[cyclohexane]

Just about every single Japanese traveler with a Nikon DSLR I saw in Hokkaido had the 18-200 mounted. I think that's a testimony to the quality. While Japanese tend to love to be part of a trend, I doubt they're all using the 18-200 because "everyone else is". It's earned top marks from the CAPA "Super Book" series; Thom Hogan also rates the 18-200 quite highly. Most people do not rate the 24-120 very highly, though Moose Peterson has been on record to say that, in general, he liked the lens. Personally, I'd pick the 18-200 if I was buying one of the two, as it gives you more range at both ends.