differences

[tab]

I am trying to find out what the major differences between the D80 and the D200. I am thinking of buying one or the other. I don't really want to spend an extra 500 bucks if I'm not getting that many extra features. I looked at both and I really love how the D200's menu style is but other than that I didn't see any major differences.

Help!

 

[shingfan]

D200 has better sensor
D200 has better body
D200 has faster shutter

but as you stated...you are paying extra $500 for them....do you need the faster shutter?...do you need to better constructed body?....at the end...is all about what you need....and i also think that the difference is more than $500....

 

[Big Mike]

Actually, I think that they both have the same sensor, 10MP CCD.

Of note is that the D200 has a weather sealed body...and is the least expensive DSLR to offer that. So if you are an avid outdoor shooter, that may be something to think about.

Side by side comparison

 

[shingfan]

o....i thought the D200 use CMOS.....but it is only CCD.....my bad....lol

 

[JIP]

Personally the 2 most important differences, and thanks mike for that link would be durability and speed, and the D200 uses a CF card. The second one is a personal one for me just because I already have alot of money in CF cards for my D70s and plan on buying a D200 eventually and after that I waill inevitably go further up at some future time and all pro cams currently use CF cards.

 

[Jeremy Z]

Of note is that the D200 has a weather sealed body...and is the least expensive DSLR to offer that.

I don't think that's true any more, since the Pentax K10D came out.

 

[Jeremy Z]

Personally the 2 most important differences, and thanks mike for that link would be durability and speed, and the D200 uses a CF card. The second one is a personal one for me just because I already have alot of money in CF cards for my D70s and plan on buying a D200 eventually and after that I waill inevitably go further up at some future time and all pro cams currently use CF cards.

JIP - You may want to hold out. The D200 has been largely eclipsed by the D80. Nikon will probably release something new in the next year or so that will blow the doors off of the D200 and D80. Just food for thought.

 

[tab]

thanks for the help, I do like the body style of the d200 better.. I think I might go for the d80 however because I already have an sd card and I can use some of the extra money to buy a VR lens.

 

[Mike_E]

Aside from the better body, the thing that sold me on the D200 over everything else any where near it's price were the three buttons on the top left of the camera.

With the D200 you have instant access to White balance, ISO, and Quality.
I can take pictures in RAW and see something outside that I want to shoot and drop into jpeg basic with a new WB in about a second and a half (ok maybe just a bit longer ) then pull back around and crank up the ISO to catch the proverbial church mouse. You just can't do that if you have to use a menu.

So, is a weather resistant metal body, a shutter that should take twice as many actuations, and functions that make you think of your old semi-autol film SLR worth the extra money?

Your call.

mike

 

[JIP]

JIP - You may want to hold out. The D200 has been largely eclipsed by the D80. Nikon will probably release something new in the next year or so that will blow the doors off of the D200 and D80. Just food for thought.

Due to construction and speed considerations I would never buy the D80 because it will be for professional use but due to current personal financial issues I do not think I will be buying a D200 toorrow so I probably will wait and see what is next mabye a full 35mm sized sensor on a reasonably (under $2000) body.

 

[shingfan]

Aside from the better body, the thing that sold me on the D200 over everything else any where near it's price were the three buttons on the top left of the camera.

With the D200 you have instant access to White balance, ISO, and Quality.
I can take pictures in RAW and see something outside that I want to shoot and drop into jpeg basic with a new WB in about a second and a half (ok maybe just a bit longer ) then pull back around and crank up the ISO to catch the proverbial church mouse. You just can't do that if you have to use a menu.

So, is a weather resistant metal body, a shutter that should take twice as many actuations, and functions that make you think of your old semi-autol film SLR worth the extra money?

Your call.

mike

D80 also allow you to change the followings instantly without having to go to the menu

ISO
white balance
quality
EC
Bracketing
metering

i feel that the major major difference between D80 and D200 would be the SPEED and BUILD

 

[Jeremy Z]

Aside from the better body, the thing that sold me on the D200 over everything else any where near it's price were the three buttons on the top left of the camera.

With the D200 you have instant access to White balance, ISO, and Quality.

That's what kills me about these camera companies' decisions sometimes. For some reason, when they lose the weather-resistant, rugged body, and rugger shutter mechanism, they also dumb down everything else and throw everything into menus.

What gave them the idea that only pros want instant access to often-used features? We wouldn't be buying SLRs if we wanted something so dumbed-down. <rant mode off>