Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ok, I have had this lens a couple of months now. What at first seemed like a very good lens is now one I consider exceptional. In fact it is now my favorite for several reasons. First of all this lens consistently produces beautiful, even toned and complimentory Bokeh to my images. Bokeh is that term used to describe the elements of a photograph that are out of focus. This lens has an extremely short depth of field and performs best on close subjects after f/5.6. My observation of the VR function is this.... that Nikon intended that feature to be more useful when this lens is used for portraits. Up close and for sure when using the wider apertures depth of field is so brief that you need to stop down to capture the breadth of a bumble bee or the center of a flower completely in focus. In either application this is destined to be a favorite Nikkor lens for many of us. For me it is already! Focus is very fast and quiet. Build quality is solid! Hefty when held alone or nicely balanced on the D200 with MB200 battery dual battery holder. I like the lens shade a lot and the packaging is as always, first rate. Comes with 5 year extended warranty, velvet pouch and front and rear caps. If I could only take one lens this would be it without hesitation. Matches up extremely well with the SB800 flash units. I predict this will become a legendary portrait lens. Good luck!