Nikon D200

As a replacement for the D100, Nikon's new pro-level DSLR has been a long time coming. A lot of hopes are riding on this camera, especially among Nikon aficionados, so does it make the grade?

The answer is an emphatic 'yes'. At the heart of the D200 is a newly developed 10.2 megapixel sensor, which incorporates a 4-channel data output system and a new optical low pass filter. In theory, this should help prevent moiré, colour fringing and shifting while improving resolving power. Other changes include an ISO 100 setting, as well as the ability to change from ISO 1600 to 3200 in 1/3EV steps rather than a 1EV leap. The larger 2.5-inch high-resolution LCD has a wide 170° viewing angle from all directions.

The build quality of the D200 inspires a great deal of confidence. Its magnesium alloy body is as solidly built as its bigger brother the D2X, yet while this makes it heavier than some of its rivals, at least it's beefy enough to cope with everyday use. The ergonomics and control placement are faultless, while the excellent battery meter system, which shows exactly how much battery life is left as a percentage and how many shots have been taken since the last charge, is a useful hand-me-down from the D2X.

The autofocus system feels very slick. The default setting is an 11-point system, with the AF points arranged in a diamond shape within the viewfinder in a similar manner to the 20D's nine-point system. However, it's possible to switch to a Wide Area Mode, which produces seven larger AF points, displayed differently in the viewfinder. The beauty of this is that it's easier to use the normal mode for static subjects and the wide mode for subjects that are moving around.

The viewfinder display provides as much information as most users could want. What's more, its overall size, brightness and lack of significant mirror black-out means we can forgive it for only displaying 95 percent of the frame. On a related note, the shutter button is superbly responsive with lag non-existent, and playback functions are just as speedy as in image capture. It doesn't take long to cycle through images or menu functions. The camera shows a wealth of information in playback mode too, including separate overexposure hotspots and histograms for each colour channel.

All of the above is sadly irrelevant if the images aren't up to scratch. And it's here that the D200 really shows its mettle. We were stunned by the sheer quality of the JPEGs it produced straight from the camera. The metering is spot on and there's a huge amount of dynamic range. RAW image files are big enough to pull a bit of extra resolution out, as well as an extra stop of dynamic range, depending, of course, on which RAW converter you're using.

What's really astonishing is the way that noise is handled. Unlike in the D2X, NR can be turned off or implemented in three different degrees (normal, low and high). But that's not all - there is also an almost total lack of noise. Even in shadow areas, it just isn't there at anything below ISO 800. We've no idea what black magic Nikon has used to achieve this, but we're sure as hell not going to knock it.

So, in short, whoever put this camera together got it about as right as it could get. If we have any complaints, they're mostly about things that have been left out rather than what's been put in; I'm sure many users would prefer some proper RAW conversion software in place of Nikon's irredeemably naff PictureProject software.

The D200 feels like a 'baby D2X' that manages to rid itself of some of the bugs that plagued its parent. We'd go as far as saying it's a better camera than the D2X; it's cheaper, lighter, more compact, does 95 per cent of what the D2X can do, and usually better. This is a camera that gets it 'just right' - it’s built up to a spec rather than dumbed down and has the image quality to compete with the big boys. As a result, it receives a very firm thumbs up.