Nikon D300 vs. Nikon D200 : Features And Capabilities

I enjoy writing these guides.  I just wonder how many folks enjoy reading them as much as I like writing them.  If this guide is helpful, let me know by clicking "yes" at the bottom.  If it needs improvement, send me an eMail and how I can make the guide more user friendly.

Now, let's talk about the D300 and the D200:

UPDATE:  The D300 has been out for a bit now and is available at most any photography store or online retailer.  I've had my D300 for 16 months and have enjoyed it fully as I am sure I would have if I were to have purchased a D200.  Being that the D300 has been out for nearly a year now, I will speculate that the Nikon will announce the next generation in another 12 months.  It is not unheard of for Nikon to put out a D300x or D300s model, but I think the D400 will be the subsequent version. 

Will Nikon do away with the DX version cameras?  Or should we be prepared for D700 FX type models from here on out?  I sure hope not.  I was in Yellowstone this weekend shooting with my D300 and my 80-400mm next to a guy with a D200 and the behemoth 400mm 2.8 lens.  I asked him his feelings on the D700.  He said, "It sure is a nice one but I would rather have a D200 or a D300 for shooting wildlife."  I knew what he was talking about right away.  That 400mm lens would have "pulled" his view back by 50% (400mm appears as a 600mm on a DX sensor) if he would have been shooting with a D700.  I though that having a D700 would be great for all situations.  But this Paradigm Shift was so obvious I could not believe it did not happen to me before.  You could set the D700 work like it has a DX sensor but you dramatically loose MP count far below what the D300 or the D200 can offer all the time.  Additionally, why did Nikon go from D300 to D700?  Ah!  I knew that was a trigger to let us know that DX versions will be around for a while to come.  There is still room for the D400, D500 and the D600.  After all, what would Nikon say to all the consumers with DX lenses that were built with Nikon quality and the very nice 5 year warranty?  Heck!  If Nikon sold a DX lens today then they better have a DX camera available for at least the next 5 years.  This is all speculation; I am sure you understand.

However, aside from sports or wildlife photography, the D700 is sure nice, especially for landscapes or portraits.  But, we are getting off subject.  Let's get into the comparison of the D200 to the D300:

Original Review:

I thought about buying a D200 after I purchased my D80 in 2006.  Much of my digital photography had been done with a D70, D50 and the D80.  The D200 had some features that I wished my D80 had.  After looking at Nikon’s “New Camera Release History,”  I had a good feeling that the D200 would be retired soon and the D300 (now we know what it is called) would be released.

So, I waited.  You can still find D200s just about anywhere, but you will have to get on a waiting list in many areas for the D300 (as of Sunday, December 09, 2007).  So, do you buy a D200 now or wait for the D300?  If you have an opportunity to buy the D300, do you spend the extra or do you save some money on the D200.

There have been a lot of upgrades to the D300 from the D200.  This guide will introduce you to some of the differences between the D300 and the D200.  Hopefully you will be able to look at the prices you are presented with and make a value-directed decision on which you feel will serve your needs.

Nikon D200

Nikon D300

Sensor:

D300: 12.3 million effective pixel CMOS • DX format
D200: 10.2 million effective pixel CCD • DX format

A/D converter:

D300: 14-bit
D200: 12-bit

Image processor:

D300: Nikon EXPEED
D200: Unspecified

Image sizes:

D300: 4288 x 2848 • 3216 x 2136 • 2144 x 1424
D200: 3872 x 2592 • 2896 x 1944 • 1936 x 1296 

RAW files:

D300: NEF / Compressed NEF 14-bit
D200: NEF 12-bit

TIFF files:

D300: Yes
D200: No

Dust reduction:

D300: Self-cleaning sensor unit 
D200: No

Auto focus:

D300: 51-point Multi-CAM 3500DX • 15 cross-type sensors • Contrast detect in Live View mode
D200: 11-point Multi-CAM 1000

Focus tracking by color:

D300: Yes
D200: No

AF area mode:

D300: Single point AF • Dynamic Area AF [9 points, 21 points, 51 points, 51 points (3D-tracking)] • Automatic-area AF
D200: Single Area AF • Dynamic AF with Focus Tracking and Lock-on • Group Dynamic AF • Closest Subject Priority Dynamic AF

Sensitivity:

D300: Default: ISO 200 - 3200 • Boost: ISO 100 - 6400 • 1/3, 1/2 or 1.0 EV steps
D200: Default: ISO 100 - 1600 • Boost: Up to ISO 3200 • 1/3, 1/2 or 1.0 EV steps

Continuous shooting:

D300: With built-in battery: up to 6 fps • With AC adapter or MB-D10 pack and batteries other than EN-EL3e: up to 8 fps
D200: 5 fps

Image Parameters:

D300: Picture Control (4 presets) • Sharpening • Contrast • Brightness • Saturation • Hue
D200: Presets (6 presets) • Sharpening • Tone • Color mode • Saturation • Hue 

Active D-Lighting:

D300: Yes (also adjusts exposure)
D200: No

Viewfinder:

D300: 100% frame coverage
D200: 95% frame coverage

LCD monitor:

D300: 3.0 " TFT LCD • 922,000 pixels
D200: 2.5 " TFT LCD • 230,000 pixels

LCD Live View:

D300: Handheld mode (phase detect AF) • Tripod mode (contrast detect AF)
D200: No

Compact Flash:

D300: Type I / II (UDMA support)
D200: Type I / II

Vertical grip:

D300: MB-D10
D200: MB-D200 

Video output:

D300: HDMI (HD)
D200: Composite (SD)

Menu languages:

D300: 14
D200: 13

Dimensions:

D300: 147 x 114 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.5 x 2.9 in)
D200: 147 x 113 x 74 mm (5.8 x 4.4 x 2.9 in)

Weight (no batt):

D300: 825 g (1.82 lb)
D200: 830 g (1.83 lb)

I hope this guide was helpful and that you have a better understanding the differences between Nikon’s D200 and the D300.  If it was helpful, let me know by clicking the “YES” down below.  If you would like to provide your input, I will be happy to add the information to this guide.

Show The World Your World; Share A Photograph.  TM

SULAE--

A member writes in to clarify some points:

Dear sulaearts,

The D300 and D200 are 1.5 sensor, this allow you to take a 400 and make it a 600 lens. I shoot with the Nikon D3 and D300 and the D3 gives you the actual lens size stated because the lens sizes are set to the 35mm standard. The cameras with the 1.5 sensor you times the local length of the lens to .5 and add this on to the local length and the total between the two is the focal legth for your sensor. I.E. 200x.5=100+200=300mm. The nice part is it doesn't change your F stop, so you still maintain the origal F stop.
- m___p