This was the first Nikon DX lens and the first true ultra-wide zoom available for any mainstream DSLR. Nikon announced it in February 2003, though (as is all too often the case with Nikon) it was hard to find for about a year afterwards.

It delivers very good to excellent image quality across its entire focal range. In fact, at 24mm it's brilliant and as good as a prime. It also ranks up amongst the very best of zoom lenses in terms of its ability to produce low levels of flare and ghosting.
 
COMPATIBILITY NOTE: This is a DX lens. It will not deliver a full-frame image on a D3 or D700 camera. (However we have seen reports - which we are unable to confirm - that it can deliver full-frame images from about 16-18mm up to 24mm.)