Picked up D200 today - 'Banding' or am I paranoid?

[lex_jenkins]

Even modern cameras are mostly hand assembled. The basic manufacturing and machining is computer controlled, but there's still a helluva lotta skilled hand assembly going on. Ever see photos of a typical electronics assembly line? Or see one in person? I have. Lots of folks wearing paper gowns, hair nets, face masks, gloves, hunched over workbenches peering through magnifiers.

 

The difference between the manufacturing of a camera like a Nikon and a Leica is that many steps may be performed by a single craftsperson at Leica, while Nikons, Canons, etc., are more likely to be assembled by many people, each doing only one or two things. Division of labor makes a big difference in cost of production and retail cost.