Build quality
ergonomics
ease of use

none

I bought a secondhand D2h from ebay in imaculate condition and ive had it for over a year now. I have to say it was well worth the money for despite its relatively low pixel rating compared to more modern cameras it produces pin sharp images up to A3 size. Its built like a tank and is a breeze to use, its also lightning fast. It does suffer from a minor blip when starting up, an 'err' symbol sometimes shows up on the lcd screen which dissapears after depressing the shutter and after that its fine for the rest of the day. Overall, brilliant, why pay thousands for a camera which isnt built better but has a very high pixel count? after all I dont produce bill board sized prints, do you?

Customer Service

Havent needed any.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D200

High frame rate, 8FPS is fast even today.

Can meter with manual focus lenses, which is programmed in the menus. This is a very important feature to me and the sole reason I got this camera, as a backup to my D700.

Uses the still current EN-EL4a battery that is used by the D3 and as an option in the D700's battery grip.

It has very good ergonomics, fitting your hand well and is lighter than a D700 with it's battery grip and I believe also the D3.

Is essentially still a "modern" Nikon, so anyone using a newer pro body will feel right at home with it, and can shoot in jpegs or raw as needed.

Has a Type III compact flash slot, so you can use either Compact Flash or SD cards in those Type III adapters all over the place on Ebay. 2GB will be plenty for this camera.

My example has 94,000 on the shutter count and has the "lazy first shot" problem where the first shot of the day results in an "err" message, as the shutter sticks on closing. Pressing the shutter button again finishes it and the camera is good for the rest of the day. Set it down for a few hours and it comes back. When researching how much it would cost to replace the shutter I've found this is a problem that sometimes comes back even when the shutter is fixed, and have decided to ignore it until the thing actually breaks.

The D2H has issues with noise at higher ISO settings and is not really a good camera for low light shooting. I believe this is due to the limitations of the technology at the time and the camera's emphasis on speed.

At this stage of the game 4MP can be considered a liability, but it depends on how the pictures are used. If you don't use heavy cropping/enlarging then it won't matter.

The camera has a separate white balance sensor and "tone compensation" settings that I believe are contrast/balance curves applied to jpegs and tiffs. Raw files do not use these.

The tone compensation was used on the D1 series but is absent on newer cameras, on the D2H it's essentially another option to have to be aware of and adjust as needed.

The D2H is in a neither here nor there state in modern photography. It was intended to replace the D1H as the flagship high speed journalist/sports camera, and it did that well for it's time. However, that was six years ago, and the low resolution now counts against it. Whether or not you will find the camera useful depends on what you expect from it.

To clear up some confusion about Nikon's naming scheme, the original pro DSLR was the D1, followed by the D1H (high speed), D1X (high resolution) and D100 (advanced amateur.) Nikon never made a D2, but did make the D200/D2X/D2H and an improved D2Hs. The scheme is even more tangled in the D3 series as the D700 is really the camera the D300 should have been.

Customer Service

Haven't used yet, I checked the shutter issues in newsgroups.

Similar Products Used:

D50, D90, D700.

Speed, durability, battery life, ergonomics, image quality (even at 4 mp), and "feel"

low light performance

This is a great camera. The speed, build quality, ergonomics, durability, and images are all first rate. I also own a D3 and D300, and I find I favor the D2h under most circumstances. It is not as complex as the newer cameras, but produces excellent images when shooting RAW. Also, the small image files make post processing very fast. I've produced some of my best shots with this camera. On the down side, low light photography is a real challenge with this camera, but I use the other cameras for that. This is one of the great tools, and if you have an opportunity to pick one up, I highly recommend it.

Customer Service

not had any experience, but overall I hear good things

Similar Products Used:

D3, D200, D300

Speed
Built quality
image quality

Heavy
hi iso performance if you don't get the exposure correct

Love the camera, the speed, the accurate exposure, the built quality, I also have a Canon 20D & Nikon D200, but still using the D2H, love the image quality, as for as 10X8, its as good as the others.

Customer Service

na

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D200
Canon 20D

Battery like is much inproved over the D1h

Color Balance is poor, Flash sysem has gotten worse not better in past 10 years, Nikon autofocus is 15 years behind Canon.

I am very dissapointed in all recent Nikon Cameras, and the d2 is no exception. The autofocus is auful in low light and the color balance setting are all off. The flash system is not as good as it used to be. The one bright spot for Nikon is the Battery system on the newer cameras.

If you are trying to decide between Nikon and Canon, do yourself a favor and buy a Canon.

I am stuck using Nikon's because my employer (a daily newspaper) supply's them.

Customer Service

Nikon customer service has been poor IMPO, it has taken 3 trips to the shop to fix a 300 mm 2.8 lens used by our company. Nikon is slow with service.

Similar Products Used:

D1h, d200, D300, Various Canon products

Ultra Fast. For sports it is a dream.

No shutter lag to speak of.

Excellent skin tone and accurate color.

Built like a tank.

Smaller files to handle.

Ultra fast autofocus.

Voice annotation. (No more pockets full of note papers to loose)

The rubber gets loose.

4.1 MP (if you think this is a weakness. I really dont)

Heavy to carry around.

This is an excellent camera. It is lightning fast and handles very well. I am surprised at the bad reviews. If you are considering one of these remember this is designed for working professional photojournalists. If you do not need the fast speed and tank like body choose another and cheaper camera. Photojournalists find the 4.1MP sensor just fine. There is no need for higher resolutions on magazine or newsprint. (And little need for more by about 90% of photographers.)

Image quality is excellent. Noise is well controlled. The controls are intuitive. The cameral is very, very fast. Shutter lag is nonexistant. Flesh tones are well rendered and color is accurate. I like the flesh tones so well that I used this camera for a calendar shoot last year. Autofoocus is noticably faster than the D100 and D70. Somewhat faster than the D200. Battery life is good. I can shoot all day on one battery.

This camera is a tank. At the end of the day you know you have carried it.

This is a professional camera. It is all wrong for the hobbiest or casual shooter. It costs too much and is way too heavy. It is aimed at folks like me. Editorial and sports photogs and photojournalists. If you are not working in this field the D200 is a much better choice. So would any of Nikon pro-sumer SLRs for that matter.

I rated the camera 5/5 for photojournalist. As you read above for an amature I would not recommend this camera at all unless your passion is sports.

Customer Service

Nikon's customer service is wonderful. 24 hour tech support if you can imagine that.

I just sent mine back to Nikon for some service. They were great. They called me to explain my repair issues. While there for an electronic problem they replaced all of the rubber, cleaned the sensor, made all of the necessary adjustments and upgrades and had it back to me on the exact day that I had told them I needed it. It looks about new now.

Nikon service is pricey but a professional should plan to send his/her camera in for service at least once a year. Broken or not. It is just the cost of doing business. Just like your car a professional camera shooting thousands of shots a week needs service too. I have little sympathy for those who do not do routine maintenance. Plan on spending about $250.00 per year on maintenance for this camera. Of course, if you use it very little this is not necessary.

My camera is back looking and working great. I could not be happier with Nikon service.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D200
Nikon D100
Nikon D70
Nikon D2X
Nikon D1


Just about any film camera you want to imagine.
No room for all of the lenses but if you can find a way to get the 70-200 F2.8 AFS G Vr , get it.

Ultra Fast. For sports it is a dream.

No shutter lag to speak of.

Excellent skin tone and accurate color.

Built like a tank.

Smaller files to handle.

Ultra fast autofocus.

Voice annotation. (No more pockets full of note papers to loose)

The rubber gets loose.

4.1 MP (if you think this is a weakness. I really dont)

Heavy to carry around.

This is an excellent camera. It is lightning fast and handles very well. I am surprised at the bad reviews. If you are considering one of these remember this is designed for working professional photojournalists. If you do not need the fast speed and tank like body choose another and cheaper camera. Photojournalists find the 4.1MP sensor just fine. There is no need for higher resolutions on magazine or newsprint. (And little need for more by about 90% of photographers.)

Image quality is excellent. Noise is well controlled. The controls are intuitive. The cameral is very, very fast. Shutter lag is nonexistant. Flesh tones are well rendered and color is accurate. I like the flesh tones so well that I used this camera for a calendar shoot last year. Autofoocus is noticably faster than the D100 and D70. Somewhat faster than the D200. Battery life is good. I can shoot all day on one battery.

This camera is a tank. At the end of the day you know you have carried it.

This is a professional camera. It is all wrong for the hobbiest or casual shooter. It costs too much and is way too heavy. It is aimed at folks like me. Editorial and sports photogs and photojournalists. If you are not working in this field the D200 is a much better choice. So would any of Nikon pro-sumer SLRs for that matter.

I rated the camera 5/5 for photojournalist. As you read above for an amature I would not recommend this camera at all unless your passion is sports.

Customer Service

Nikon's customer service is wonderful. 24 hour tech support if you can imagine that.

I just sent mine back to Nikon for some service. They were great. They called me to explain my repair issues. While there for an electronic problem they replaced all of the rubber, cleaned the sensor, made all of the necessary adjustments and upgrades and had it back to me on the exact day that I had told them I needed it. It looks about new now.

Nikon service is pricey but a professional should plan to send his/her camera in for service at least once a year. Broken or not. It is just the cost of doing business. Just like your car a professional camera shooting thousands of shots a week needs service too. I have little sympathy for those who do not do routine maintenance. Plan on spending about $250.00 per year on maintenance for this camera. Of course, if you use it very little this is not necessary.

My camera is back looking and working great. I could not be happier with Nikon service.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D200
Nikon D100
Nikon D70
Nikon D2X
Nikon D1


Just about any film camera you want to imagine.
No room for all of the lenses but if you can find a way to get the 70-200 F2.8 AFS G Vr , get it.

AF
Build quality
The "feel" of the camera in my hands
4mp is perfect for me

rubber coming off the doors
LCD screen for image preview isn't that acurate.

I've had this camera now for a few months so I thought it would be a great time to write a review.

I decided it was time to upgrade my D1 & D1h cameras by purchasing a D2h. Image quality is fantastic, build quality is superb (except for the rubber grips) and I really don't have much to complain about it. I shoot sports and I do product photography for an internet based store, so being able to shoot 4mp for web use is perfect. I haven't blown up a D2h image above 8x10 yet, but I got a D1h image printed at 11x13 and it came out fantastic.

AF is very fast, and once it locks onto the subject it stays with it.

I do have an issue with the rubber grips coming off on the CF card door, and the grip. A little bit of glue has solved the problem though :)

The menu layout is easy to navigate, and the LCD screen is bright and easy to read. Mine seems to lack some contrast in it, since what I see on it isn't what I see on the computer. My D70 in comparison is almost spot on. Then again I usually rely on the histogram anyway to help with exposure decisions.

Customer Service

Had to send in my D70 for a warranty check up, got it back within 2 weeks. Also sent in my SB-600 flashes in for repair, got it back in a few weeks as well.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D1
D1h
D70 (Still have as a backup camera)
Canon EOS 1

Looks like a well built camera

Where to start...poorly engineered, rushed to market before bugs were worked out, overpriced, not reliable, not consistent, poor customer support, and the rubber grips fall off.

I am on my second D2H...first D2H died within months of purchase, metering problems, rubber grips falling off, and inconsistent results. Nikon replaced this with an alleged refurbished D2H, I had nothing but problems with the D2H, it spent more time at Nikon service than it did in my hands, I purchased a D70 for a backup and found it was more reliable than the supposed pro D2H. I no longer recommend Nikon DSLRs to anyone, I've taped over the Nikon and model on my D70 (I would do this to the D2H if it wasn't in the shop), Nikon DSLRs are not even close to the F5 for strengths and reliability, I guess Nikon has bought in to the quantity not quality mantra. Bottom line, if I did not have a fortune invested in Nikon glass, I would have went with Canon years ago.

Customer Service

Weak, I would not expect anything else from a company that knowingly markets an inferior product. Also Nikon has a couple of tricks to void the warranty, watch for warranty voided due to moisture damage or impact damage.

Similar Products Used:

D1H, D1X, D1, D70

Great build and ergonomics. Logical control and settings layout. Great AF system once mastered. Smaller and easier to handle file sizes. Phenomenal battery life. Fantastic image quality with decent glass and proper technique.

4.1 megapixels means less latitude for cropping. Meter failure is virtually a given. Nikon is extremely good about replacement. Avoidance of high ISO noise requires exposure discipline.

I came to the D2H via the path of the D100 and D70s, and when I found myself doing more and more action photography I decided to fork over the extra money for a pro-class body and faster AF system. I've been pleased with the transition. The stronger AF motor dials in my Nikkor 80-200D non-AF/s lens very quickly, and with a few caveats it works very well. It's important to realize that the focus indicator marks on the focusing screen do not necessarily align with the actual focus sensors on the LBCAST sensor. Critical focus at very shallow depth of field can be a little bit of a trick, and proper set-up of the camera is crucial to achieving consistent results. That said, the AF system works extremely well once you set it up right. The D2H delivers excellent color saturation out-of-camera, and using compressed RAW as I do, image size is very manageable with a middling-strong computer and 512MB cards. The presence of noise above ISO 800 is greatly dependant upon exposure control. You have to expose correctly or suffer the consequences. Image quality is just superb when you pay attention to detail. Exposure compensation decisions as well as white balance are more critical in this camera than with the D70 or newer cameras, but it occurs to me that one is more self-critical about the quality of images you're producing with a camera of this cost and capability. The "feel" of the D2H is, to me, just about perfect. It balances the weight of heavier lenses nicely, and the controls are, for the most part, very well placed. I think the layout of the AE-L/AF-L and AF-ON buttons could be a little better, but that's about all. You can just about count on your meter failing, and you'll send it to Nikon for the 2 weeks total it takes to be replaced. It will come back with a clean sensor and a better meter than the one that failed. AF performance will be slightly better as well. As the D200 becomes widely available, I expect prices for the D2Hs will come down, and used D2H models will get a bit cheaper too. Of course, the D200 has to undergo the real world rather than the fantasy world it exists in as I write this, and it may be a less desirable camera by next summer than anyone thinks right now. I'm holding out for my dream "D3H", an 8MP refinement of the D2H that will be the best DSLR Nikon has yet produced. In the meantime, I'm happy with the D2H.

Customer Service

Nikon USA in Melville, New York has treated me extremely well.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D1H, D100, D70s.