of extra handheld sharpness at slower shutter speeds; 4 stops are possible with Nikon's VR II system

when it focuses, makes a strange sound (this is however ok); the speed of the focus is not perfect, however look again at the price!

Just remember, VR is just for camera shake and won't help with slow shutter speeds a even a slightly moving subject

had I relied more on the VR and a slower shutter speed

The VR allows for quick shots while panning and slow shutter speeds without a tripod

, Nikon Lens are great for Nikon cameras (mine is D50), simple to use, taken several pics, with adn without VR, there is a difference specially in slow speeds and dim light.

The speed is a little slow for low-light work, but for the price - and it is a Nikon, after all - this is a great buy.

Crisp and clear, decent focus speed.

I was able to handhold at very slow shutter speeds with no sign of camera movement, even at 200mm

Speed was decent

That said, take this with a grain of salt-- I upgraded to a 300mm lens recently, and while I appreciate the additional range it's hardly a revolutionary change.- Slower speeds.

The VR handles 200 mm hand held shoots at reasonable shutter speeds well

Yes, the speed is sometimes an issue, but the vibration control makes up for that, and it really does work

But if your subject is relatively still, you'll have no problem letting in more light at a slower shutter speed to get great photos

It offers image and build quality on par with the 18-55 kit lens, that is to say: sharp images, vibration reduction (which is noticeable at slow shutter speeds), and light weight

VR for high zoom is very helpful since I can use a slower shutter speed to increase the exposure