Nikkor 55-200mm VRII lens

SaraMehdawi

I am thinking of buying the new version of the 55-200mm VRII lens for my D3100 body camera. After searching I read that it will have some issues with this type of body camera. What are they? Can I get it for my camera body? They say it will appear on the view finder if it will be applied on the D3100, but did not get that point.

Another question, do all lenses from Nikon come with a warranty? Why is the warranty important for a lens?
Thank you. :)

bruto

I do not think there is any issue with the new VRII lens on a D3100. This lens, unlike earlier ones, has a retracting button, and I am not entirely sure whether the D3100 display will tell you it is retracted, or whether it simply will not recognize the lens until it is opened. Either way, though, it cannot be used retracted, but is entirely compatible when opened.

All lenses coming from Nikon USA will have a warranty, extended to three years. Gray market (aka "imported") lenses may have a vendor's warranty but will not be warranted by Nikon, and cannot be serviced at all by Nikon USA even out of warranty (a nasty policy Nikon has). If the lens is fairly inexpensive, such as the 18-55mm kit lens, a warranty is probably of little value, since the lens can be replaced almost as cheaply as it can be sent back. But for a more expensive lens, it's a good idea, because a lens with AF and VR has a lot of stuff inside. If it breaks, it can be pretty expensive to fix, if it can be fixed at all.

A warranty is always a gamble, and part of your gamble here depends on how able you are to eat the cost of a lens if it breaks.

The best vendors, such as B&H and Adorama, will tell you up front whether you're buying gray market or US. These days, the price difference may be little or none on some lenses. If you're using some mail order outfit that is not very familiar, it's almost certainly gray market.