Question about lens...

Does anyone know if there are any good lenses out there that are up to
par with the Nikon 18-200mm VR? Way to expensive for me at around
$900. Has anyone used the Sigma 18-200mm?

Although Nikophiles will deny it optically there is little difference
between Sigma, Tamron and Nikon glass in this range: they are all reasonably
good with distortion/vignetting at the wide end that is easy to deal with.
If one can afford it the VR on the Nikon is worth the premium.
Sigma announced a new image stabilized 18-200 last September but has yet to
actually produce this lens for sale. Some big vendors are taking
"pre-orders" but admit they have no idea about a real delivery date.

In article <1178131686.690284.291440@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups. com>,
Luttrell <luttrell321@gmail.com> wrote:

> Does anyone know if there are any good lenses out there that are up to
> par with the Nikon 18-200mm VR? Way to expensive for me at around
> $900. Has anyone used the Sigma 18-200mm?

the lens can be found for $700-750 (and slightly less if you work at
it), although with a waiting list.

i tried the sigma 18-200 at the sigma booth at a trade show a while
ago. it is bigger than the nikon, it doesn't have sigma hsm focusing
(so it won't autofocus on a nikon d40/d40x), it is slower at 200mm
(f/6.3 versus nikon's f/5.6), and costs almost as much as nikon ($549
versus $749 at b&h). the stabilization didn't seem as effective but
that was judged only by how it looked through the viewfinder - not a
rigorous test.

and, if you don't like the nikon lens, you can resell it, generally at
a healthy profit. i rather doubt you can unload the sigma lens for
more than you paid for it.