Difference between Nikon lenses?
I have a D40 with the 18-55 DX lens that came with it and a 55-200 VR DX. I'm satisfied with the camera body as it does everything I need of it. However, I'd like for the images to be a bit sharper and I the sharpness issue is more of a lens issue than the pixel count. That said, how does one differentiate the cheap Nikon lenses and the really good ones? Most of the letter designations are similar between a $100 18-55 f 3.5 and a $800 17-55 f 2.8, so how does one tell them apart? And what are the differences in performance between the high dollar Nikon lenses and the cheap ones other than how fast they are? I know the cheap ones are plastic and made in Thailand or China, but I would expect the clarity, sharpness, etc is better on the good ones, or least it darn well better be.
Read the lens reviews here:
The main difference between the 100 dollar lens and the 800 dollar one is that 1. The 800 dollar one is a full frame lens ( but will still work on a cropped sensor camera, which you have). 2. The glass is a lot better quality(which will fix your sharpness problem). 3.build is better. 4.it is, like you said, faster.
I think you should go with Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
Ultra-compact 3x zoom lens designed exclusively for use with Nikon Digital SLR models
18-55mm focal length
f3.5-5.6 maximum aperture
7 elements in 5 groups; 1 extra-low dispersion element and 1 hybrid aspherical element
Silent Wave Motor