In article , fletchrJO@appstate.edu says...
>In article ,
>Chris.Bitmead@Alcatel.com.au wrote:
>> In article <01bc299a$1e58cdd0$1913369d@danallenxa> "Daniel K. Allen"
> writes:

>> >Do you really need the extra half stop of light?

>> Isn't it 2/3 stops???

>It is 2/3"s and can make a difference in dim light or old eyes like mine.
>It's kinda a rule of thumb with Nikkor and Canon that the fastest lens are
>the best performers!

Hmmm, that may be true for Canon, but rarely for Nikon - the fastest
version and the one-stop-slower-than-fastest version tend to perform
pretty much at the same level of quality (though sometimes the
particular characteristics make them "equal-but-different" in how they
perform). I have of late been drifting back toward those lighter and
smaller gems (and often the slower lens is easier to focus, since
screens are being optimised more for slower zooms these days...).
Hope This Helps