Thoughts on D200 Body?

[Weed Shark]

I'm considering getting one. I have a Nikon N90S now. I like the idea it turns my 80-200mm/2.8 lens into a 120-300mm/2.8, and gives my 70-300mm/5.6 450mm capabilities.

Any opinions you want to share?

[yakfisher]

I have not shot the D200 but I'm sure it is a fine camera. Sounds like you have full frame lenses. If I were in your shoes I'd check out the new D3 which has the FX CMOS sensor which is the same size as a 35mm or the D300 which uses a DX sized CMOS sensor instead of CCD sensor. No matter which way you go, I don't think you can go wrong.

[buzzsaw]

Well I have the D200 and have found it to be a very good camera for the wildlife/birding and landscape shots I've taken (feel free to look over my gallery in my link) With that being said, I plan on selling my D200 at some point to upgrade to the D300. Either choice would be good.

[JohnK]

By all accounts the D200 is a great camera but since the D300 is only $300 more I would skip the D200. I shoot a D80 now but will be getting a D300 before to long, from what I've been reading there is nothing the D200 does that the D300 doesn't do better.

[Weed Shark]

Here is one of my main deterrents. I'm an artist. For the past 20 years I've used a lot of 35mm slides as reference material for my work. I like seeing the true colors in a slide, it’s the next best thing to being there when painting very realistically.

I can't paint from a computer screen, and how do I know the truthfulness of the colors on the screen of my computer? Sure, I use my artistic license and change colors anyway; but sometimes it's valuable to see, for instance, that unique turquoise in the snow that would never carry through on a photo print.

Not sure if anyone can help me with that one. I guess I'm a relic.

I don't have to worry about composing the perfect shot like you guys. Photograph a birch tree in the neighbors yard, re-arrange the branches, and paint it on an Ely lake.

[Steve Foss]

WS, there really are no "true colors" on film. Each film has its own bias. For example, the Velvia I used to use was very saturated, contrasty and cool, while the old Kodachrome 64 did better with warm tones. Images I duplicated with each of those two slide films five years ago showed quite different color.

Using the camera as an aid to memory doesn't cancel out digital. However, you'll need a nice photo printer so you can make your own prints, or you'll be taking your memory card or a CD into a photo or big box store to have prints made there. If you go the latter route, you can generally select some form of "color correction" to make sure your colors are balanced.

White balance is the largest concern when it comes to accurate color and digital, and rather than relying on automatic white balance you can set your wb manually each time you compose a scene. It's a quick and easy process and ensures the highest possible level of color accuracy.

[Dbl]

Weed Shark,

I myself in a former life was a free-lance artist for a brief time. What got me started into photography almost 30 years ago was shooting 35mm slides for reference materiel. I still have boxes full in a closet.

You can obtain true colors from your monitor with a calibration device. Honestly you may not have been seeing true colors with your slide film, digital allows you to accurately color correct your work. It also allows you to manipulate your image in other colors and styles to get an idea of what you want your final work to look like, free preview without using the materials.

All of those slides can be scanned and entered in storage on your computer, I know I have scanned a number of my more useful slides. Digital has been a nice change to a whole new world.

[Weed Shark]

BuzzSaw,

I checked out your HSOforum, very cool!

Dbl & Catfish,

Thanks for the information.

I realized slides are not true either. Prints usually burn out in the light areas and lose detail (plug) in the darks, along with some color shifting, so they have been less true than slides. Sounds like you believe your new digital controls allow you to eliminate these issues and reproduce prints with similar quality to a 35mm slide? By that I mean, better than the slide itself; I know it must be better than a print from a slide.

I bought an Olympus Stylus 770SW, so I'm learning more about digital photography (fits nicely in my shirt pocket and tackle box).

Do you color correct in Apple based Photoshop, or a PC version?

[Steve Foss]

Weed Shark, I use Photoshop CS2 on a Mac (Apple) machine.

[Dbl]

Weed Shark,

Apple is much better at color correction then Windows. Steve is an Apple user so he can address that aspect but I use a calibration device on my PC to insure correct colors in both print and on-screen viewing. Yes you will be able to get the quality you want with digital technology. It has taken the lab out of the equation from your slide shooting and put it in your hands. You will now make the decisions to get your desired results.

[yakfisher]

You could also use a digital projector to plug into your computer and put your photos on the wall that way.