Wayne Cornell 
, Jul 29, 2008; 11:58 a.m.
I'm excited about the upcoming arrival of my first VR lens, the 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 VR Nikkor. Obviously, the lens
makes some compromises in image at the high and low ends by, from what I've read, nothing that can't be fine
tuned in a graphics program. And on a D300 the 3.5-5.6 aperture should pose many problems when you combine the
good high ISO performance and the stops gained with VR.
The 18-200 has particular appeal to me as we've been doing a lot of traveling and this lens and my Tokina 12-24mm
f4 should cover virtually all my needs. I'm not a big telephoto fan--toured Europe last year with nothing longer
than 105mm (158mm DX) --but it will be nice to have something that can reach out a little without changing glass.
The lens may not be "pro" quality but I believe it will be just the ticket for my needs.
Reed George , Jul 29, 2008; 12:04 p.m.
Wayne,
I think you'll be pleased. I shared your reservations, to the point that I always carried a selection of primes around with me. I reluctantly got the 18-200 at a great deal. Now, I find that I use it a lot!
I'm not selling my primes, especially since I may be into full frame again sometime soon, but this lens is a winner.
I haven't found the softness at the long end that I've heard about. Many of my (reed_flickr) shots in this series are from that lens (you can see which by looking at the image details):
http://www.flickr.com/groups/785508@N25/pool/
Enjoy!
Reed
Simon Hickie - Melbourne, Derbyshire, UK 
, Jul 29, 2008; 12:05 p.m.
I'm a fan of this lens. I have faster and sharper lenses, but this is on the camera more often than not. Enjoy!
Breogan Gomez , Jul 29, 2008; 12:46 p.m.
"And on a D300 the 3.5-5.6 aperture should pose many problems when you combine the good high ISO performance and the stops gained with VR. "
Sure, but no VR or High ISO performance can substitute a fast lens. IMHO the lack of DOF is one of the most important composition tools. In many cases is what makes a picture to look more "pro" than P&S, where everything is in focus. And no VR or high ISO can give you that.
I don't meant to say that this is a bad lens, I just wanted to point that high ISO and VR doesn't give the same benefits of a fast lens.
Matt Laur 
, Jul 29, 2008; 01:17 p.m.
Like Simon, I've got other tools at my disposal, and like Breogan, I know that there are some things, aesthetically, than only a wider aperture can accomplish. BUT: if I were to walk out of the house with only one lens mounted and no particular plans... the 18-200 is the one. It has treated me very well strolling about on travel. Beyond that? The tiny and priceless (but cheap!) 50/1.8, which can help with keeping the shutter speed up when you need it to freeze motion, can make for a nice pseudo-macro for some subjects, and is just far too useful a $120 lens not to own. Takes up virtually no extra space on your travels, but you'll be very glad to have it. That f/1.8 will do things for you that VR simply can't.
Tachion Feynman , Jul 29, 2008; 01:19 p.m.
Just make really sure that the lens is in good working order when you get it. There is a bit of "sample variation" for this
lens, as is well documented on this forum. Some folks have ended up with better copies than others. I wasn't lucky and
gave up after the second copy was below expectations. Your milage may vary.
Wayne Cornell , Jul 29, 2008; 01:24 p.m.
I have the 50mm 1.8 which I love from a size standpoint but for me it has to narrow a viewing angle to use except for specific situations. I'll probably take it along with the 18-200 and the 12-24. I've been shooting with an 18-70 Nikkor and the wide end covers 90 percent of my situations.
Matt Laur , Jul 29, 2008; 01:39 p.m.
Well, then, Wayne, you're in business! Enjoy that 18-200. It's a very versatile lens. When you DO want to use it on the long end, and have a chance to stop it down a bit, you'll get very pleasing results. Have fun!
Robert Hooper , Jul 29, 2008; 02:41 p.m.
Congrats Wayne,
The Nikon 18-200mm is absolutely my favorite travel lens. I also carry around the Nikon 12-24mm and the combination of
these two lenses makes for an outstanding travel kit.
Recently, I also added the latest iteration of the Nikon 50mm f1.8 to my lens collection. This lightweight plastic marvel will
also become part of the kit for my next trip abroad.
Bruce Margolis , Jul 29, 2008; 03:15 p.m.
Wayne, I use both those lenses on the D300 and I am quite pleased with both. As for the 18-200 performance, I think it's great as long as you stop it down a bit. OK, maybe it's not a wildlife lens at 200mm shooting f/8-11 but VR and the higher ISO capability of the D300 make up for some of that. Not the perfect lens for every situation but then, neither is any other lens out there.
Overall, a wonderful combination. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine. Post some pix when you get a chance.
