I'm literally pulling my hair out trying to figure out which lens to grab for my Nikon D5600 before my trip to the Smokies in two weeks. I've realized my basic kit lens just isn't gonna cut it for the wildlife or even just getting some decent shots of the mountain peaks from the overlooks. I really need that extra reach but my bank account is screaming at me right now after paying for the cabin and gas.

My logic was to look for something under $250 or maybe $300 max, likely used from somewhere like MPB or eBay, but the more I read the more confused I get. I spent all night looking at these options and my brain is just mush:

• AF-P DX NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED VR
• AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR
• Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro

The AF-P one looks perfect and is super cheap, but then I read some stuff saying AF-P lenses don't work on all bodies or you have to update the firmware and I'm just so nervous about buying the wrong thing. I think my D5600 is okay but some forums say the autofocus might not work and I'm terrified I'll get to the mountains and it'll just be a paperweight. Then there's the non-VR version of that same lens which is even cheaper, like $140, but I don't usually carry a tripod and I'm worried everything will just be a blurry mess if I'm zoomed all the way in.

I also looked at the older AF-S 55-300mm. People say the image quality is decent but it's older tech and the focus is slow. Then there is the Tamron which is basically dirt cheap but people say it's soft at the long end and the motor is loud. I'm just really stuck here and the clock is ticking on my shipping window. Is the AF-P VR actually the best bet or am I gonna run into some weird compatibility issue I haven't realized yet...