revjim.net :: Nikon D200

Nikon D200

November 1st, 2005

LetsGoDigital has the review we've all been waiting for: Nikon's D200.

It's taken Nikon a long time to release this camera, and we've all been waiting patiently and secretly considering alternatives. But… the wait is over!

This 10.2 megapixel SLR camera has all of the features we wanted in the D100 and is everything we hoped the D70 would be. With a price point around $1700 USD (without a lens, as best as I can tell), this will make a lot of people very happy.

You should read LetsGoDigital's full review but, here are some of the more interesting highlights.

10.2 megapixels. Eh. Nothing special here. Remember, you have to quadruple the megapixels to double the size. Coming from 6MP, 24MP would be a double. 8MP (like those other guys are doing) is barely noticeable. 10MP is a little better, but not much. Even 12MP would at least represent at 50% increase. But, I guess it's going to come little by little. Why else would you buy the next body they release?
2.5″ LCD with 230,000 pixels. NICE!
ISO 100-1600 with a 3200 option. People always whine when they see that the D100 and D70 only go down to 200. Now they can shut up.
Vertical Battery grip (optional) that allows for 2 EN-L3s or 6 AAs. AAs are a REQUIREMENT. I was pissed when my D100 and D70 only took these silly EN-L3s. Thank god they last a decent amount of time and are relatively cheap. AAs just make it a lot easier.
Still takes CompactFlash. Anything else would be silly… (cough-D50-cough).
Metal body!
Weatherproof!
An improved low-pass filter to prevent Moire, Color Fringing, and other nasties.
GPS Adapter Available. Not a big deal for me, but this is VERY useful for some people.
Improved AutoFocus.
The Nikon AF-s DX VR 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 with new VR II technology. This is the walkaround lens that everyone is looking for. Nice range, good glass, VR, AF-S. These will sell like hotcakes.
A new flash system (SU-800, SBR-200, and friends) that makes dedicated intelligent flash a breeze. Again, not really my thing, but, for event work and photojournalism, this makes advanced stuff really simple.