simon_hickie1 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I currently use a D80 and have done so for about a year. The release of the D300 means that both new & used D200s are available for sensible (amateur) money. The D300 has a net upgrade cost of about 600 pounds, a new D200 a net upgrade cost of about 280 pounds and a lightly used D200 a net upgrade cost of about 170 pounds. While the D80 is capable of producing excellent images, the metering characteristics have finally got to me. Seven years of F70 usage and generally very well exposed slides from its matrix metering led me to expect better from the newer camera. I've tried the usual tricks (-0.7ev in matrix metering, using centre weighted metering, spot metering in manual etc.). I shoot all kinds of subjects. I like to be able to change camera settings easily without delving into menus. I generally shoot in aperture priority & do not use scene modes. I hate fiddling with exposure compensation from shot to shot and generally prefer speed of handling to slow & considered tripod use. I hate having blown highlights & have always preferred images that are slightly underexposed to those that are slightly over exposed. I shoot with the 18-200VR 98% of the time (well it helped me to a third place in this year's annual competition at my local camera club this evening), but would like to do more macro stuff (currently I have no macro lens and I am also considering something better at the longer end where my 18-200 is relatively weak). I'd also be happy to consider using manual lenses for macro work & when I do decide to get the tripod out. So here's the dilemma: New D300 in 6 months time or New /Used D200 now-ish (before the D80 replacement comes out and the net upgrade cost to the D300 goes up)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol young Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I can only say what I would do. the 300 is enough of an upgrade that I would not want a 200 unless it was a great deal. I have the same issues with my d70 and d70s but I am able to work with them and produce salable pics. The 80 is a great camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elliot1 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I suggest you get the D300. I must admit though that I am not totally thrilled with matrix metering on my D300 as compared to the D200's metering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 The D300 over D200: (1) Much better AF, (2) 8 frames/second, (3) better ISO results by at least 1 stop, usable up to ISO 1600 and perhaps 3200, (4) better (and more expensive) vertical grip. If you shoot macro, live view can potentially be very useful. In 6 months, we'll probably be talking about even newer DSLR bodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_margolis Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Hi Simon. My gripes with the D80 primarily were related to quirky metering and ISO issues. As you know, I moved up to the D300 and have never looked back. It really is a night and day change. The D200 definitely would be an upgrade but I say in all sincerity, the D300 is the neatest camera I have owned since the F2. There is a bit of learning curve but the difference in results is astounding. However, if I was going to wait 6 months to get a D300, I would seriously consider looking at the D80 replacement which should be at least announced if not released in that same time frame. I imagine it will be more expensive than the D80 was when first announced but if history continues, it should have many of the great features of the D300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonard_forte1 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 definitely D300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summitar Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I never shoot in machine gun mode, and rarely need extreme ISOs. I am an amateur and shoot mainly landscapes and family members. I have had a D70 since 2004 and it remains a very capable camera. I elected to upgrade to a low mileage D200 and I like it very much. If I had an extra US $1000 laying around, I probably would have gone with a D300. Both are wonderful cameras. The D300 extends the envelope over the D200 but I rarely venture into those new regions of the envelope. If I had a tax write-off, I might have done differently. The D200 exceeds my personal skill levels. You win either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_ Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 " (-0.7ev in matrix metering, " is not a grand idea. What part of the image were you expecting the matrix meter to adjust? The Nikon matrix meter measures the entire scene and then offers a exposure based on the programming given the camera's computer. Trying to get the camera to adjust one part is not going to provide you with good results...but if you have the camera on large or small spot metering, the + and - compensation will work. [And none of your SD cards will be good in either a D200 or D300 body.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_hooper1 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 If I were you Simon, I would go for the D300. Your photographic knowledge and skill level is such that the somewhat dated D200 digital technology is going to limit your potential growth. The replacement for the D80 may turn out to have impressive capabilities, but I'm almost certain it will continue to favor a point-and-shoot, amateurish metering bias: something you are already tired of overriding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
httpwww.photo.netphoto1664881546 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Hi Simon, I am in exactly the same boat. My mind is telling me to get the D200 now before the D80 prices drop, but the heart tells me to live with it for a while and then get a D300. The longer and more I think of it, I feel the decision is being made for me as I haven't got a D200 yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShunCheung Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 First of all, the prices for everything (or at least most things) digital and electronic will continue to drop. Yes, prices for the D80 is dropping, but so is the price for the new camera you will be getting. If you can wait, as far as prices go, the longer you wait, the better off you are. (Of course, you'll also be missing your new camera for longer.) Unless you mainly shoot still subjects, such as studio fine arts, landscape, you'll likely feel the difference between the D200 and D300. If one already has a D200, it is debatable whether it is worthwhile to make the jump from D200 -> D300. (Major exception: if your initials are J.V. ... :-) ) If you are coming from the D50, D70 or D80, going directly to the D300 will be a more meaningful upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl_becker2 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 If metering, controls and lens selection are your only criteria then the D200 will deliver. I like the D300 for the better high ISO performance but I just can not quite justify the extra cash. Live view and frame rate are not much of an issue for me. This would leave you some cash for a very good macro lens also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_hickie1 Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 Many thanks for the replies & suggestions. Live view is not currently a big deal for me & neither is frame rate - I think I've used the D80 once in 'motordrive' mode in a year. What may be more of an issue is better high ISO performance. I prefer hand-held and monopod shooting, so shutter speed can be an issue. VR gets you some of the way, but cannot compensate for subject movement. Dynamic range is also an issue insofar as I want to avoid burnt out highlights whilst retaining as much shadow detail as possible. Weather sealing is not a huge issue for me either. So the D300 delivers on the dynamic range and noise fronts (and mostly on metering too), whereas the D200 delivers on the metering front. The D300 also seems to offer better out of camera sharpness. I tend to shoot in RAW + JPEG & convert the best RAW images using NX. I think the D200 would turn out to be a stop-gap measure & I'd end up with the D300 anyway. Yes, the price difference would pay for a decent macro lens and a couple of primes, but I'd be losing out on the other benefits from the D300. So it looks like the D300 is the next step for me - unless Nikon can deliver a D80 replacement with better metering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_konrad Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 <b>"...What may be more of an issue is better high ISO performance..."</b> <p> You are totally right! The D300 produces very usable images at <b>ISO 3200</b>. Here is one shot at ISO 3200 from a recent wedding! <p> <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2372487606_0f01098e0c.jpg?v=0"> <p> With the D200 - anything past ISO 1100 was usually too noisy for a usable image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiggs77 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 I have a feeling that Nikon will deliver a D80 replacement with better metering. (That's what I'm waiting for too!) The reason I say this is because if they put in Active D-Lighting they will need to make metering adjustments to use that feature, because the idea is that the camera will underexpose a bit if the highlights are too bright and then increase the shadows a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl_becker2 Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 IMHO all digital camera bodies are stop gap until the next latest and greatest body is released. Are you close to wearing out your D80 yet? If money is not an issue then I think the D300 would be your best bet. The D300 also should give better AF performance. Glass on the other hand should outlast many bodies if of high quality. Then again I am not much of a bleeding edge tech person and still enjoy using a film rangefinder as much as my D200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georges_walker Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Simon, D200 was my first digital camera, I bought it last year. Today I'm seriously considering an upgrade to D300. Why? Because today D200 has a good price for selling it out because it is still an excellent camera but digital toys get obsolete faster, really faster. As Shun mentioned already, in less than a year we might be seeing new digital bodies, better that D300. that means, even D300 would be behind the new toys. Moore's Law also applies to digital cameras ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore_Law Await half a year only and get the D300. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_weinkauf Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 I own a D80 and am having similar thoughts. For the same reasons. I have found the meter tricky, but bearable Long ago ruled out a D200. The camera upgrade to me doesn't justify the cost. The D300 however does. Planning to order a D300 soon. That said. I have some great lenses. (17-55/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 w/2x TC)Including the 18-200, but I rarely use it. Consider keeping the D80 and investing in lenses. Looking for a longer lense. Check out the 70-200/2.8 and Teleconverter.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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