The most versatile camera lens that I use is undoubtedly Nikon's 18-200mm VR II - its impressive range lets me take both wide angle landscape shots and telephoto wildlife close-ups with just one turn of the barrel. Of course, versatility doesn't come cheap in the world of SLR photography, and the 18-200 VR II has a current Amazon price of £619.

The 18-200mm VR is compatible with the majority of Nikon's DSLR cameras, and has a maximum aperture of f3.5 - f5.6. In terms of the macro performance, the 18-200 is surprisingly acceptable - i've found that you can focus in as close as 30mm - this may sound like quite a distance if you're comparing it to a compact camera, but for a non-macro lens, it's actually very good.

Regarding the construction, the 18-200 has a robust build quality, even though the majority of the outer surface is plastic - most importantly the lens mount is metal, and so are the inner workings.

The VR in the lens's title refers vibration reduction - a clever system that stops the majority of wobble brought about due to shaky hands. The VR can be turned on or off via a small switch on the barrel, but I tend to leave it activated for all hand-held shots. The amount of reduction is remarkable, and Nikon's VR system in general is the best i've see of any make.

The zoom ring is comfortable to use with its rubberised grip, and rotates evenly and smoothly through the entire range. The autofocus is quick in the majority of lighting conditions, only marginally slowing (and occasionally searching) when it gets very dark. If you want to manual focus, just go ahead and turn the focussing ring - you don't have to flip a switch first like on most of Nikon's other consumer lenses.

Performance-wise, the lens is very impressive for an all-in-one - the optics are of a high standard (genuine Nikkor lenses usually are), so chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum. There is evidence of vignetting at the larger apertures, but nothing major and all other deficiencies are so minimal that they're not worth mentioning. In my experience i've found that the lens produces really sharp images throughout the zoom range, which is very pleasing.

As lenses go, the 18-200mm VR II is without doubt in my top three favourites - it's just so versatile that you really won't need to keep switching lenses unless you're keen on working in dark conditions (where a faster lens is better suited). Overall, the lens really is excellent and, dare I say it, well worth the price. If you are looking to spend less money, either opt for the 18-105mm VR (£239.95) or the 55-200mm VR (£136.50) - No, these lenses can't compete with the 18-200's range, but both are good in their own right and cost significantly less.