super lens at very low price

Hello, Yepp, all plastic - but that's it for now with the negative points. Maintenance: yes, the front lens rotates when focusing with - true. Sometimes angry with polarization filter. When offered the light intensity is less but rather are used - I suspect. All right, that's it now but with the negative points.

I've bought the kit and am even as an old Nikon rabbit with more than 25 years of experience really excited.

The color image is more alive, therefore, but is within the scope of what I'm used to my old MF lenses. Hab's against the MF 2.8 / 20mm compared with diaphragm 8. Neither the center nor the corners show at 100% resolution on the screen big differences. Quite the contrary: I'm really flabbergasted. The fixed focal length is only a trace sharper - even on the edge. The signature of a satellite dish in the corner is just as easy to read, the font edge actually equally sharp (all photographed using a tripod).
At 55mm it looks compared to the time-honored MF 1.4 / 50mm from not much different, but the MF-50 has its nose in front but the corners. The center is also - but only a trace - sharper. The corner shows some blur in VR zoom, the image on the MF-50 acts in the area of ​​3-dimensional indicating a higher contrast compared, in addition to higher sharpness. But even that is rather marginal, of real blurring or even mud, we are still miles away.
Distortion at 20mm is within the normal range, although the 2.8 / 20 listed a little less, but the VR is also far beyond good and evil. Without distortion, it is not. This just proves the fixed focal length. At 50mm the distortion is easily pincushion.
The vignetting is ok when Zoom. All corners in two extremes of the focal length have absolutely the same performance, meaning: in spite of the very low price all lenses seem centered clean. The optical contrast in the afternoon light is very high.

So: who should complain at the lens has not yet made the comparison with fixed focal lengths. For the money demanded absolute top optics. No superzoom, as only three times in length, but it provides exceptionally good pictures - in practice. What the photo magazine and Color Photo tested here I want to know, uh - why? I fit the part. It's cheap, very light and is very quiet, maybe a little clunky but somewhere the VR technology and the drive has to go somewhere. This lens contradicts clearly the general opinion, the kit lenses are good for nothing. This is also true for the 55-200er. So who should consider whether or not - in the case "with".

Long-Term Update (04/2011): works just fine - no interference or mechanical or physical quirks. Holds bayonet.
Update 2 (03/2015): I have a second objective mitlerweile home (2 children :-) - also the 2nd lens, delivered end of 2014 is absolutely flawless. The first-reviewed here funzt still flawless, no dust in the lens. At the price ... wow.

Greeting, Rounder6