D200 - Mini Review

[Antsl]

I was lucky enough to get a D200 just before New Years (to review for a mag) and so I took it to NZ with me. The first week I managed to do some head to head tests with the D200 against the D70s and two things were noticeable... there was an improvement in resolution (no surprise there) however to my disappointment there was no real improvement in grain. What was noticeable at the high ISOs though was that the colour saturation was improved considerably. Colour information was also captured more easily in the shadow detail at the higher ISOs. Given that I often use the high ISOs in my work this will be a bonus to me.

The build quality of the camera is very good ... the only things that I have a complaint about is that it is easy to actually bump some of the controls off (namely the metering selector and the AF mode selector) off the mark... keep and eye on that. The reaction time on the shutter is fantastic as is the rapid action of the mirror .. it makes it easy to spot blinkers. My thoughts are though that this speed has a penalty on battery performance... I am only getting 600 images per charge. I actually bought another battery while I was on NZ (D70 battery will not fit) to make sure I did not run out of power in the middle of an assignment... as it happened I needed it.

So far I have shot over 2000 images with the camera and on the whole I am very satisfied with the camera. I have already sold the D70s and now I am just hoping a large distributor does not ask for the D200 back!

For the more extensive review you'll have to wait for the mag to some out although sadly that may not be until May!!! As you may guess, I am not writing for Time magazine!

While in NZ I also managed to buy a Nikkor 24mm f2 lens for $350 ... will be a great low light lens with the D200... if you are in Christchurch look up the guys at Photo and Video in Merivale Mall ( http://www.photo.co.nz ) as they have a few great items on sale there at the moment!

Enjoy the summer! Ants

[anubis]

Hey Antsl,

May be pushing my luck but was wondering if you could let us know your experiences in using the camera in AF-C mode and how quick the focus was in following objects?

[NikonUser]

Thanks Antsl,

I also am probably pushing it ....

But I'd like more info on the autofocus if you are willing to give it. Especially in lower light outdoors (early to late evening light). And with both the middle and outer sensors....

Thanks for the mini-review.

Paul

[ozimax]

Sounds like a great camera Ants, where did you sell the D70s? Ebay?

[Antsl]

Still testing the follow focus however it performed well when I got it following models as they ran to me... Focus is quicker than the D70s and fast enough for most of my requirements. I was only disappointed by a couple of images on the trip with focus and that was probably my fault rather than the camera's.

Low light AF is very good (better than the Canon 5D!).

Sold the D70s along with a spare battery and a 512K card to a mate in Kiwiland for a fair price to both parties.

[RICPIC]

Having owned a D70 and tinkered with a D2x, the D200 is very impressive. It has that 'get the job done' feel a lot more than the D70. Cause I’ve become a lot more lazy with framing shots since digital, I really enjoy the higher resolution of the D200 which allows me to reframe in CS2 with minimal loss.

I’ve found focusing excellent; speed, accuracy, in most conditions. I haven’t had a chance to really compare focus in different modes and different areas of the sensor.

My only gripes, which are minor: the on/off switch is flimsy and imprecise compared to the D70 and the MB 200 battery pack quivers a bit when packing a bit heavy lens around (could do with a more solid connection to the camera). I’ve accidentally bumped controls too, mostly the auto/manual focus switch.

[Suri]

Ditto to all the comments set out above.
Alot to learn and so little time to learn in.
Let the D200 speak for itself - results from my first tests.



I found that learning the camera was the least of my worries, having read a significant amount in the months previous.
What I hadn't been prepared for was the late night session chasing updated software for Nikon Capture, and PS CS2 before I could process a NEF.