Rugged, heavy, superbly sharp at all focal lengths, and very fast to focus. (A bit noisy to focus, sure, because it doesn't have the silent AF-S motor - but still very fast.) What more do you need to know? This lens was previously Nikon's flagship telephoto zoom before the introduction of the AF-S 70-200mm VR and it delivers performance which is comparable to the newer bells-and-whistles lens at barely more than half the price. If you don't need the VR - if you're shooting sports, say, where you need a fast shutter speed to freeze the action - then this is an ideal lens for you.

COMPATIBILITY NOTE: This is not an AF-S lens. It will not autofocus on the D40/D40x/D60 and D3000/D5000 cameras.