It really depends on your needs/wants and budget. I have a lot of Nikon gear and tend to agree that the 18-200 is a good all-arounder for the DX bodies. I use mine as a travel lens with my D200 when I don't want to lug around a huge bag. For more "serious" stuff I pull out the pro-grade primes or zooms.

Check out the Nikon/Nikkor lens forums on Nikonians http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=146
or on Flickr http://flickr.com/groups/nikkor/
for many opinions and sample photos from every imaginable lens.

To clarify, VR is a wonderful technology but will not freeze the action. All it does is minimize the effects of camera shake so that you can use longer shutter speeds than you otherwise could. Longer shutter speeds are typically NOT what you want in action situations...you will get motion blur.

To better freeze action in low-light situations, you either need (a) faster glass (bigger aperture such as an f/1.4 - f/2.8 lens) (b) more light (flash/strobe) or (c) high-ISO capability such as the new sensors in the D700 & D3 bodies.

Hope that helps,

some? I would call it most.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1224228437.jpg
Really? For Nikon kit I'd bet the 80-200 f/2.8D ED would run circles around the 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED. I used the 18-200 for a couple hours last week on the new D90 and it's a nice lens to be sure, but hardly what I would consider to be in Nikon's top glass group.

For indoor sports glass on a budget I'd be looking at telephoto primes in the ≤ f2.8 range. My $.02

I have a similar need with trying to shoot low light indoor vollyball matches with my Nikon D40 with a 18-55 lense. I want to upgrade to a 200mm lense but need one that is fast enough to stop the action. Any recommdations?

I know that the VR type lens will not stop the action but it will allow me to use a faster shutter speed. When I used 1/60 or 1/125 shutter I can almost catch the images but half of the images were blurred from their motion or movement from the camera. I was hoping that the VR lens would allow me to capture enough light at the 1/250 (using about 100mm to 120mm of zoom) so that I can take better photos. I was going to post a few examples of some shots that I took to show a few of the problems I have shooting indoors, but for some ^&$* reason I cannot upload anything over 100k.
Brandon, the 80-200 f/2.8D ED would give me an edge with f/2.8D but I've had many situations were I needed a zoom less than 80mm. I'm curious as to how much the 80-200 cost, but I'm more curious as to what type of telephoto lens (≤ f2.8 range) you are referring to. Please keep in mind I'm trying to stay around $700 (or LESS) for a lens.....That is why (initially) the 18-200 was so appealing because its a great all-around lens.

i can rent a lens here in san francisco. anything like that where you guys are at?

The 80-200/2.8 is an awesome lens; it's around $900. Of course, on a DX camera everything gets pushed out (~120-300) and one needs another lens to cover the short side.

Which, IMO, brings one back to the 18-200 for all purpose "one lens on the camera, no bag" shooting. :)

I was thinking about that this morning and there may be a photography store here in Huntsville that rents lens. I only need to take photos of the wrestling action for about 2 months.........If I was in SF, what would you recommend and how much $$$ would it be????

The VR allows you to use a slower shutter speed and not suffer blur from camera shake, probably around 4 times slower (2 stops). Faster shutter speeds will come from faster lenses (larger apertures, like f/2.8) or higher ISOs (sensor sensitivity settings).

A good rule of thumb for hand-held shutter speeds is the inverse of the focal length, for example 1/200th sec for 200mm. It's also recommended to factor in the crop factor, which is 1.5 on DX Nikons, so 1/300th sec. A VR could probably allow the same shot to be made without camera shake at 1/60-1/80th sec.

Photobucket is free last time I checked, so you could upload images there and link to them here. Many times 100K isn't enough file size to preserve top quality anyway.

A good resource for shopping prices is pricegrabber.com as they don't allow much of the disreputable sellers there. Any seller's reputation can be checked at resellerratings.com, too.

Consider the Nikon 18-135mm. Excellent image quality, no VR, about $260 street. The nice thing about lenses is that if bought right, they can be resold for a very high percentage of their original cost. You'd probably lose less than the rental fees and have those rental fees go towards the purchase instead if you keep the lens. The Nikon 85mm f/1.8 is a lot of lens for about $390 street, but you'll probably be giving up too much versatility of the zoom for the speed and slightly better image quality.

I suspect this Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 probably has good reviews. It shows for $600 delivered at Abe's of Maine.

One thought- for ultimate image quality, buy a used Nikon 70-200VR or an 80-200 and sell it when you're done. Some lens review resources:
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/
http://www.bythom.com/nikon.htm
http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/index.php?cat=1

a pro can get a nikon rental lens shipped anywhere in the world

canon - at one time - had a big technological lead over nikon -- nikon fixed that

nikon is a true system -- they change as little as possible from the 1950s to today -- i have little to relearn as i go thru new bodies
AND they do NOT nobsolete all their lenses as canon did
- i have 1960s lens that i can still use on the newest digital bodies

but enough about n vs c -- he has a nikon body already so is unlikely to buy a canon lens

i might also go with a non-zoom for his particular interest

yes, used nikon glass is good - they don't lose a lot of value, so don't expect a super bargain - but that helps when you sell too