Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED AF-S DX vs Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G AF?

Looking for a decent telephoto lens for an entry camera body. Lack of autofocus on the AF lens doesn't bother me. I just need to know which is a prefer, and which has a sharper image quality over the other. Please state why below.

The cheapo 70-300mm also lacks VR, and sharpness diminishes at the longer focal lengths, so the 300mm is empty magnification.

The 70-300mm model you mentioned won't autofocus with an Nikon entry level dslr. For that, you need to step up to the Nikon 70-300mm AF-S VR. That second model is a highly rated zoom for Nikon DX and FX cameras of all ranges.

The 55-300mm AF-s lens is a light weight, reasonably priced alternative to either of the two lenses you named.