Alan,
I use the 80-400 VR which gives great results at f8-16. Now I'm sure that others will have other opinions, but it's been my experience that if you buy a 200 zoom, when you reach the end of the zoom range you always say to yourself, man I wish it just had a little more. from 80 to about 300 it kicks butt on portraits and at 400 you can get just about anything you need. (and if you can't move closer) The VR lets you shoot as slow as about 1/15 HAND HELD, WOW!!
ED glass....nuf said
AT 5.6 on mine anyway, I get some fringing of the colors toward the outsides. but there are action sets for Photoshop that help minimise that and if you watch how you compose a photo, light on dark and dark on light, you can minimise it or just shoot at f 8 and above. Build is plastic but rugged, wieght is acceptable (I used to carry 45 lb tv news cameras and 35lb vcr and 25 lbs of spare batts.,so I don't listen much to whiney film/digital photographers, when it comes to that)
Sharpness is good to very good above 5.6 best around 11.
For the money I think it's a very good buy especially if you buy used from a non-pro or take advantage of the rebates til jun 30.
Just my opinion and I'm sure orthers will say otherwise, which is fine of course, but just consider each point I made and I think you will come to the same conclusion I did, many lenses in one, with good to very good performance.
have a read
http://www.naturfotograf.com/VR80_400_review.html
Any other questions let me know
b