Nikon Telephoto AF VR Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S Autofocus Lens

I've done some research on this lens because its one that I'm planning on buying. From what I've seen elsewhere on the Internet, it's highly rated by hobbyists and serious amateurs and fits into most people's budget that have invested in a DSLR.

The vibration reduction is the main feature that people buy it for, as it allows a person to shoot at 4 stops slower than normal when shooting hand held.

It looks like it's built well for a plastic body lens and it weighs less than the more expensive metal lenses, which is a plus when taking it into the back country.

Most agree that it produces sharp images with little to no distortion. A few mentioned that the auto-focus has to search a bit in low light, but that's to be expected with a slower f/4.5-5.6 lens.

The main con that people mentioned was that it uses more battery when the vibration reduction option is turned on, but that's also to be expected. One person mentioned that the lens was too heavy for their tripod mount, so if you get this lens, make sure your tripod can handle an extra 1.5 pounds.

For under $500, it's a great super telephoto lens and will work very good except possibly for low light action shots. In that case, you'll probably need a faster (and more expensive) lens.