Beginner lens at a great price

I bought this lens because I was looking for a decent lens for my Nikon D70 that zoomed to 300mm, but I didn't want to spend a fortune (easy to do). I checked out the ED version of this lens and was somewhat underwhelmed at the image difference when compared to the non-ED version (this lens). This lens provides a good, sharp image up to about 210mm, then it starts to get a little fuzzy.
The autofocus is a little loud and slow (compared to standard non-HSM Sigma lenses), but it does focus well (at least as well as any of the high-end Nikon lenses).
This lens also has a plastic mount. Time will tell if this proves to be a downfall.
Some of the reviews of this lens complain about it not having an aperture ring. This lens is made for cameras that control the aperture in the camera via the command dial (namely the digital Nikon cameras). If you want an aperture ring, get a "D" aperture lens instead of the "G" aperture.
If you're a beginner/amateur at digital photography, this lens will do the job until you can drop $2000 on a fixed focal length or APO HSM Sigma lens. However, if you have a couple hundred more dollars, skip the ED version of this lens, and go for a Sigma APO Zoom Macro Super II; You'll get better pictures and more features. This lens is a classic example of 'you get what you pay for'.