Nikon 55-200mm VR Samples
This page has links to Nikon Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G AF-S VR Nikkor sample photos, image galleries and pictures.
My full-sized 55-200mm VR samples
Some are unedited, some have corrections such as straightening a slanted horizon and a little touch-up in saturation and contrast.
They were shot with my friend's Nikon D60 digital SLR camera.
Click the photo to access the full-sized version.
Night scene, Kuala Lumpur telecommunications tower:
A flower in my parents' garden:
Pot with boiling water:
ISO 800, tools hanging on a kitchen table:
ISO 800, my parents' dog:
Official photos
For reference, this is the official site for the Nikkor 55-200mm VR lens at NikonImaging.com. You'll get to read about the features and full specifications of the lens, and view charts on the lens construction, and MTF data. The official web page for the older, non-VR Nikkor 55-200mm lens is here.
User photos
Full-sized 55-200mm VR images - Image quality from the 55-200mm lens compares favorably with the professional Nikkor lenses in this set of Nikon D40X test photos.
PerL's 55-200 mm VR Photos
D200 plus 55-200 VR at the Stockholm Marathon - PerL's extremely impressed with the image quality from the 55-200's, which compares favorably with the much more expensive Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. Some excellent images in there too, and here's another shot with the 55-200 VR mounted on the D40 - the bokeh is pretty good..
PerL is one of my favorite "ambassadors" for the D40 because he routinely posts excellent images at the DPReview.com forums. This series of 55-200mm VR sample pictures is no exception.
Note the effectiveness of the VR as demonstrated by the first two examples - the first was shot at 1/8 seconds, 55mm while the second was at 1/20s, 145mm.
Incidentally, both pictures were taken at ISO 1600 and though resized, give a good account of the D40's fantastic ability at taking high ISO shots with low noise.
Go to his Nikkor 55-200mm VR gallery to view more pics. Read also how PerL post-processed these images.
Low shutter speeds, high ISO samples
This 55-200mm VR samples gallery by Hank Wolfe were shot in low-light situations, which meant the use of high ISO (up to ISO 1600) or low shutter speeds.
Be sure to click on the "More Properties" link for each photo to view the EXIF, and the "All Sizes" button above each picture to view a larger version of the image. Again, the D40's low noise, high-ISO pics are pretty impressive, and the VR feature on the 55-200 lens seems very effective.
Samples from a day trip to Northeast Georgia
McCreary took some nice photos with the 55-200 VR mounted on his Nikon D70s camera. Additionally, a CP (circular polarizer) filter was used.
I think you'll enjoy the much larger version of the pictures at his 55-200mm VR PBase gallery. Be sure to click the "Original" link found under each photo in order to view it at the original, uploaded size.
You can also have a look at the EXIF for shot details.
Bokeh comparisons
Two images of an orange were posted to compare the bokeh of the 55-200 VR lens with that from the older, non-VR Nikkor 55-200mm lens.
Interest in this comparison arose due to the differences in the lens construction between both lenses, with the older 55-200 lens having 9 rounded diaphragm blades vs only 7 rounded blades in the newer, VR version.
Theoretically, the older lens should have a more pleasant bokeh owing to the additional blades (for instance, this person does think that the older, non-VR Nikkor 55-200mm lens exhibits better bokeh). However, it was concluded that the differences are negligible by the person who shot the photograph.
Additionally, he remarked that the VR version weighs more and has larger dimensions, although having VR capability is an advantage.
Here's a closeup shot of a Syrphid Fly (not a bee) on a yellow flower taken with a Nikon D80. Bokeh of the flora in the background is excellent, in my opinion - and this image was taken at an f/13 aperture.
First shots with the Nikon D50
Here's a nice selection of test shots with the Nikkor 55-200mm VR mounted on a D50. You get to see a 100% crop of someone's stubbles, VR On vs Off shots, resized ISO 1600 samples and some gorgeous flower pics.
Post-processing was limited to applying Scott Kelby's recommended USM (UnSharp Masking) values to all photos, and Auto Levels for the last flower shot.
EXIF for the moon shot (handheld) is RAW (NEF), 1/60 seconds, f/5.6, VR on, ISO1600, @ 200mm, WB (white balance) set to tungsten.
Miscellaneous shots