would like some feedback from d200 users

My college newspaper is planning on purchasing a bunch of new D200s to

try to replace as many of our old D1H bodies as possible. I've always

been using the D2H(s) for our basketball shoots, and I'm wondering if

anybody who shoots basketball games and have used both the D2H(s) and

D200 can let me know whether they're more inclined to switch to the

D200 as a primary body for the higher resolution, or is sticking with

the D2H's 8fps as the primary body?

I'm just wondering whether all these D2H's will go to cr*p and I'll

never use them again - it used to be that I'd have a 70-200 on the D2

and either a 17-[3/5]5, a 50, an 85, or 300 on the D1 - whatever my

mood, and I'd basically never even touch it during the game.

I don't have major crop problems with my shots, but as a photographer,

what has been your experience with them? (This is just for opinions,

getting the D200s is already a given cause the shutters on the D1's

had began to show their age a while ago.)

Sorry, but please post only if you have personally used both the D200

and D2H(s) for indoor sports, esp basketball. Thanks alot.

Read the reports from dissatisfied D200 owners before making the switch. Apparently Nikon hasn't competely worked out the bugs. See the Nikon Forum here, nikonians.org, dpreview.com and other sites before deciding.

I've been using a D2H for almost a year and wouldn't consider switching for newspaper quality reproduction. Halftone reproduction will eliminate any differences between a 4mp and 10mp dSLR. It might matter for high quality full page magazine reproduction, but otherwise, no.

Also, while I haven't read any specs yet on the estimated number of shutter cycles expected of a D200, we already know the D1H, D1X, D2H and D2Hs are designed for hard, heavy use.

At this point, until Nikon satisfactorily resolves concerns about the D200, it makes better sense to go with a camera known to be reliable.

Lex -

Have you used the D200?

The shutter cycle is supposedly 100K. Our massive fleet of D1H's are dying [they were bought at around the same time]. Our budget is limited, but we need to get new bodies. You suggest something known to be reliable, but we/I need something concrete to consider.

The D70 does not offer what we need at our paper. The D1 is, perhaps obviously, not a very good choice as a camera to buy now. We also cannot afford to purchase 10 more D2H's. In effect, we are pigeon-holed into the D200, if there can be such a thing.

Either way, the purchase of the D200(s) is not my issue - it is management's decision. My question is as a photographer who will soon have access to the D200. Do you have any additional insight as to sports photography in particular?

I've no experience w/ the D200 but will raise a feature you've not mentioned and worth considering: AF sensors. The D200 has one cross sensor, all others are either vertical or horizontal. The D2 series have 3 cross and 6 'T' / inverted 'T' sensors and 2 line sensors. It seems that a sports photog would have the greatest need for the cross / 'T' type sensors.

This raises another issue, not to derail the original post, but I can't see why the D200 has merely one cross sensor. To help maintain the lofty and separate position of the D2X? I just can't see it being a significant add-on expense while it would certainly improve AF performance.

Lilly beat me to the punch. To me, a far more important issue than frame rate is the D200's auto-focus capabilities. </p>

The D200's 5fps is good enough for 95% of the general and sports applications you'll need it for. I <i>have not</i> shot with the D200 yet. But if the D200's focusing capability is closer to the D100/D70 than the D2h (which would appear to be the case) I think you'll be disappointed in it for demanding, fast-action shooting.

its a COLLEGE NEWSPAPER...not shooting for the cover of Sports Illustrated. And when exactly is your paper suppose to get a shipment of D200 to arrive?

Your reader will never be able to tell the difference between a 3x5 photo in a weekly newspaper that was shot with a 4mb image or a 10mb image. And neither will you or your editors.

Thanks, Lily and Dan, for pointing out an AF issue. Do any of you guys know of any good sites that offer a lengthy explanation/description/review of the D200 AF system vs the D2 series?

In regards to Armando, no offense, but next time, don't get so worked up trying to answer. The first sentence of the second paragraph in your response by itself would have been adequate.