Nikon 18-200mm DX VR II review (also $5000 Photocrati Fund grant launches)

Thanks partially to a gentle nudge from the compact superzoom digital cameras and the increasing popularity of dSLRs, camera manufacturers have paid more attention to their 10X+ superzoom lenses. Case in point, Nikon already has a second version of their 18-200. And Peter K. Burian has just reviewed this lens at Photocrati.com. This is, as usual, a photographer-priority experiential review, with plenty of sample pictures. It touches upon the main features of the lens, such as how the VR performs and things like that. As usual, we won't spoil the conclusions here.

Speaking of Photocrati, they have just launched the 2010 Photocrati fund, a $5000 grant to a non-professional photographer to undertake important humanitarian and environmental photography projects. Complete details and eligibility requirements are provided at the aforementioned web page. The entry deadline is March 15, 2010. The three judges are well-known photographers, Art Wolfe, Steve McCurry and Michael "Nick" Nichols.

For more lens reviews, going back to May 2009, be sure to check the Lens Review Diary.

The 18-200mm VR II is Nikon-priced, it currently goes for $750 at Amazon and is about two price stops above the Tamron/Sigma stabilized-models, which reach 270mm and 250mm respectively.