The underrated almighty Nikon D200, in 2019
- SengHong Toh
- Jan 9, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 11, 2019
First post of the year, first post in the 'photoh dialogues'!!!! It's basically a space (I want to stay away from labelling it a blog) where I pen down thoughts about '___________'. Excitingly, the first post will be about a review/experience I have with a particular camera.
Disclaimer: This is purely based on my personal opinions and thoughts from my own shooting experience.
Back story: Simply said, I bleed Nikon and any heritage which brings me back to Nikon interests me.
Back in the photography world in 2005, Sony was called Konica Minolta back, Micro four thirds cameras weren't even a thing back then.
I've heard amazing reviews about its successors in the Nikon D300 and D300s but not many about the D200. Hence, when I saw a chance on it, I jumped. I decided to give this 14-year old camera a chance to justify how relevant (or usable the images are) it is, even in 2019.
First impressions
It feels damn good in the hands. The camera was really well built. A magnesium alloy construction means it's built like a tank and built to last. You can seriously injure someone with it (but seriously, don't do that). The grip is a reminiscent of any current pro Nikon DSLR.
Tiny screen. It has a tiny screen only because LCD screens nowadays are at least 3 inches in size. Back in 2005, a 2.5 inch screen is good enough for reviewing your images and scrolling through menus. The resolution is okay but I typically don't use it to review my images. What's good about this is that when you go back home to review your images in you computer, it looks better than it seemed at the back of the camera.
AF-ON button!! It has a dedicated AF-ON button. This allows for back button focusing and abstains any configuring of buttons to be the AF-ON button. It also has a top LCD screen showing all your settings. This removes any fiddling of settings at the back of the camera.
Dual command wheels. With these, you are able to independently set both the aperture and shutter speed. You won't find yourself diving down deep menus to toggle your settings. You more so won't find yourself enabling a combination of buttons to change your shooting settings.
All these for about $140. A Nikon D5000 or a D3100 costs as much as this. A Canon 450D or a 1100D costs as much as this.
Actual Usage (and thoughts)
It 'boasts' a 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor. Camera nowadays uses CMOS sensors. Nikon didn't have any full frame cameras back then so this sensor was the top of the line back in the day. Where the 10.2 Megapixels sensor do not allow for much crop-ability, it trains photographers to properly frame and compose their shot. Furthermore, 10.2 megapixels means smaller sized images and faster transfer rates!
Its ISO capability ranges from 100-1600, with a boost of 3200.
Canon Camera. I know. You would probably noticed that it gets unusably grainy at ISO 3200. Not only that, it suffers from discolouration. I will try as much to stay away from ISO 1600. I wouldn't go beyond ISO 1600, hence this is NOT a camera for indoor/event shoots, handheld. When it comes to shooting in daylight, I'll take it anytime of the day over any other cameras that is priced similar. One interesting fact is that its successor's (Nikon D300) base ISO is 200.
It has the same image processing machine as the then-flagship Nikon D2x, which reproduces brilliant colors. Coming from someone who has shot with modern camera DSLRs and old film cameras, I personally feel that the Nikon D200 camera processes images with slightly higher green tints, giving a very filmic look, straight out of camera.
Looking through the viewfinder, you'll notice that there are 11 focus points. It mainly has two focusing modes: The Normal Zone - 11 points and the Wide Zone - 7 points. The former is for stationery subjects whereas the latter covers a wider range, thus being more suitable for sports shooting. This brings me to its shutter mechanism where it shoots at 5 frames per second (FPS). 5 FPS is substantial for light action or simple sports shooting, by any stretch of imagination. Its AF tracking abilities is nowhere comparable to modern (Nikon) DSLRs, but it still manages well for non-fast moving sports and action.
Basically for action/sports shooting, this camera is capable of doing it in daylight. When it comes to indoor sports shooting, I would stay away from this camera. I brought it out once for a swimming meet and I stood beside a guy who was using a 12 FPS Nikon D5. I was blown away by the difference but I felt that the 5 FPS allowed me to plan and time my shots, abstaining from having the 'spray and pray' mentality. Here are some images:
The shutter life is rated for 100k clicks, the one I got was about 50K. Another advantage this camera has over other cameras such as Nikon D5000 or the Nikon D3100 is that the shutter speed maxes out at 1/8000th of a second. That's a stop faster than its 'price-competitors', if you will.
Designed with the professionals in mind, this camera has backward compatibility to a wide array of Nikon F-Mount lenses - way back to 1959. That's a heck of heritage in a camera body.
My Verdict
As far as 2019 is concerned, this is still a pretty capable camera. It does not do video, it deters you from shooting handheld in the night but at its price, but there's no DSLR I would think of to choose over the Nikon D200. If you are looking to get a camera as a: 1) backup, 2, a starting camera, 3) a rough and tough camera; this is it. The Nikon D200 definitely will still serve its photography purpose for a certain period of time. $140 for a camera body that feels good in the hands and is reliable, I'll sign up for it anytime of the day!
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