Nikon D200 DSLR

I purchased the D200 camera and lens combo last July 2007. I wanted to move up from the higher end point and shoot cameras to a real DSLR, with capabilities similar to my SLR film cameras. I am not a novice with SLR cameras, however this is my first DSLR. Using the default settings, my first impression is that the picture quality was fair at best. Maybe a little "soft". I quickly learned that this camera performs far better when shooting in RAW mode and using the Nikon software to process the files. It is my opinion that the picture quality is twice as good in RAW mode as it is in jpeg high quality mode. With this camera, picture quality is what it is all about. The results are clear and sharp.

The camera can take up to 5 shots per second, however RAW mode slows it down a bit, maybe down to 3 or 4 shots per second. This level of speed is fantastic for my uses, which include race cars, race motorcycles and wildlife. Believe it or not, out of the thousands of pictures I have taken, I've only missed one or two shots due to a camera related delay. Instant response is a proper description of the camera. Make sure not to confuse camera response with lens autofocus time. Every lens is different.

The battery life is quite good and the built in flash is powerful enough for some shots up to 30 feet away. The low light performance is good and the noise reduction software works well.

I find the controls easy to use, however there is a steep learning curve with this camera. One must read the manual and try the various settings and controls to understand how they work. I find that I am unable to change settings "on the fly" or during times of high stress. Such as during the 3 second interval between race cars on the track. Even though the controls are located right at the fingertips, I have to look to see what I have changed. I suppose with more practice it will come naturally.

I dropped the camera on concrete, right after I bought it and it still worked, however it was quite damaged. Nikon repaired the camera and the lens for free. The repair took about 3 weeks. Nikon did a great job on the repairs and the camera continues to function perfectly.