Nikon D80 or D200

[Commonman]

I think they go for about 1300 pounds or 1980 Euros. In the U.S., I think you can find them for 1800 or 1900 USD and a kit for 2240 USD. If I acquire one of these cameras, I feel I'm also going to have to upgrade my computer. That's the thing.

 

[Rogan]

I think they go for about 1300 pounds or 1980 Euros. In the U.S., I think you can find them for 1800 or 1900 USD and a kit for 2240 USD. If I acquire one of these cameras, I feel I'm also going to have to upgrade my computer. That's the thing.

certainly not

i take off photos from my finepix onto me 32MB ram windows 98 machine all the time

 

[Commonman]

Do you shoot and edit in RAW?

 

[Rogan]

Do you shoot and edit in RAW?

not just now no.

what are the specs of ur pc?

anoterhing with more than 2Ghz processor, running XP and 512 ram will be fine

 

[djacobox372]

Sounds like ya'all are recommending the D200, which sounds like the machine for me. But, my co-worker just handed me the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports and they are giving the Nikon D300 a top notch score. Now, I guess I will look at the differences between the D200 and the D300.

The D300 is worth it IF you can afford it, but it cost about twice what a used D200.

Here's a list of the key improvements of the D300:

High-ISO noise performance which makes the camera about 1.5 to 2 stops better then the d200. This is a BIG deal, just compare lens prices and see how much more 1.5-2 stops more cost!

A bazillion point af sensor

Lens specific focus adjustments: say goodbye to front/back focus problems

Live View: kind of a gimmick, but nice for tripod shooting

12mp vs. 10

 

[Commonman]

Ok thanks everybody.

 

[cszakolczai]

I've owned a D50 (I know its not a D80) but its close. I played around with a D80 and a D200 before I settled on my D200. I ended up selling my turbo kit and decided it was time to step up. I love the camera... love it like a child. I bring it everywhere, everyday of the week. Its a very well balanced camera and it just feels so good with a battery grip. It feels so comfortable and so easy to use. I love the fact the WB and ISO are all easily adjustable, the battery grip as well can control the shutter speed and aperture. Overall... worth every penny. Fitted with my 18-200 lens, I can safely say its something which I feel is the best thing I've purchased.

Chris

 

[Commonman]

rogan, sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your question. I've got an iBook g3 which has, I think, the equivalent of a pentium processor and only 320 mb of DRM.
We also have a G4 desktop but my wife pretty much dominates that.

 

[MelodySoul]

I went through the same dillema and I decided on the D200 (used), I'm really happy with my decision. I would have LOVED a D300 but it just wasn't in my budget. I think the D200 is a good compromise and then you can always upgrade in a few years.

 

[Commonman]

Thanks, yes I'm really thinking about the used D-200.
So far (and I've only done a little research) every used one I've found has been $1,000. And I think that's just the body....but i'd have to check again to make sure.

That Avatar is so cool!

 

[Commonman]

csz, the battery grip you speak of, is that something that would come standard with the camera? Or is it purchased separately.

 

[Mav]

Commonman, you never really specified your usage for the camera. Are you a professional doing professional work, or do you plan to? If so just get the D200. There's a lot of little things about it that make life easier for a pro who's using the camera all day that'll easily pay for itself. If you're an amateur, the D80 is a perfectly good camera with the same if not better image quality than the D200 for less money. They're very cheap now since a replacement is being anticipated soon. You can get them for $730 body only, or $899 with the 18-55VR lens. That's a brand spanking new camera with a great little lens for the same or lower price than a used D200 with probably no lens.

Also, how big do you plan to print? 20x30" or bigger on a regular basis? OK then a 10/12MP camera is probably what you want. Do you plan to crop a lot like for shooting sports where you can't get close or wildlife like birds? 10/12MP is probably what you want there too. For more general use though, even 6MP is more than plenty. The D40 is also a great little camera for a lot less than any of the above, and is actually better in some ways too. On a 30" wide print, the difference between 10MP and 6MP is only 125 dpi vs 100 dpi, so not nearly as big of a deal as the numbers suggest.

 

[djacobox372]

Well, I bought my d200 with just 2k clicks on it for $799 last year. The used price of a D80 runs about $30 less then a used d200, but it's a significantly inferior camera IMO--image quality is the same (same sensor if I'm not mistaken), but the build quality, button layout, and speed doesn't hold up to the d200. The only thing better about the D80 is it being lighter, and the battery last a LOT longer.

There are a few d200's that have sold on ebay recently for $800 or less (examples below), you will typically get the best deals on auctions compared to "buy-it-now," My advice is to look for high serial numbers (last numbers in serial greater then 10000) and low actuations (less then 12k).

http://cgi.ebay.com/NIKON-D200-BODY...yZ150131QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D200-10-2...yZ150131QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Also, when buying used cameras I always look for one paired with a nice lens, flash, battery grip or some other accessory I need... you always get a screaming deal if the seller is too lazy to separate the two items.

 

[Commonman]

I've noticed some sources have the d200 body NEW in the box. None were under $1,000.

My local photo retail store has a d200 kit with a Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5 (or a similar Nikkor lens) for $1,400.

I'm thinking more about buying new because, since as some of you have noted, these are "pro" cameras and if they were used by working photographers (as opposed to weekend shooters), they probably have a LOT of mileage on them.

I've looked on this site at some of the d200s and there are some reasonable deals.

As you can probably tell, I've decided on the d200 over the d80.

 

[Mav]

There's lots of low mileage mint D200's out there from people that bought the D200 late in its cycle and then immediately upgraded to the D300 when it came out. The ones you'd want to watch for that really crank up the mileage (actuations) are the D2x cameas. A lot of those have well over 20k or 30k actuations. I personally wouldn't have any problem buying a newer used D200.