yeah it is. for some reason the dimming doesn't work either now. i have to track that down this winter and get that fixed. i have to drive with the windows down cause the reflection on the window is too bight i can't see out of it.
i got it from B&H Photo. they had the best price. i bought just the body only and then this lens. the lens has a $70 rebate by the way till the end of the year. its a great starter lens as it has such a huge range. so you don't have switch lens around to get different shots. the standard kit lens is only 18-55mm so you really don't have any telephoto(zoom) capability. pretty much any camera you are looking to by will be an APS-C sensor size so you'll have to times all the lens parameters by 1.6. so with my camera and this lens i have a range of 28-432mm.
Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials
check that site out to get some basic info on camera lingo.