This has been hard to find at a reasonable price over the past several months. Currently, it’s in stock at Amazon for $749.

The 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor lens is a compact, lightweight, 11.1x zoom lens that is ideal for high-performance, everyday photography, and it incorporates advanced features such as Nikon’s Extra Low Dispersion (ED) glass, Silent Wave Motor technology (SWM), and Enhanced Vibration Reduction (VR II) in a DX-Nikkor design engineered exclusively for use with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras. With a remarkable 18-200mm focal length range (picture angle equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format), the lens conveniently covers everything from wide landscapes to tight portraits and action photography. Advanced Nikon engineering has lent the lens a compact, lightweight design that offers excellent handling characteristics and superb optical quality.

Beyond the lens’s incredible optical versatility is the benefit of Enhanced VR II Vibration Reduction, an innovation that makes it possible to take substantially sharper handheld pictures at slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible. This provides the distinct advantage of being able to shoot more effectively in a much broader variety of challenging conditions. With the new Nikon VR II advantage, users can take pictures at shutter speeds as many as 4 stops slower than they ordinarily could shoot without the image-degrading blur associated with camera shake at slow shutter speeds. Nikon’s VR technology further enhances picture-taking potential with a choice of two modes to match most shooting conditions. VR Normal Mode primarily compensates for camera shake, and includes automatic panning detection, as well as automatic tripod detection. VR Active Mode effectively compensates for vibration in situations where it is more pronounced and more frequent, such as when shooting from a moving vehicle.

To further ensure outstanding optical performance, the 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor features two Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and three complex aspherical lens elements that provide for higher resolution, high-contrast images while minimizing chromatic aberration, astigmatism, and other forms of distortion. The lens also features Nikon’s compact Silent Wave Motor technology (SWM), which combines fast and precise autofocusing with super-quiet operation, as well as Internal Focusing (IF) construction that allows the lens to focus without changing its external size, improving balance and handling chrematistics. (description via Amazon)
[tags]nikon, 18-200, available, deal[/tags]