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At last, a camera that meets my own specifications:

Battery: Nuclear Powered - Lasts half a lifetime, or is that a half-life.

LCD: 100mm LCD with real time histogram

Kit Lens: 10-400mm f/1.4 AF-S VR

Etc Etc....

Introducing yet another "S" .........the D200s

Is the battery problem really an issue?

I'm now looking at getting the D200 but that damn battery lasting only a rumoured 400 shots is a tad annoying.

I think that the PROS of the D200 outweigh the battery issue, the D200 manual gives two battery life scenarios

1) 1800 shots if you use the camera with a 70-200 f2.8 with VR off; in continuous shooting mode; continuous-servo autofocus; image quality set to JPEG basic; image size set to M; shutter speed1/250sec; shutter release pressed halfway for 3 seconds and focus cycled from infinity to minimum range three times with each shot; after six shots you turn the monitor on for five seconds and then turned off. cycle repeated once exposure meters have turned off....I guess this is a best-case scenario...

2) 340 shots if you use the camera with a 70-200VR with VR on; single frame shooting mode; single-server autofocus; image quality set to JPEG normal; image size set to L; same shutter speed; shiutter pressed halfway for 5 seconds and focus cycled from infinity to minimum range once with each shot; built in speedlight fired at full power with every other shot; AF-assist illuminator light used when speedlight used; cycle reeated once exposure meters are turned off; camera turned off for one minute after every 10 shots.

So I guess you will get somewhere between 300-500 shots and less if you are like me and use the monitor a lot and take everything in RAW and use the camera to download images to your computer.

The best bet is to buy spare batteries and you have a GREAT camera.

These are a nice hefty camera as when i took my D2x in for it's free sensor clean at the Nikon agent in Adelaide( not happy with the clean as still dirty) There was a fellow in there taking his in he had had for a couple of months regarding pictures being very soft and back focus. But it is a hefty camera compared to D70.

I concur again - 2 x batteries (or more) problem solved, they're not big or bulky, nor do they weigh a lot. Easy.

This camera is delicious

I *will* get up pre sunrise in the morning (after I check the forecast in a sec)

Ergh - rain rain and more rain

Get the grip for the D200

It feels sooooo right with the grip, such great ergos.

Geoff wrote:Ergh - rain rain and more rain

Congrats Geoff, I must of missed the main announcement, but well done (have you already posted any shots ?)

Not yet Craig - coming soon

Geoff wrote:Not yet Craig - coming soon

Excellent stuff Geoff, Congratulations.

Alpha_7 wrote:

Geoff wrote:Not yet Craig - coming soon

Excellent stuff Geoff, Congratulations.

Thanx mate
Very excited - zooooooooooooM

Congrats Geoff, that is great news

Glen wrote:Congrats Geoff, that is great news

It's almost like an unexpected birth in the family! Bel and Geoff are having a new Baby D200! Yay!!

And cheaper in the running costs, Craig

Alpha_7 wrote:

Glen wrote:Congrats Geoff, that is great news

It's almost like an unexpected birth in the family! Bel and Geoff are having a new Baby D200! Yay!!

No $$ baby bonus - just a very happy Geoff and a happy Bel that's Geoff's happy

Geoff I tried to make you grin bigger but it just ended up looking site, small avatars aren't so easy to PP, but I made you a new one.

hmmm - thanks Craig
Might have to work on this one (in it's original form) to get something similar

You're a classic!

Alpha_7 wrote:

Glen wrote:Congrats Geoff, that is great news

It's almost like an unexpected birth in the family! Bel and Geoff are having a new Baby D200! Yay!!

Hold off the new born baby till 1st July and new baby bonus is increased to $4000.00 instead of $3K.

Issue of battery on D200:

Not all D200 discharges its battery on the same level, even after few charges. That's still an issue of the D200.

Recently tested with 5 D200 owners

1/ D200 with 400 shots on first charge (First D200)
2/ D200 with 450 shots on second charge (Second D200)
3/ D200 with 600 shots on first charge (Third D200)
4/ D200 with 480 shots on third charge and the battery bar(Level) still showing 2/3 (Fourth D200)
5/ D200 with 800 shots on fifth charge and the battery bar (level) shows 1 bar left.
I replaced few EN-EL3e to my customers, first I thoughts, it's battery's issue, but the same battery goes into difference cameras D70/ D100 had no problem achieving over 700 shots.

birddog114 wrote:Issue of battery on D200:

Not all D200 discharges its battery on the same level, even after few charges. That's still an issue of the D200.

Recently tested with 5 D200 owners

1/ D200 with 400 shots on first charge (First D200)
2/ D200 with 450 shots on second charge (Second D200)
3/ D200 with 600 shots on first charge (Third D200)
4/ D200 with 480 shots on third charge and the battery bar(Level) still showing 2/3 (Fourth D200)
5/ D200 with 800 shots on fifth charge and the battery bar (level) shows 1 bar left.
I replaced few EN-EL3e to my customers, first I thoughts, it's battery's issue, but the same battery goes into difference cameras D70/ D100 had no problem achieving over 700 shots.

I dont know if this is a serious issue of the camera. How often do you shot more than 400 in a session, unless you are a pro in which you carry heaps of batteries.

nito wrote:

birddog114 wrote:Issue of battery on D200:

Not all D200 discharges its battery on the same level, even after few charges. That's still an issue of the D200.

Recently tested with 5 D200 owners

1/ D200 with 400 shots on first charge (First D200)
2/ D200 with 450 shots on second charge (Second D200)
3/ D200 with 600 shots on first charge (Third D200)
4/ D200 with 480 shots on third charge and the battery bar(Level) still showing 2/3 (Fourth D200)
5/ D200 with 800 shots on fifth charge and the battery bar (level) shows 1 bar left.
I replaced few EN-EL3e to my customers, first I thoughts, it's battery's issue, but the same battery goes into difference cameras D70/ D100 had no problem achieving over 700 shots.

I dont know if this is a serious issue of the camera. How often do you shot more than 400 in a session, unless you are a pro in which you carry heaps of batteries.

nito,
I know some guys on this forum shot close to 600 photos or more in 3 to four hours and they're not pro..

Michael wrote:Get the grip for the D200

This sound like a solution

MATT

Hold off the new born baby till 1st July and new baby bonus is increased to $4000.00 instead of $3K.

Birdy, that's what I've told my wife. Keep those legs crossed, just another 11 days.

Ergh - rain rain and more rain

Geoff, mate. You missed the sunrise shoot on Sunday and now your scared of rain? Get out of bed you mug.

I saw Geoff's D200 last night, it's black and has Nikon stamped on it.
I still prefer Canon.

Cheers

MATT wrote:

Michael wrote:Get the grip for the D200

This sound like a solution

MATT

The grip without extra battery still make no sense!

Personally, the very first thing I get with a new camera is a second battery. So there is always a charged battery in the bag, together with whatever is in the camera. I imagine some people have a couple of spares, particular those doing extended field work for example.

Does anybody here not have a second battery?

(Actually, I might do a poll!!)

I'm on atleast my 6th or 7th charge now, and it's working way better than the first two charges, which were disappointing.

It's still not as good as a D70, but that's understandable as the D200 weighs more, therefore it requires more horsepower to drive up the hills.

It's like a d70 with Nitris.

Congrats Geoff, hopefully the whining will slow up about the lack of supply.

If you go past 800 shots in a day shoot you must be doing something wrong. I only ever used to go out with a D70 in the morning with a 1gb card and 2x512mb cards. Most times I would just fill the 1gb card in a morning. If I was out for the day I might fill just over 2gb of data. Thats without any bars moving on the D70. Which I think is just under 400 shots. If you need more than that you must be holding the trigger down and hoping for the best.

Greg B wrote:Does anybody here not have a second battery?

Got my second battery in early February. Still waiting to use it.

Actually I will have 3 when the camera arrives as the replacement battery for the D70 was an EN-EL3e, we have 2 other for the D70 so that is enough for it for now.

Has anyone tried the D200 grip (MB-D200) with rechargeable AA's - how does it go on them?
Does a set of AA's (2500mAh or better assuming) last as well as the EN-EL3e or should I stick with the Nikon batteries?

Power will be an issue for me when I get it and take it bushwalking for days...

We are the type that would normally take many hundreds of photos.
Could be the shotgun effect creeping in - take many as one might be good
D70 shutter still going strong.

All this talk of D200 gives me itchy fingers, you guys that have them are lucky!

when using the AA 2500mah batteries you have to run them in series to get the voltage so you still only get 2500mah of power
while with 2 std Nikon batteries you get 1500+1500=3000mah of power as they are run in parallel

but as the MB200 comes with the AA holder as std it is still worth getting a set of AA batteries and a 15min charger that way you should never run of power

FWIW I had my first full day out with my D200 yesterday, 8 hours at Taronga zoo. Shot about 250 frames, minimal use of the LCD, bit of constant focusing and VR on the whole time (normal mode, not active so not sure how much if any power that consumes), no flash and turning the camera off when I wasn't using it.

Battery only dropped 1 bar. I was pleasently surprised as that's far different than my experiences of playing around with it at home. I can only assume that having a few charges on the battery has helped and that the LCD really chews through the power.

Still can't see getting 1800 shots out of a charge but it's not too bad.

One of the best parts of the day (other than the lion going for my friends daughter missed the shot unfortunately) was that I convinced two of the people I was with to bring their cameras. Neither are into photography and just have cameras for those times when one is required so was surprised and happy when one said he was surprised how much he was enjoying taking photos and the other agreed.