Best Buys: Lenses

Top 25 Best Buys

Working Glass Hero: Nikon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor

Who? Members of the Nikon DSLR family seeking stability. What? Nikon 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor. Why? We initially thought the price on this lens was a misprint. Just $250 for an 80-300mm equivalent lens, with built-in image stabilization, from Nikon? Okay, we said, maybe it's a dog. But no bow-wow this: In Pop Photo Lab tests, it showed Excellent SQF at all tested focal lengths, no more than slight distortion through the focal-length range, and fast and quiet AF. Yes, maximum apertures of f/4.5-5.6 hardly make this a superspeed optic, but the Vibration Reduction tested out to an average gain in handholding of about 3 stops. The moderate size and weight of this lens have made it a favorite among the Pop Photo editors. Now!$250, street.