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If you're willing to spend the extra $300 that the D200 costs over the Canon EOS 30D, and you don't have a Canon lens stockpile, then choosing the D200 is a no-brainer. If you're a pro, the choice is harder. Sure, Nikon's D2x can take more abuse and has a longer-life shutter, but you could buy two D200s, a battery grip, a few lenses, and a flash for the price of one D2x body. And the only advantage an EOS 5D has over the D200 is its full-frame sensor, which gives you the same field of view on a lens as on a 35mm SLR. Is that worth $1,300 more? You decide."

The Nikon D200 establishes itself firmly as the much longed-for "digital" F100. Alternatively, it can be seen as a wolf in lamb's clothing. You get an image quality within a hair's width of the D2X, Nikon's current digital flagship. In some aspects the D200 performs even better, for example, ISO noise is slightly lower over much of the range and the risk of blown highlights is subtly reduced when the camera is run on automatic metering modes."

he Nikon D200 is hard to compare on an equal footing with the rest of the current dSLR field, as it really establishes its own category of affordable (well, relatively so) professional dSLR. Priced closer to semi-pro cameras like the Canon EOS-30D, the D200 nonetheless competes in many ways with much higher-priced models like the EOS-5D or Nikon's D2Xs. From our testing, there's no question that the (much) higher-priced models beat it handily in several areas, but the D200 holds its own surprisingly well, and has build quality that takes a back seat to no one."

The Nikon D200 establishes itself firmly as the much longed-for "digital" F100. Alternatively, it can be seen as a wolf in lamb's clothing. You get an image quality within a hair's width of the D2X, Nikon's current digital flagship. In some aspects the D200 performs even better; for example, ISO noise is slightly lower over much of the range, and the risk of blown highlights is subtly reduced when the camera is run on automatic metering modes."

Photo quality was excellent as well. Photos were properly exposed, with vivid colors and low purple fringing and noise levels. As is typical with D-SLRs, images are very smooth, and some folks may want to sharpen things up a bit. My only real photo quality complaint is that noise levels are higher than I would've liked at ISO sensitivities above 640. They're not horrible by any means, but after just reviewing the Canon EOS-5D, I'm a bit spoiled. Then again, the 5D costs $3299 and the D200 is $1699."

As expected from a Nikon, and delivered in this camera, the 3D Color Matrix meter was dead-on, even in challenging lighting situations. Focusing was as fast as you could desire, especially in low light, and color balance in Auto White Balance even surprised me in how accurate it could be, even under the ugliest of ambient light, fluorescents.

Priced at about $1700, the D200 will appeal to those who want one of the best and most useable digital SLRs today, but want to experience pro build and handling without paying the higher price tag of pro-level cameras."

The D200 is a very desirable upgrade for anyone using an entry-level digital camera by any manufacturer so long as they do not have a large investment in lenses in another fitting. If you are a pro using a D1, D1X, D1H or D2H, you will probably also be interested, and if you have a D2X it would be a good back-up, though you may fnd you use the D200 more. It is a camera that is hard to fault, other than that it does not have a Canon lens mount."

The D200 is a much faster camera with a more logical ergonomic design. With the Nikon, users can turn the camera on and snap off a shot in a single motion - an action that would require two hands and far more time with the 5D. The D200 can also shoot 5 frames a second, while the 5D can only muster 3. This combined with the D200’s more robust body (not to mention its more affordable price tag), makes it a much more formidable alternative for photojournalists or casual shooters."

Now that they're in the country it will take two to three weeks to get to the stores. If you're considering the D200 I'd suggest you order one right now, since if you don't like it you can just send it back if you order online as I do. If you don't like it you probably can resell it to some who can't wait at a profit! Just like when the D100 and D70 came out, it will be a while before you can just walk into a store and buy one. The lists are filling up and waiting times are going to get worse before they get better.

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The D200 plugs a wide gap in Nikon’s DSLR range, and provides a bridge between the consumer-oriented D50, D70 and venerable D100, and the giddy heights of the D2x and D2h. It is big, heavy and expensive, but it provides the kind of build quality and performance that the serious amateur or semi-professional will be looking for. The lack of in-camera processing control is surprising, but with the right RAW conversion software it can produce truly stunning results."

The Nikon D200 delivers excellent 10 megapixel images, and it's easy for the experienced photographer to operate. It's an excellent step-up camera for photographers buying a second Nikon DSLR, or for experienced film users who are finally jumping to digital (do such people still exist?).

If you're looking for a "conclusion" then this is not the review for you. However, if you want to discover more about the camera from real-world use then click the "Read Full Review" link.

Overall, the D200 provides enough kit and control for the most demanding professional or enthusiast snapper. The image quality is superb with the advanced metering and AF system combining well (albeit with that odd slight underexposure) with nary a shot going astray. Colour balance and detail are superb and despite the Nikkor 18-70 F3.5-F4.5 DX kit lens being more a budget end lens, more serious optics start to pull even more from the camera’s high-resolution sensor."