Nikon Af-s 50mm 1.8g vs 55-200mm vr?

Both are af-s lenses that will work with a dx camera.

Which one would be the best in:
quality

light
free

Thank you, please explain in SIMPLE terms.

NO I opted to NOT get a "Kit" lens so Can't set my "kit lens" to those things, and see which one I use the most.

You should have a kit lens.

Apart from anything else, an 18-55mm is the most versatile lens you can buy. Once you build up experience with it, you can answer your other questions for yourself, just like every photographer who ever lived.

You are asking the wrong questions.

The 50 mm f/1.8 is an excellent portrait lens and being a prime lens, will perform better to some extent.

The 55-200 mm is an excellent lens to allow you to reach out to shoot some wildlife and most field sports.

What you are asking is if a Snap-On torque wrench is better that a full set of 3/8" socket wrenches. They are used for different reasons.

You as the photographer have to decide what lenses you buy for your camera. If you do not know what lenses you need, wait until you know enough about how to use what you have before buying a second or third lens.

NOT buying the kit lens was a huge mistake. It is the lens that is important when learning the fundamentals of photography since the can shoot landscapes, groups, full body shots and head and shoulder shots. Spend the money and get the 18-55 mm lens and start learning how to use your camera

Of the 18-55 mm, 50 mm and 55-200 mm, you will be using the 18-55 the most.

The 50 mm is limited to shooting portraits and the 55-200 mm is too long to shoot everyday shots

It also depends on the aperture of your 55-200mm vr.

the 50 mm will work awesome on low light because of the 1.8 aperture. However, you won't be able to take landscape photos, or take zoom shots with it because it's stuck at 50mm (basically one distance.) You'll have to step forward or back if you want to make an image bigger or smaller. The 50 mm works best for portrait shots.

The image quality/distortion mostly depends on the megapixel of your camera. The image quality also changes depending on the available light. If your ISO is high, you'll get grainy shots. The lower the ISO, the sharper your photos are. The lens only help with the aperture in getting as much light with a lower ISO. I think the 55-200mm doesn't go further than f/3.5, which will still produce dark and grainy photos at a fairly high ISO.

Both lens are for different purposes so first determine what you want to shoot. If you want to shoot faces, get the 50mm. If you prefer landscape shots, I suggest getting the kit lens because it can go as far as 18mm. If you're going to zoom your way in, then take the 55-200mm.

And oh, 50-200mm can't take close-up shots. You'll have to be shooting from a distance if you want a close-up shot of an object/person.

The 50mm lens is better than the 55-200mm lens in the categories you asked.

Since it is a single focal length lens it is simpler to build which gives it better optics, which means less distortion and a better image.

The f/1.8 maximum aperture means that it performs better in low light and you can set a faster aperture to stop the action.