I now have 500 dollars saved and i am looking to buy a new lens or two for my Nikon D70. I have a 50mm 1.8 and sigma 70-30mm. The lens does not need to be super fast because i have the 50mm. I am looking for a general lens that is sharp. Ken rockwell's website draws me to the 18-200mm. Also looking at the 18-70mm and 55-200mm Vr.
i have the 55-200vr and can say it was a waste of money. A good lens, but i purchased it not wanting to pay more for the 70-300vr and now i still want the 70-300vr. I was like you, didnt think i would need good lens at the time because i was inexperienced and thought i was just poking around at a hobby. moral: spend the money upfront and get good glass, buying twice is way more expensive. 18-200 is a nice do it all walk around lens though.