Nikon really caused a stir when they announced this lens. This looked like the do-all, be-all lens for virtually everything except extreme wide angle, extreme telephoto, extreme macro, and extreme low light. In other words, a lens you would use most of the time. These all-in-one beasts have come to be referred by the trade as "superzooms", though most have proven to be far less than super.

But this is the exception. The optics are superb - far, far better than you'd expect for a lens of this design and at this price point. The VR works. The autofocus is fast and accurate. And it's so small - how on earth do they fit all the technology into it?

If you want a one-lens go-everywhere do-anything solution, this is it. End of.

COMPATIBILITY NOTE: This is a DX lens. It will not deliver a full-frame image on a D3 or D700 camera.