The classic, wide aperture medium telephoto zoom. Every manufacturer’s got one and there’s a reason for it—it is probably the most useful lens in the toolkit. Its very sharp, autofocuses in a heartbeat, great for everything from sports to long portraits. Just an all around, excellent lens that no one is ever disappointed with.

If you’re shooting on an Fx camera, you’d probably rather have the Mk II version, the edges and corners are sharper. On a Dx camera, I’d save your money and go with this version.

Please Note The hood for this lens may not lock into its reversed “storage” position due to an inherent weakness in its design. Nikon does not supply the piece needed to repair the broken part, and we cannot readily replace each hood that suffers from this issue as they are often on backorder. Luckily, this has no effect on the hoods ability to perform in its forward “shooting” position.