D200 vs D300 vs D700 for a film guy

[garrett_smith2]

<p>Again thank you everyone for your advise and detailed responses to all of my questions. THere were so many questions that I had answered on here that made my decision a lot more informed. I did just press the place order button on the D200 so I am looking forward to it arriving. Once again thanks everyone for your help now I guess it is time for the wait and to read the user manual when it arrives so I know what I am doing. Or if anyone has any good reference books other than the user manual let me know.</p>

[peter_n1664876959]

<p>I have read that Thom Hogan's e-books are good: <a href="http://www.bythom.com/d200guide.htm">Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D200</a></p>

 

[g._v.]

<p>I have Thom Hogan's D80 ebook guide and while it is a good book I think that it is too expensive at $37 including shipping.</p>

<p>A Magic Lantern Guide can be had at Amazon for less than $12 including shipping: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1579908861/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238522277&sr=8-1. I suggest giving that a try along with free online resources before spending so much money on Hogan's guide.</p>

[greg_m4]

<p>The D200 is a great camera, and I'm sure you'll like it. I never did see a response to the question about whether your existing lenses are AI. It's an important distinction as pre-AI lenses won't mount without modification.</p>

[stephen_worth]

<p><i>If that works out, I don't think the D200 will be his last DSLR.</i><br>

I have a D200 myself, and I feel no need to upgrade to a D300 or D700. The D200 is a much more useful and flexible camera than my old F2. I plan to use it until the cows come home. Not everyone is riding the upgrade merry-go-round. I'd rather get a few nice lenses and shoot lots of pictures than waste a lot of money and time spent learning new controls just to get a couple of stops more speed. I don't know if the D200 will be my last DSLR or not, but it sure is a great one.</p>

[anindya49]

<p>Garrett, congratulations on your purchase. I think it's the right decision. I would suggest that you don't invest heavily in DX lenses: just buy one DX lens which gives you good wide angle coverage. Use the rest of your budget to get good FX lenses, which should do fine for midrange or telephoto on your D200 (with good quality since only the central part of the image circle is being used) and also be useful if you decide to upgrade later to a full-frame camera.<br>

In the meanwhile, some software to look at:<br>

1. Photoshop Elements or CS4 (kind of the grand daddy of image editing programs)<br>

2. Nikon Capture NX2 (awesome selection control points mode, among other things)<br>

3. The GIMP (a very nice open-source image editor, free to download and use)<br>

Also, you'll be getting a free copy of "123 of Digital Imaging" with your camera (this is true in Canada at least), which is a nice book for people starting in digital. Enjoy, and do share your pictures with us!</p>

[alvinyap]

<p>Yay! Another D200 photog! You'll definitely enjoy your camera. It took me a few months to get used to it as well as getting the files to be processed to the way I like.<br>

Do read up on color management if you are into color accurate prints, that took a while to figure out, and now my prints match up very closely to my screen. The lab I'm using is a pro lab that knows their stuff so that helps alot. I've not yet printed up to 30in; max I've done is A3 prints using my 70-300VR (which is kinda soft) and 55mm 2.8 (super sharp!!!) and both prints turned out pretty darn nice. Urge to do prints @ A2 strong. Damn the day i was introduced to large format printing :(<br>

One thing I really enjoy about digital photography is the ability to change iso without doing a mid roll swap. So easy. I've found the D200 to be very sensitive to underexposure, so get your metering good and the pics will be awesome. All the best!<br>

I'm pretty sure I will be getting a used d300 or used d2x in a few months time - primarily because my shutter is nearing the recommended actuation limit :)</p>

[heartyfisher]

<p>Congrats! Ha! Now comes the PP frustrations! </p>

[garrett_smith2]

<p>Yeah Greg my lenses are AI and AIs. I actually took my 50mm with me to the local camera shop just to see what it was like.m I think that is what drew me to the cameras that I mentioned because on the D90 it almost felt as though my lens weighed more than the camera itself. I have photoshop CS3 but I am scared that the large RAW files will kill my computer so that will be fun to see what it does or if I will have to get a new one. I currently have a G4 dual 1.25 PowerMac with 2.0 gHz of memory. Cannot wait for it arrive so I can get to shooting. I will definitely post pictures and I am sure that I will have some processing questions as well.</p>

<p>This forum has been a great reference for me and I look forward to gaining even more help and suggestions as I progress. </p>

[lou korell]

<p>This is an interesting thread. The move to digital requires a great deal of research and asking a lot of questions. It can be done in one of two ways - just jump in and deal with it, or plan carefully so you don't end up spending good money after bad.<br>

A few years ago I went from Hasselblad & Nikon film into Canon digital. I just entered in at the lowest level. That was because my budget was small. Looking back I realized a few things that I made many mistakes philosophically speaking.<br>

When I shot film I did not compromise on my equipment. I always bought the best that was out there even if I had to wait until I had the money.<br>

With digital there are so many choices. But every choice is a compromise. In effect, the camera you choose is your choice of "film". The sensor becomes the most important thing to look at. Most of the top cameras have great features and are all very useful in their own right. But you have to examine the benefits of sensor resolution and then the features - and there are many. I'd make a list and do some comparison of what it is you actually need or want. You may not know what you need yet until you play with a little digital equipment and work on your post processing. That will give you a ton of information regarding how much you need to learn in order to produce the most optimum results in camera.<br>

In terms of value. You will be surprised here. The hype surrounding obscolescence is just hype. I know people producing great results still on cameras they have used for over five years now with zero upgrades. Gear is good until it breaks.<br>

I was surprised to hear your old gear is going up in value. I have been selling off a lot of my old gear and even some newer gear and it seems sometimes I can't even give it away. People are totally caught up in having to constantly upgrade with the newest thing on the market. What they don't realize is that before they even buy it there is a new one even then waiting in the wings. Find what gives the best results and be content with it for as long as you can deliver the product that works for you.<br>

That said, if you start digital from the lower level after having shot with the best film cameras, you will be disappointed. Entry level DSLR's do not (IMHO) come close to the quality of any good film camera. I realize there are those who disagree, but quality is also in the build not just the look of the picture. Performance is an issue as well. You will not be happy with slow focus, shutter lag, focus hunting, unfriendly menus, etc.<br>

Get the best you can afford - or wait until you can. I shoot with the D700's and one D300. I have used many models of both Nikon, Fuji, and Canon and I have not been as pleased with a camera as I am with the D700. The performance and quality of this camera is first rate.<br>

You can use most all of your old lenses, but you will also be very amazed by the absolute quality and performance of the newer lenses. Figure out what kind of shooting you will be doing most and try something new in the lens lineup. It will change your approach towards how you budget for gear in the future.<br>

Good luck! and keep asking lots of questions. You will find your comfort zone with digital faster than you think.</p>

<p>Lou</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>I recently went through this exact dilema. Took advantage of some decent pricing and bought a pair of D200s. They're great, I love em. It's a lot to figure out when you first go digital after a long time in film. I will use these until they self destruct and then I'll buy a pair of something else. Enjoy your new cameras!</p>

[mike_thomas9]

<p>Well there has been some good advice and I won't pretend to know as much as the others. My advice is whatever you decide buy it and use it! I have know so too "photographers" over the years that agonize over which camera to purchase only to treat it like some prized piece of artwork that sits idol on a shelf only to be admired from a distance. With that said if a camera is not used it really won't matter if you decide between a pin-hole camera or the D700! What ever you decide happy shooting.</p>

[mike_thomas9]

<p>Well there has been some good advice and I won't pretend to know as much as the others. My advice is whatever you decide buy it and use it! I have known too many "photographers" over the years that agonize over which camera to purchase only to treat it like some prized piece of artwork that sits idol on a shelf only to be admired from a distance. With that said if a camera is not used it really won't matter if you decide between a pin-hole camera or the D700! What ever you decide happy shooting.</p>