This lens is awesome. Yes, it is more expensive than the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens combined but it has to be because it's doing much more than both of those lenses for its focal range. The pictures are sharp. The lens is quick.

One lens to cover a large focal area

Nothing

No, no, no. I photograph professionally, and I heard from some other photographers that this lens was not as sharp as Nikon's 28-300 in the same line. I didn't listen; they were right. Do some identical setups with other lenses and you'll find that this one is not sharp and crisp.

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

All in one lens; Easy To Use; Improves Picture Quality

A little heavy

I own the original VR edition of this lens and have used it as my primary since I bought my D300 over two years ago. It performs wonderfully for everything from low light landscape to air show photos, and anything in between.

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Easily Interchangeable

Heavy

I use this lens as my all-purpose one. I had the previous version. The lens lock corrects the tendancy to slide open. The two types of stablization provide really good low light shooting. I really get good pictures from tight to wide with little flair.

All around lens; Excellent photo quality; Good stabilization

expensive; Heavy bulky; Not intuitive to use

I'd have bought this a year ago, but had sticker shock, but after missing a lot of shots because I had the wrong lens mounted, I decided it was time. This is a great lens if you don't know what you'll be shooting from moment to moment.

Awesome Nikon Lens

Well made and incredibly versatile

It's pricey

This item is great, the first version was a great sharp lens, but the zoom creep was really annoying, but no more with version two which has the zoom lock. A  great addition to the flagship of great optical range all-in-one lens for DSLR.

It's complete package. Fantastic Fstop great focal length range. It's just perfect. I have tried 55-300 even though the Fstop is not that great as this lense it produces fantastic images. Saving to buy one.