D200 Mixed Reviews

Remember, a camera is a hammer. That said, this is one heavy hammer. You could even call it a B.F.H. On first feel, the D200 is the closest thing to a true, fast top-end 35mm camera that I have been able to afford. If you can afford a D200, well you aren't done yet. In order to get that loving feeling, you have to add the MB-D200 multi-power battery pack (about 179.usd). Feeling better? Then add the cost of a SB-800 Speedlight (about 329.usd), and now you have a fast photo-assault weapon. For those of you needing flash, there is no dedicated Nikon subsititute for the SB-800. Sorry. For those of you wanting to skimp on the battery pack - don't. The battery pack adds weight and function. It also adds MAJOR shooting capacity in that it holds TWO of the En-El3e Li-ion batteries. Guess what? There are no additional batteries to be purchased as of this writing! NONE. My preliminary estimate on this is 500 images before the battery immediately goes south. IMMEDIATELY. They did, however, include a AA battery insert to get you limping through - and it does limp.

PROS - Feels like a great camera. Functions are well laid out. Rear screen is HUGE. Controls make sense. File size allowed me to print 2.4 x 4 feet prints with quality. Programability of functions is extensive and managable. Viewfinder is incredibly bright, and the speed of the mirror is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. Lag time for shutter is not a factor. Multi-focusing areas are welcomed and easy to change. Did I mention the mirror speed? Wireless programability of Speedlights is amazing and now possible without a computer science degree. This needs detailed coverage because it opens so many creative doors, I can not cover it here.

CONS - My Cool Hand Luke quote of the day "What we have here is ... failure to communicate." Photographers need to unite and communicate to their respective camera manufacturers --- NO MORE NEW RAW FORMATS! ADOBE IS SHOWING THE WAY! The new RAW file for the D200 can only be read by, you guessed it, Nikon Capture Editor 4.x.x(and BIBBLE Pro 4.5 update). The NIKON software sucks as it always has! It was crashing and moving so slow that I finally pulled the last hair out of my head and went to the NIKON web site to check for updates. Guess what? The brand new software has a brand new update (4.4.1). That tells you how "good" the software really is. Besides the usual lack of speed, the conversion of raw completely departs from whysiwyg - giving you images nothing like the RAW (correctd in raw) originals show. There are no updates for CS2 or Aperture as of this writing. However, I have e mailed all channels - Adobe, Apple and Nikon to give them a taste of the displeasure over their slowness and backward thinking.

FINAL - Don't buy this camera now if you want to have your workflow move at same rate or faster than your current camera allows. Wait for the translators from Aperture and Adobe. If you are not in a workflow hurry, buy this camera now. It is a quantum leap in the advancement of Nikon's line of cameras. Besides the feel of the camera, the wireless dedication of flash, detailed programability and did I mention the mirror speed?

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