| Nikon
D200 Review
by Digital Darrell
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NEW
NIKON D200 CCD
With
the new 10.2 megapixel CCD, one can make very large images
with extremely high resolution and deep color. Since it uses
the same 4-channel image processing system as the Nikon D2x,
it is very fast, with smooth color gradations and high clarity.
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Nikon
D200 10.2 megapixel CCD |
Nikon
has also redesigned the low-pass filter on the Nikon D200.
This is important, since this filter seriously affects image
quality. On the older Nikon D100, the low-pass filter was
quite strong, and the D100 had less sharp images out of the
camera, but less moiré. With the introduction of the
Nikon D70 the filter was weakened, and the images are significantly
sharper immediately. But the Nikon D70 suffered with more
"moiré" as a result. Moiré is the
color banding effect one sees in fine detail, especially in
grid-like subjects where the finest image detail has reached
the resolution limit of the sensor.
On
the Nikon D200, Nikon has developed a new Optical low-pass
filter that helps prevent moiré, color fringing and
shifting, while also "complementing the sensor's
improved resolving power." This seems to signify
that it will not blur the images as badly as some of the older
low-pass filters did. From the sample
images I've seen at their 100% size, the Nikon D200 does
NOT have a problem with initially unsharp images. In fact,
as I zoom in on them, I am simply amazed at their sharpness,
lack of noise, and clarity. If you have a good internet bandwidth,
download this 6.89 megabyte sample.
You'll see clearly what I mean!
CAMERA
SPEED
One
of the aggravating things about some digital cameras is the
time it takes to get the camera ready to make an image. This
is not a problem with the D200, since it only has a 0.15 second
power-up time. This is about the equivalent of an eye blink,
and is one of the fastest startup times in the industry.
Another,
more serious problem with many digital cameras is trying
to take an action picture and having a slow shutter
response time cause one to miss the peak of the action.
I remember my first digital camera, back in 1999. I
was trying to take some pictures of my kids on a swing.
I remember having to time the shutter release part of
the way through the swing, so that the shutter would
finally release, and hopefully catch the peak of the
swing. I was unsuccessful more often than not. Once
I got my D100, that was no longer a problem. Then I
got my D2x, and it was so fast that I merely had to
think about taking the image and it was done. What about
the D200? Well, it has a 50 millisecond shutter release
delay. The $5,000 USD Nikon D2x has a 37 millisecond
release delay. So close as to be imperceptible. Consider
the D200's release to be instantaneous! |
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Finally,
one of the last things that always bugged me about SLRs in general,
is the way the subject disappears when the shutter fires. This
is called "mirror blackout," and is caused by the
mirror moving out of the way so that the shutter can open and
let light in. If you are panning a fast subject, or are trying
to maintain a good composition, the mirror blackout can at the
very least be a distraction, and even cause problems with continuous
shooting. On my Nikon D2x, with a tiny 80 millisecond mirror
blackout, this is not a problem at all. The Nikon D200 follows
closely behind with only 105 milliseconds. You'll have no problems
panning with this camera!
Since
the image capture rate of the Nikon D200 is 5-frames per second,
one can be assured of getting good shots at all points of the
action sequence. This is very fast, so, it's best to use higher-speed
image storage cards. You are limited to 54 Large Normal JPEG
images in a single burst. At higher resolutions one can take
37 Large Fine JPEGs or 22 NEF RAW shots before the camera buffer
is full. If you have a fast CF card, such as a Lexar 80x or
Sandisk Extreme III, you can take smaller bursts continuously.
The camera will be transferring images while you are shooting
6 or 8 shots. If you time this carefully, you can shoot these
small bursts without stopping.
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