Nikon 18-55 mm VR: The lens that Nikon should have offered as a kit lens

The D40 and D40x, the low end SLR lineup from Nikon ship with a 18-55 mm kit lens. This is a great lens ideally suited for indoor photography. The only problem with this lens is when you shoot in low light situations. Many times, images turn out to be blurry because of longer exposure times. It is pretty difficult to carry or use a tripod in most indoor scenarios, especially if you are shooting kids. A VR (vibration reduction) version of the same lens was announced by Nikon recently. Nikon claims that the addition of VR enables the lens to be produce images that are sharper at shutter speeds 3 stops lower than otherwise possible.

Amazon mentions that Jan 20th is the release date for this lens.

The introduction of this lens creates an interesting option. The legendary Nikon 18-200mm VR lens still retails for about $650 in most places. Amazon lists the price for the Nikon 18-55mm VR at $200 and the Nikon 55-200mm VR at $229, which makes the combo $449. Will save you a cool $200 with the only hassle of carrying both the lenses and swapping them. I would sell my 18-55 mm non-VR any day for this combo.

Update: The new Nikon D60 DSLR indeed comes with this lens as the kit lens!