Hello,

I am currently shooting with the D80 and I thinking of upgrading to the D200 or the D2Xs. Just wondering if I should spend the extra money on the D2Xs. I shoot weddings 90% of the time.

Many thanks!!

I have both. the D2x is hands down a better camera. It is a pro camera and the images that come out of it blow away the d200. Don't get be wrong, i love my D200 but the D2x is in a whole different league.

I guess I'll have to cough up the extra bucks!!

Thanks..

Derrick, don't just go off of my advice. i know that there a quite a few people here who swear by their d200. Trust me, either camera is going to be a huge improvement over the d80. I don't know if there is a shop nearby you that you can go hold the cameras and shoot a little with both. the d200 is smooth, but the d2x is sharp and fast and feels like a pro camera. I don't know if this is a possibility, but you might want to see if you can get a d2x instead of the d2xs. that will save you some cash and I am not sure if you will notice the difference.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Joel,

I appreciate it. I'm going to take my time and make sure I make the right choice.

Cheers.

Derrick: FWIW I have never shot with a D2X, but I love my D200's! I have heard the D200 compared to the D2X and called a D2X w/o the price.

I have both in my bag and I usually have the d2x in my hand but I dont think that it blows away the images. You can definately get by with a d200 but I would be worried that you would just end up wanting the d2x. Both great cameras.
Shaun

I shoot D2X and my wife shoots D200. Both are great cameras. The D200 is far better for high ISO. AF and battery life are better on the D2X. Many things are equal between the two.

Thank you all for your comments.

Maybe I'll start off with the D200 and use my D80 for backup until I can afford the D2X. I currently have a D70 as a backup and I hope I never have to use it.

Figure in the cost of the battery grip and two extra batteries in the cost of your d200 because the battery life is horrible. Can't make it half way through a wedding on one battery charge. (But the good news is that the battery grip makes the camera more stable, easier to hold, and easier to shoot portrait orientation shots.)

I have the battery grip for my D80, I don't think I could ever have a camera without it now. Its great when going vertical and it makes the D80 feel less plasticy..

I like that the D200 is smaller and lighter. The less I have to carry, the better, especially over the course of an 8-hour wedding!

I have not shot with the D2X/s, but it is Nikon's flagship so there's no reason it shouldn't be the best performer. If you have the money, go for it. Personally, I'm more than thrilled with the performance of my D200 and have no desire whatsoever for any other body (okay, except maybe the Fuji S5 from everything I hear about the sensor... )

I use both the D2x and a D200 for my weddings. I prefer my D2x but shooting with both is easy when you include the vertical grip. The D200 is better in low light with high iso (but the AF on the D2x is way better in low light) and I prefer the color tone from it in some cases. Everybody's right on with regard to battery life. The D200 battery does not last long at all. I go through 4 batteries on the D200 compared to one on the D2x on a 8 hour wedding and that's me using both bodies all day. The other thing that annoys me about the D200 is the layout of the AF sensors. They are in a diamond pattern which is really irritating after you've gotten used to using the box layout found on the D2x.

Either way, the D200 is a great camera. I know a couple of shooters that use them exclusively for their work and it's great.


If you have the money for a D2x and can handle the extra weight then I'd get one. However, you can buy two D200s for the same price and the D200 is a lot lighter which is especially important for a lot of the women photographers I've talked with.

Jeff

I have owned both and I sold my D2x and bought another d200. I wantd more consistency when shooting with both lenses and I found the d200 images to be a bit better out of the camera and the dynamic range to be better as well. Im not sure why you guys have so many problems with the battery life on the 200 though. I get about 1800 images on two batteries which is plenty for one wedding. Especially if your shooting two cameras.

However I did just sell one of my D200 bodies to help pay for my new Fuji S5 that should be in my hands late this coming week or early next week. I will let you know what I think about it.

Brody