Would lens do you suggest?

I'm going to be purchasing a new lens for my Nikon D90 shortly. I'm in college for digital photography and am looking for a professional lens that I will have for a long time. I was looking at the 80-200mm f/2.8 by Nikon and also the 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 i believe it was.

What are the main differences between those two lenses?

A better choice would be the Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II in my opinion. The 80-200mm f2.8 lens doesn't have VR - Vibration Reduction - which can make a major difference when hand-holding a lens of this focal length. The 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 is just a longer version of your slow 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens. If you've ever been frustrated by the loss of shutter speed when you're shooting wide-open and zoom from 18mm to 55mm you'll have the same frustration with the 18-200mm zoom.

Unfortunately, the 70-200mm f2.8G ED VR II is expensive - $2, 195.00 while the non-VR 80-200mm is "only" $1, 099.95. Sigma offers the 70-200mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM (OS being Optically Stabilized, comparable to Nikon's VR) for $1, 699.00. The 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR II is a mere $759.95.

All prices from B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...ovideo.com

I have the 18-200 and it is a great all-around lens.No, it doesn't have the f/2.8 wide open, but it does have VR and that matters. I recently got the 28-300 VR and I love it. It is more suited to the things I shoot, as I don't end up using the wide end nearly as much as the tele end. It is a full format lens, also, so if I upgrade to an FX body, the lens will not lose any usefullness for me.

Samples… These are all from a D70s, D200, or D300, so the magnification would be the same as it is for your D90. Just glance at the thumbnails to get an idea of the range the lenses cover.

18-200:
28-300

As far as i know these lenses are Compatible lenses with D90
DX AF Nikkor lenses: All functions supported.
Type G or D AF Nikkor: All functions supported (PC Micro-Nikkor does not support some functions), IX Nikkor lenses not supported.
Other AF Nikkor: All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II. Lenses fo F3AF not supported.
AI-P Nikkor: All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II
Non-CPU: Autofocusnot supported. Can be used in exposure mode M, but exposure meter does not function. Electronic rangefinder can be used if lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster.

I would suggest you AI-P NIKKOR