Nikon D2Xs

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

Features & handling

The build-quality of the body is unrivalled – it’s sturdy but not particularly heavy. The D2Xs weighs less than its Canon rival and feels a lot more comfortable in your hand, which is particularly important when shooting for long periods. The vertical grip is certainly more comfortable than on the Canon EOS-1D, although some users may find it a struggle to use the up direction on the D-Pad unless they change their hand position slightly.

While the menu is still laid out in the same manner as on the D2X, the colours and design have been altered to make it slightly easier to see. Side by side with the previous model, the menu on the D2Xs proves marginally better and looks much cleaner. It’s in the little things that the camera really shows its worth. For example, the menu has a recent settings menu that gives you quick access to all the last menu settings you changed.

The monitor is still 2.5in, which is about standard for D-SLRs these days, but the viewing angle has been modified, and compared to the previous model it is considerably brighter. The D2Xs is now fully compatible with Nikon’s I-TTL flash control system so you can make full use of the latest batch of Nikon flash products.

One of the areas on the D2X that never received criticism for performance was the battery – it is simply stunning. However, the D2Xs now uses the new EN-EL4a which boasts increased capacity and longer life. That’s great but D2X users will have to buy all new batteries if they are thinking of upgrading and at around £90 each that’s no small issue.

While the original D2X featured a High Speed Crop mode (basically cutting off the outer half of the sensor to allow for smaller files and faster shooting), it was rather difficult to frame up using the faint guide marks in the viewfinder. The D2Xs uses a grey mask in the viewfinder, making shooting in this mode much easier.

Performance

The results at ISO 100 (the lowest setting) are excellent, with minimal levels of noise and high levels of sharpness allowing the images to be used for high quality prints at A3 and slightly above. Once you get to ISO 800, the noise really starts to show up though, so these settings should only be used as a last resort, although they are significantly better than the models that have preceded this one. Nikon has added two more high ISO settings but what would have been really useful is a low setting (ISO 50), as on the EOS-1Ds Mark II. Maybe next time.

Verdict

So what’s the argument for buying the D2Xs over a cheaper model? Well, the build-quality is far superior, with the D2Xs designed to take some serious bashing. If resolution is really important then the slightly larger results from the D2Xs will be appealing, and finally the outstanding battery life. The batteries for the D2Xs are really something spectacular and are far superior to the D200’s. Existing D2X users thinking of buying a second camera will be disappointed that they have to invest in both new batteries and new software – all costing them extra money.

It’s harder to champion this camera over the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II. The D2Xs is the cheapest pro D-SLR available though so that definitely counts for something, and for a Nikon user, the D2Xs is the ultimate camera to get your hands on (until the D3 hits the shops at least). For anyone else it represents an excellent purchase, albeit for a considerable amount of money.

Product Specification