Opinion: Nikon's release of the economically-priced D200 digital SLR makes this fight interesting. Can competitive price drops be far behind?Canon and Nikon are continuing their battle for the professional and enthusiast photographer's heart and mind, and we're all benefiting from better quality imagery and lower prices.
Just a couple of months after Canon's 5D release, Nikon has now retaliated with the full-featured D200 digital SLR, which comes in at $1,700, about half of the cost of Canon's 5D. However, both cameras are targeted at the same audience.
Nikon's new camera features a 10.2-megapixel CCD sensor, delivering a resolution of 3872 by 2592 pixels with a focal-length multiplier of 1.5X. The rest of the 200D's features are even more impressive.
In particular, the 200D's proficiency at rapid shooting stands out in its price class: The shutter lag is rated at 50 ms by Nikon. And there's a five images-per-second high-speed motor-drive mode, with a buffer capable of storing 22 Raw or 47 large JPEG shots—more than enough to make sports shooters happy.
Read more here about Canon's 5D digital SLR.
Photojournalists and studio and wedding photographers will also consider this model for professional use, as its 10.2-megapixel imagery should have sufficient resolution for all but the most demanding commercial applications.
These pro customers will be reassured by the 200D's rated shutter life of 100,000 exposures. Design for durability marks the new magnesium-body camera as suitable for intensive use, as a fully qualified main unit rather than as a backup.
One novel feature of the Nikon D200 is the ability to enter 36 characters of text into the file's metadata. The camera also offers a large 2.5 inch LCD image display on the back of the unit for image review—pros call this chimping—as well as a built-in flash and focus assist lamp that will do wonders for casual use of the D200 indoors, and as fill-in flash outdoors.
The Nikon D200 announcement is only half of a one-two punch combo, though; a simultaneously announced zoom lens offers an unheard-of 11X zoom range of 18-200 mm (27-300 equivalent) with a maximal aperture varying between F3.5 and F5.6. This lens is internal-focusing (no size variation during focus) and fully stabilized. Nikon indicates that the stabilization should permit a four-stop shutter speed gain. I can imagine many buyers will never need another lens.
My take here is that Nikon is now offering a hugely attractive deal to all pros and especially to advanced amateurs. The competing Canon 5D offers just 20 percent more pixels, albeit with less Hi-ISO noise, for double the price. Truly, as much as I dislike crop factors, I admit it's hard to argue with the D200's sticker, when comparing to the 5D.
The fight between Canon and Nikon is getting interesting. I'm waiting for Canon's countermove—my guess would be either a serious price drop on the 5D or a new "surprise" model release well ahead of the PMA show in February.
In any case, the huge premiums that we've had to pay for digital SLRs seem to be receding, and I expect prices to be back at film-camera levels within a couple of years. It's about time.
Edmund Ronald has a Ph.D. in applied mathematics, but he is currently on a sabbatical as a photographer in Paris. He can be reached at photofeedback@gmail.com.
