Just purchased ne 18-200 vr ii new for $324.00 at Best Buy🙂

[paullgj]

First.  I know how critical the reviews are of this lens.  After a thousand or so “what to take” posts.i decided one lens/one body.  Where I’m going - Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia an FX body and a bag full of fast primes/zoom is going to get noticed like real fast.  No time to be changing lenses for candid street.  Body - D80 and I may add a D40X or D60 for backup.  Shooting ISO 400 or lower - bright sunlight.

Now, how did they sell it for $324 when their own website and just about everyone else says $646?  They have a special clearance section to which only they have access.  I had the sales girl double check and sure enough she found it.  They did this once before for me selling an 18-35 (newest version) for $250 (for my D700).

OK, I know this lens is controversial -I’ll put it through the paces and report back.  At that price I could not pass.

[armando_m]

the 18-200 was my travel lens when I had a DX body, complemented with a 35 f1.8 it was a fantastic combination

I had the first version , always hanging fully extended from the camera 

[Hugh_3170]

I have the Mk1 version of this lens and my daughter has the MkII.  Both are fine lenses and at $US324 new, you have yourself a bargain.

[CS]

I have enjoyed the first version that I got along with my D200 and I certainly paid a good deal more for it that you did. You got a real bargain, IMO.