Would it be a good idea to buy the nikkor 55-200mm VR lens right now?

I have a nikon d3000 with the 18-55mm kit lens. I'm looking to buy a telephoto zoom lens for portrait photography and all that. What I was wondering is if it would be a good idea to buy it right now or for the new year, like would a new, better, and cheaper one be coming out soon? Is it a good investment?

Most likely a new one will not be out. Even if it is it will certainly not be less expensive.

However, I would suggest a lens better suited… As in say an 18-200 or a 28-200. With the 18-55 and the 55-200 combination you're probably going to be changing lenses a lot. That can lead to dust on your sensor.

If you one of the other lenses it will take care of both of these and you won't have to change, no
dust.

A) not an investment, very little camera gear is.

b) hold off to 2012 and it may be even cheaper or an even better lens out, or buy the lens now and have it in your kit bag to use. The best camera is the one you have on you at the time, you can't take photos with a lens you haven't bought yet.

c) the least expensive good portraiture lens is the 50mm f1.8, but the cheaper version will not af or let you use automated aperture on a D3000, you may be better to look at the AF-S f1.4 version if portraiture is a particular passion.

The 55-200 has been out for quite a while and is not likely to get any cheaper. Lenses at the very bottom of the range like this one are no investment, they are consumables.

You had better to wait for some days. It is not so good to buy it now