lens replacement

I'm looking to "trade up" my lens.
Currently, I have a Nikon 28-200 3.5-5.6 lens. I love the versatility and range this lens covers.

But, I'm wanting to step up to a slightly better lens. I would really like to keep as much of the focal length as possible.

This will be used on an N90 and maybe a future D70s. Keep in mind, I'm broke so I can't go with 2.8 lenses or have all prime lenses :D


Any Suggestions? What about the Nikon 35-135? What about a Tamron? Sigma? Tokina?

Perhaps you should start with why you want to upgrade that lens...as in, what do you dislike about it?

Well, compared with my Tamron 200-400 fixed 5.6, the Nikon doesn't seem as sharp at 200mm as the Tamron. 8x10 photos from the Nikon are noticeably softer than an 8x10 from the Tamron shot on the same roll of film at the same target at the same settings. :(

The lens also has a glitch that prevents it from getting a focus lock when zoomed out at 200mm. The focus indicator dot never comes on. I can manually adjust the focus ring to get it in focus, but the lens won't do it on it's own.

So, I'm looking to replace it and "step up" a bit.
I'd like to get the Nikon 28-200 G Series lens but am concerned about it's compatability and what features I'd loose on my N90.
That's why I'm looking for opinions on a replacement. I'd like to stay close to the focal length I have now and am wondering about the Nikon 35-135 lens, a Tamron 28-200 or even 28-300 or Sigma 28-200 lens.

In my experience, I've seen that lenses that cover a wide range of focal lengths tend to suffer more at the extremes than those with a smaller range. While the convenience of having one lens cover such a wide range is certainly noteworthy, performance does take a backseat and one must place their priorities in order. This, of course, is not hard and fast and there will be exceptions. I'll leave actual performance stats to those individuals with hands on experience with any of the lenses that you've mentioned.

fair enough...BRING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS!

Are there any fixed telephotos at 500mm?

Are there any fixed telephotos at 500mm?

Yes