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.
Strengths:
Speed
Built quality
image quality
Weaknesses:
Heavy
hi iso performance if you don't get the exposure correct
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.
Strengths:
Battery like is much inproved over the D1h
Weaknesses:
Color Balance is poor, Flash sysem has gotten worse not better in past 10 years, Nikon autofocus is 15 years behind Canon.
Similar Products Used:
D1h, d200, D300, Various Canon products
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.
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.
Strengths:
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)
Weaknesses:
The rubber gets loose.
4.1 MP (if you think this is a weakness. I really dont)
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.
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.
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.
Strengths:
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)
Weaknesses:
The rubber gets loose.
4.1 MP (if you think this is a weakness. I really dont)
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.
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.
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.
Strengths:
AF
Build quality
The "feel" of the camera in my hands
4mp is perfect for me
Weaknesses:
rubber coming off the doors
LCD screen for image preview isn't that acurate.
Similar Products Used:
Nikon D1
D1h
D70 (Still have as a backup camera)
Canon EOS 1
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.
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