Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55 200mm F4 5 6G VR II Review | 54 Data compared

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II as a compact, budget-friendly telephoto lens featuring a new retractable design for portability and effective Vibration Reduction for sharp, handheld shooting. Optically, the lens delivers excellent center sharpness and low chromatic aberration, making it a capable companion for entry-level DX-format cameras. However, drawbacks include a plastic construction with a plastic mount, sluggish autofocus, and weak edge sharpness at certain focal lengths, along with a lack of full-time manual focus override. Despite these limitations, the lens is lauded for its lightweight design and improved handling over its predecessor.

📸 Overview and Performance The Nikon AF-S DX 55–200 mm f/4–5.6G ED VR II is a highly compact and lightweight telephoto zoom lens designed specifically for DX-format cameras like the D3200 or D5500. Weighing just 300 grams and measuring 83 mm in length when retracted, its plastic-heavy construction incorporates a convenient collapsible mechanism that makes it exceptionally portable for travel and amateur nature photography. Optically, the lens delivers impressively sharp center image quality across all focal lengths, keeping distortion and vignetting well within acceptable, easily correctable limits. Its standout feature is an upgraded, silent Vibration Reduction (VR) system that provides up to four stops of image stabilization, ensuring sharp handheld shots and stable video recordings even in low-light environments. 👍 Pros and 👎 Cons A key advantage of this lens is its outstanding price-to-quality ratio, offering beginners a budget-friendly option that shares a 52 mm filter size with standard 18-55 mm kit lenses. Its Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures fast and quiet autofocusing for both photography and videography, while the inclusion of an ED glass element successfully minimizes lateral chromatic...

The Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II is a compact, retractable telephoto lens offering high portability at 300g and 83mm when collapsed. Key pros include sharp center image quality, a fast, quiet Silent Wave Motor (SWM), effective 4-stop Vibration Reduction (VR), and pleasing bokeh for a consumer-grade lens. Conversely, cons include a narrow variable aperture of f/4-5.6, limiting low-light performance, and noticeable edge-to-edge softness common to kit lenses. Furthermore, the lens features a plastic mount and lacks specialized VR modes, though it represents a significant value improvement over its predecessor.

The Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II is a highly affordable, compact telephoto zoom lens explicitly designed for Nikon's APS-C (DX) format DSLRs. Tested on 24-megapixel bodies like the D5300, it earned a strong overall DxOMark score of 18 points, ranking it as the top performer in its budget category. The review highlights prominent pros, including its lightweight 300g retractable design, an effective 4-stop Vibration Reduction (VR) system, and a built-in autofocus motor with full-time manual focus override. Most notably, it delivers a purposeful upgrade in resolution over its predecessors at the long 200mm end, achieving an impressive 70% center acutance when shooting wide open at f/5.6. However, the lens does have several technical cons that potential buyers should consider. Its variable aperture restricts light gathering, causing light transmission to drop significantly from 4.8 T-stop at the wider ends down to a dim 6.8 T-stop at 200mm, which limits its effectiveness for fast action sports and low-light wildlife photography. Optical testing also reveals a noticeable loss of resolution when closing down the aperture to narrow settings between f/11...

The Nikon AF-S DX 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED VR II is a compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lens weighing just 300g, designed specifically for DX-format APS-C DSLRs. It features a space-saving retractable design and utilizes a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system that ensures backwards compatibility with older Nikon DSLR bodies. The lens delivers a 4-stop Vibration Reduction (VR) system with physical switches for A/M focus mode and VR control, bypassing the need to navigate camera menus. Optically, it is built with 13 elements in 9 groups, including one Extra-low Dispersion (ED) element and Super Spectra Coating to reduce ghosting and flare. Lab tests reveal very good sharpness across most of the frame within the 55-135mm range, minimal distortion, and well-controlled color fringing in the central focal lengths. Performance testing highlights several clear pros and cons for this now-discontinued lens. On the positive side, its primary pros include its highly portable, compact, and lightweight retractable design, quick and snappy autofocus for still photography, and overall good performance relative to its price. Conversely, its notable cons include a lightweight plastic mounting plate instead of a...