Is this D200 review? No - it´s not. Why? Because I think that there are much better reviewers out there than me. I just want to share my experiences with the D200. There are perfect reviews on the internet that show you high ISO comparison shots and measure the file write times where I will just tell you something like the D200 high ISO performance is at least one stop above the D2H.

First of all: My "digital" history:

My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 950 - I got it in 1999. In 2001 I bought a Olympus E-100RS after its serious price drop but on the 22nd of January 2002 I got myself a used Nikon D1. Since that time I have never shot a single frame of Velvia again. I sold my Nikon F100 at a reasonable price and never looked back. Last year in November I broke down and bought a D2H after shooting a wedding of a friend with a borrowed D70. The D70 clearly shows the age of the D1 especially when using flash ( this was the reason why I borrowed the D70 + SB800 ). In the last days of 2005 I got my D200. So the D200 is not my first digital camera or my first D-SLR. I´m able to judge the sharpness of a D-SLR and how it renders colors and tones.

To give you the chance to read parts of my "review" now - I decided to make it like a diary.

1. First Impressions ( The Body )

Small, lightweight but thanks to the large status screen on the top and the drive-select on the left it still looks very professional. I miss the vertical grip as I had gotten used to it. I will get one as soon as it becomes available.

Because I wear glasses, my biggest concern was the viewfinder since it is not high-eyepoint on the D200. I was very happy as I realized that the viewfinder is very good and that it is no problem for me to see the edges of the frame. It shows just 95% of the final image instead of 100% like in the D2 - bodies and that´s a shame but it is far away from the tunnel view you got on a D1, D50, D70 or even worse on the Fuji S3 ( the worst viewfinder I have ever seen ). The image in the viewfinder is large and bright and the grid lines are really of great help. I always wished to have this on my D2H.

What else did I notice? The release knob of the compact flash compartment is not as nice as on the pro bodies but it works fine and I will get used to it. The AF-ON button is too small and it is also countersunk which makes it very hard to use with gloves on. All the other buttons are fine and easy to operate with gloves. The AF-ON button on the MB-200 is large enough and so at least if I use the camera in the portrait position I have no problem to use this knob with gloves on.

The LCD screen on the back is as big as it is on my D2H but regarding the quality it is a completely different beast. The quality of this screen is just amazing. It´s very bright and has a good contrast from different angles. It is indeed very very good and very very sharp. The LCD-protector is also vastly improved and doesn´t look likely to come off accidentally. I lost mine on the D2H but never replaced it because when I shot in cold conditions my breath caused the protector to fog on the inside and made it impossible to see the image. I have already shot my D200 in very cold conditions and didn´t have that problem. The protector worked as well as the Hoodman did on my D1.

Conclusion: The design of the body is almost perfect. Beside the AF-ON button and the 95% viewfinder I have no regrets at all. This is a big compliment from someone that shot a D2H for the last year and it means that every D100, D50, D70 or Fuji S1, S2, or S3 user should be delighted - it simply is that good. Even the D2 - user gets two very nice things: the viewfinder grid lines and the built in flash. The grid lines in the viewfinder are really great. I got so used to it that I would have a hard time to get back to a camera without this feature. There is nothing that helps better to compose a shot ( well a tripod maybe ) and to avoid tilted horizons. I even love the built in flash for occasional fill in light when travelling light.

Body Design Rating:

To give you an idea where I think the D200 stands regarding body design I decided to rate the cameras. Please don´t forget: This is a very personal rating that merely shows how I think that these cameras compare. In a system from 1 to 10 the D50 would get 4 ( because of the missing aperture dial ), the D70 would get 5, the D70S would get 6, the D1 - bodies would get 7 and the D2 - bodies would get 10. In such a system the D200 would get 8.5.

2. How Does It Feel Shooting With It ( The Performance ):

Even playing around a little one evening depleted the battery by almost 50%. That and some posts on dpreview made me worry about the battery life of the D200. Even more than usual because I haven´t got a spare battery because they are not yet available ( come on Nikon ! ). My first day out with the camera would proof if the battery is really as weak. Well it´s no D2x battery BUT it´s not that bad either. I get around 400 to 700 images depending on the shooting conditions. If you have a lot of long time exposures that drain the battery fast or if you use the replay button very often to check exposure or sharpness you will get a shorter battery life than when you shoot action with a shutter speed of 1/500 or shorter and fast frame rate. Now I have the battery grip and a second battery and all worries are gone. It´s like the D2 series now. And to check the battery level when you use the grip is really cool. It shows you exactly the level of charge for each battery. In such a configuration the D200 empties one battery first before it uses the other one. If you want to be really sure regarding battery you can buy a third battery and always charge the one you replace while still shooting with two batteries. This is only important if you plan to shoot more than 1000 images per day. It is save to say that users of the MB-200 battery pack will not experience much of a difference to a D2 body but there is no difference in size as well.

It was a very cold and windy day ( -5 degrees Celsius and up to 30 km/h wind - consider the windchill factor and you got almost -20 degrees Celsius ) but I had no chance but to go out and visit the zoo as I always do with a new camera. I decided to use my AF-S 2.8/300 ED on my Gitzo 1340 Mk II to avoid any lens or technical issues and to get the most out of the D200. While the AF-S 2.8/300 ED is maybe the sharpest telelens Nikon has ever made, the strong wind wasn´t the best for shooting a strong tele.

Here is an image of my first day out with the D200. I have used zero post processing except convert from NEF and resize and sharpen it for display on the web.

How does it perform?

The viewfinder is very big and bright. It´s one thing to judge a viewfinder in a dim living room but the real test for me is outdoors. It looks great. It´s not like peeking through my Swarovski EL birding binoculars but nothing is like that. I didn´t try side by side with the D2H because of the snowfall but I didn´t miss anything ( because you can´t miss 5% of the view that isn´t there ).

So the viewfinder is very good which is really important in my opinion. It helps you to concentrate on the image and it is of big help when focusing manually. I shot a wedding with a D70 and while I think it is a great camera the viewfinder is something I simply can´t stand. Beside AF and buffer this was the main reason for me to decide for the D2H instead of the D70.

The loupe is as powerful as the one on my D2H, which is really great, and a dramatic improvement for every D70 or D1H/D1X user. For a D1 user it is a completely new thing: The D1 does not have a loupe at all!

How is the overall speed?

Well - it´s below the D2H. Surprised? Not really. There is no D-SLR that feels as snappy as the D2 - bodies. But the D200 is closer to the D2H as it is to the D70. I haven´t got the chance to use it for any kind of action shots so far but AF-acquisition is very fast with AF-S lenses. The old screwdriver AF is a different thing. I really like my Tamron 90 Macro ( Di version ) but its AF is very slow. I don´t need it for closeups put when I use it for portraiture I really hate its very slow AF. The D2H makes it acceptable but on the D200 it is slower - not as slow as on the D70 but still hardly usable. UPDATE: I used it for action and it works very well as long as there is enough light and contrast. In poor light ( i.e. indoors ) AF disappoints. Maybe it´s because I´m used to the D2H ( I honestly can´t recall how fast AF on my D1 was ) but I feel that if there is one weak point of the D200 it is AF-performance in low light. NEW: Still not delighted with AF in low light. It´s no D2 body indoors - it is as simple as that. So for someone who just want to take images of their kids or dogs indoors I would strongly recommend to get a used D2H instead of the D200. You won´t realize a difference in image quality in small prints but your number of keepers will be definitely higher with the D2H because of its superb AF performance.

I guess the D200 has the same AF-motor as the D70/D50 but a better sensor. This is just a guess of course but it would explain why the Tamron is so slow on the D200. I don´t have the 80-400VR anymore so the Tamron is my only reference. All my other lenses are AF-S or manual focus. There is one thing I really miss: If focusing manually the D2H ( and even my D1 ) showed me the way I should turn the focus ring with small arrows in the viewfinder. The D200 ( like the D70 ) doesn´t have the arrows but only the focus indicator dot. This makes my 2.8/45 P a little awkward to use but as the viewfinder is bigger and brighter it is still useable ( on the D70 this lens makes no sense at all ).

5 frames per second are as fast as my old D1 but my D1 has a buffer for just 10 NEF images and it took forever for the buffer to clear. The D200 takes 5 frames per second but over 20 NEF images instead. This is great news! The D70 is not suitable for any kind of action with it´s 3 images per second. Even the Canon 20D with it´s 5 frames per second but just a 6 frames RAW buffer isn´t made for action. The D200 is very good in this regard even though I have to say that the difference between 5 and 8 frames per second is huge. Think of it this way: The D2H nearly takes one image in between two D200 images.

Start-up and review is almost instant - the only time you have to wait a little is for the RGB - histogram. Everything else is very quick.

Conclusion: If you use only AF-S lenses you should be very happy with the AF - performance of the D200 ( except in low light ). If sport photography isn´t your main business you won´t have a problem with the 5 frames per second. It´s fast enough for almost all subjects. Most important: Speed of operation is high because you can set almost everything without using the menu. There is literally a knob for every function and this fact alone shows how professional the D200 is.

So it handles brilliantly and works very fast what else can you ask for?

3. Size Does Matter ( The Image ):

Digital cameras are like cars. The first question is always: How many pixels? ( for cars it´s the horsepower - question ). My first D-SLR was a Nikon D1. The D1 has 2.7MP. What might sound ridiculous today where even cell phones have higher pixelcounts, was a very good resolution back in 1999. I would still take a D1 over a cell phone for photography. ;-) Many people asked me:"How many pixels?" mainly because they were impressed by the size and I saw that they were disappointed when I said "2.7". They didn´t understand that a camera of this size has only half of the pixelcount of their small digicams. D-SLR pixels are not digicam - pixels. I still can make a 7 x 11 print from my D1 files that will blow every print from a digital point and shot away no matter its resolution.

So if 2.7 millions "D-SLR - pixels" are that good - how good are 10.2 million of it. The short version: they are simply AMAZING!

First: Just to give you an idea what 10.2MP mean and how it looks on your screen. Remember the cormorant image in the last subsection? Here is an untouched 100% crop:

This image was taken at 400ASA and with the NEUTRAL - setting. I used this setting the first day out as I didn´t find the color saturation setting the evening before. Meanwhile I have saved my favourite settings in the shooting banks and would use my "Nature" setting for this kind of shot where color saturation is set on HIGH.

But high resolution of an image is just one thing. It is great and it really makes a difference in a 13x19 print but there are some other things I like even more:

Auto-WB: I have never used Auto-WB on my D1 and my D2H and not without a reason. The Auto-WB on these cameras is not what it should be. I used a cloudy -3 as my standard for outdoor shots and used my "kitchen paper methode" indoors. On the D200 I use Auto-WB and what can I say: it works! In deep shadows images may came out a little on the cold side but that is more a matter of taste. Otherwise the Auto-WB works as good as on my Canon Ixus 700. Yes - I´m serious: These little cameras work just brilliant regarding Auto-WB. Even very difficult mixed indoor lights seems to be no problem for the D200.

Here is a nice sample of the very good indoor performance of the Auto-WB. This image was taken on my second day with the camera. I used my AF-S 12-24 DX lens and my new Gitzo G1258. Exposure time was 5 seconds ( long time noise cancellation was turned off ).

Colors: The colors are just beautiful. They are strong and you can customize the camera for different subjects. I use the portrait setting for portrait, which gives very nice skin tones and neutral colors. I use high color saturation for landscapes and nature but I l always use the LOW contrast setting. I can add contrast in pp if I like but I can´t restore lost details.

Sharpness: Is it sharp? Yes - it is! There were posters in the dpreview - forum that suggested that the D200 makes soft images. This is simply wrong! The quality of the D200 images is amazing in every respect. I don´t own a D2X but guys like Björn Rörslett does and he states that the difference in the image between D2X and D200 is really small. If you consider that the D2X is very close to the Canon 1DS II it means that the D200 - image is at eye level with the best D-SLRs available today. Why did some "testers" think that the D200 image is soft? Beside some first time D-SLR users that confuse depth of field with sharpness a lot of people just used a sloppy technique and that is not a good idea on a high resolution D-SLR. If you set the camera to 1600 ASA and shoot your 28-200 zoom wide open with 1/15s handheld you simply can´t blame the camera. If you take care of your shooting style and use a good lens the D200 delivers just amazing levels of detail.

Sharpness II: But if you use your best lenses and your best technique and you still get soft looking shots? The in-camera sharpening of the D200 is very low and the filter is stronger that the one in the D70. That means that you don´t get a problem with moire ( the D70 has this problem ) but you have to sharpen your images. On my D2H in-camera sharpening was set to LOW while on my D200 I prefer AUTO.

Noise: Yes, there is still noise in the image. If you have to shoot at 1600 or 3200ASA mainly you have to look somewhere else. Nikon is still not the leader in this area. You better get a Canon 5D or even better a Fuji S3 Pro.

But I hardly use sensivities above 400ASA. Before digital I shot with Velvia ( 50 ASA but in truth just 40 ASA ) and the Ektachrome 100VS ( labelled 100ASA but more like 125 ASA ). Sometimes I used the very expensive Fuji Provia 400. So almost all of my images were taken with the camera set to either 125ASA or just 40ASA. How did I manage to live with such low "ISO-settings"? I used a tripod.

OK - I know there are situations where you can´t use a tripod or where you really need fast shutter speeds at low light ( indoor sports ). So here is my very personal noise rating for the D200:

100ASA: noise simply does not exist

200ASA: noise is still hard to detect

400ASA: noise becomes visible in dark areas but there is no loss of image detail and noise is lower than noise on a D2H or D70 at 200ASA ( lowest setting ). I would use this setting without hesitation if I need it but I prefer the lowest setting as I feel it gives me a higher DR ( dynamic range ).

800ASA: Noise starts to show but it is very well controlled and color saturation is still very high. I used this setting indoors at a Judo event of my nephew and was very pleased with the results.

1600ASA: Okay. It is better than 800ASA on a D2H or D70 but I still see no reason to use such a high ISO setting. Noise become prominent and colors start to fade. Everything above it is not useable without some noise reduction program or for larger prints. Don´t get me wrong: If I would facing Big Foot or Nessie or something like that I wouldn´t hesitate to set ISO to 3200ASA to get the shot. No newspaper or magazine would argue about the noise in the image - they would simply buy the shot. But beside very special subjects everything else should be taken with lower settings ( imho ).

In short: High ISO performance of the D200 is really very good till 800ASA. Above that noise really degrades the image. For Nikon it´s a big step in the right direction but others are still ahead in that department. It´s not an issue for me but it might be one for others.

4. Conclusion:

The D200 gets a lot of praise in my review and some of you might think that this camera now is clearly the best buy in the Nikon range and makes cameras like the D2H or D2X look less attractive or even obsolete. But I don´t think so and here is why:

1. Nothing is like a D2 - series body. Nothing! While the D200 is really great it is still no D2x. The vertical grip is nice but it´s not as good as the built in one on the D2´s. There are some advantages if you want to take it off when you want a small camera but it is always better and more rigid if the grip is part of the body. The D2 - bodies show 100% of the final image while the D200 show just 95%. This may sound not very important but you don´t believe what kind of things can appear at the edges of the frame until you watch your images at home. The AF-On knob is by far better on the D2. I can´t understand why Nikon makes this knob so small on the D200. It is very hard to use when wearing gloves.

But there are a couple of things that are better on the D200! The grid lines in the the viewfinder are a very nice feature. The monitor of the D200 is simply amazing and puts the D2H monitor to shame. Both are 2.5 in size but the D200 screen has better contrast, colors and sharpness. It´s a joy to look at and this might also be the reason for the weaker battery life of the D200. I look at this screen more often and longer than I did on my D2H. It´s the same regarding the menu: The letters are really big and it is a joy to use. The built in flash is no substitute for an external flash like the SB800 but it has one great advantage: it is always there. As I never owned a SLR with an integrated flash ( F801, F100, D1, D2H ) I still forget that I have one available.

2. AF is not the same in poor light. Period. AF on non-AF-S lenses is slower. Period.

If you shoot a lot in poor light and/or with "old" lenses you are better off with a D2. The AF-sensor performes better in low light and the motor drives old AF-lenses faster. Sorry - it is as simple as that. And I´m talking only about the cross type sensor in the center. Use any of the other sensors and things get even worse. The D2 - series has 9 cross type sensors but the D200 has only 1 in the center.

I think that the biggest difference between a D2 and the D200 is the performance of the AF in poor light and the limitation to the 1 cross sensor in the center. I really enjoy the 9 cross sensors on my D2H because it makes composition easier especially if my subject is moving and I don´t want to place it in the middle of the frame.

If Nikon had put in the D2 - series AF- module ( CAM 2000 ) they would have problems to keep the price low and more than this: problems to sell their D2 cameras.

5. Conclusion II:

If you think my first conclusion was a little negative you are probably right. OK - Here is my second conclusion.

To get things right: The D200 is really a great camera and its value is amazing. It is cleary the best buy in the Nikon setup right now. It costs only 1/3 of a D2X and less than 1/2 of the D2HS. The D2X has 12MP and the D2HS has 4MP - so the 10MP of the D200 are very close to the D2X and a clear step above the D2HS or the 6MP of the D50 and D70S.

So you get a camera with an resolution that is very close to the D2X which is currently state of the art in the Nikon line. The D200 even betters the D2X regarding noise performance and dynamic range. It deals better with highlights and skin tones so it is only fair to say that you will loose nothing in image quality if you choose the D200 over the current top of the line Nikon - the D2X.

No matter if you shoot portraiture, landscapes, close-ups, weddings and things like this the D200 is almost perfect. The D200 has only one problem: If an image doesn´t come out perfect you can´t blame the camera. Combine it with a good lens like a 70-200VR and you have what I call a "Zero - Excuse - Setup ".

A lot of choice from Nikon but the answer is very simple: If you shoot sport for your living you need a D2HS or a D2H. If your subject of interest is anything else you can choose between D2X and D200. If money is no issue and you need the very best AF - technology currently available: Get the D2X and have fun with it. I think I would rather prefer to have a second D200 as a backup or for convinience ( 12-24 on one and 70-200VR on the other camera ). I woudn´t recommend anyone to get the D70S now as its value seems not that great anymore. Get the D50 instead or save some money to buy a D200.

Final note: A Nikon D200 review without without any mention of "banding"? For all the people that don´t know the dpreview - forum a short explanantion: Some users discover fine vertical stripes in their D200 images. These stripes seem to only apear in very special situations but somebody already discovered a way how they can be reproduced. You have to shoot into a lightbulb with ISO set to 400ASA and you must dial in a +2 or +3 stop exposure compensation or something like that.

I haven´t tried this test but maybe I will do it if I find the time. I got my D200 on the 29th of December and till today, the 4th of February 2006, I shot over 3.500 images and I haven´t discovered stripes in my images so far. I shot in all light situations I can think of but I did not shot into light bulbs or anything else nor did I try out "banding"-Tests. Why? Because if I can´t find this problem in over 3.500 real life shots it is, even though it might exist in my camera, not important to me. I don´t say there is no problem at all but if someone looks at the dpreview - forum, he might come to the conclusion that there is no D200 without this problem and that these stripes will show in every single image it takes. I can understand that some people are frustrated that they are still waiting for this camera but I can´t understand all the noise about "banding". There is a problem. Only a very small number of cameras are affected. Nikon will deal with it. Still no banding on my D200.

If you really get one of the few "bad" samples just return it to get it fixed. Regarding all the "banding"-posts in the dpreview - forum I would like to close with a line from Lou Reed:"Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear".

To answer the question in the heading: Nikon D200 as great as it seems? The answer is a clear YES! The answer is still YES! The D200 is an amazing value and back in January 2002 when I bought a used D2 for 3000.-EURO I couldn´t imagine that digital would develop so fast. In my POM ( picture at the month ) of January 2002 I wrote:"There is no doubt that digital cameras become the standard within the next years." but to be honest I´m amazed that it happens so fast and that everybody can afford digital photography with a D-SLR today.

I would really appreciate your feedback. If you find something wrong ( spelling or even worse: regarding content ) or that I have overlooked some important facts please let me know. Just push the CONTACT button on my website to send me an email. If you like this review please take the time to sign my GUESTBOOK. Thank you!