I went with the higher end lens for convenience and quality. It works just fine. I am a newb to DSLR and such so take my input with a grain of salt. I have no complaint and works well. Everyone else talks highly about it as well. Get a good Sigma UV lens to protect it too!

By far I have taken the most pictures (Thousands) with this lens. It is my go to when on vacation. I like this lens so much I kept it when I bought my D800. As you may be aware the D800 is excellent at showing you any inconsistencies or mistakes in your equipment or skills.

I bought this lens to replace the kit 18-55mm lens. My hopes for this lens were that it would be relatively compact and light and that it would outperform the kit lens as far as contrast and of course much better zoom. It meets most of my expectations.

Durable; Great Zoom; Reliable

Heavy; Not Silent

If you want one lens for 90% of your shots, this is it. Sharp, solidly made, an excellent range without being too extreme & Nikon's fantastic VR. Well worth the money.

Quick Focus; Sharp Focus; Strong Construction

I have a number of full frame Nikon lenses to go with my D800E and 6 DX lenses for my D7100 or my D5500. Of these lenses, I would pick 3 to at the top of my list of superb glass, and one of those would be the 18-200 DX.

Great Zoom range and no sacrifice in quality of images, even when looked at under high magnification; Especially if you wish to choose just one lens, this would be my pick

Slightly more weight; but not a deal breaker in anyway

I think this is a good option if your not a fan of swapping, changing and carrying a bunch of different lenses. An all in one solution that covers you for a wide variety of photographic subjects. This lens performs best in bright conditions.

The first thing you notice about the 18-200mm DX lens is that it's rather small for what the specs say it can do. Where the heck is the 200mm and VR stuffed in? After all, this is a lens that's smaller and lighter than most previous mid-range DX zooms Nikon has made.

Fantastic lens, excellent optics and the coverage is amazing, without excessive weight.

Everything

Glittery design

I purchased this lens when I purchased my D5200, about 2013, I have been using it ever since, it is a great travel lens, one stop fits most all, sharp lens with and versatile zoom ratios, on the dx cameras, the 200 works out to be about 300 so I have found that I seldom need much more long range...

Pros: I now have two go-to lenses. My Nikkor 12 - 24mm and my new 18 - 200mm which I take on all hikes and outings. This combo provides maximum versatility and minimizes the amount of weight I'm carrying.