Nikon D2Xs Review

Another upgrade coming up is Nikon’s improvement over their D2X camera – the Nikon D2Xs. The upgrades are subtle, though significant, which include a bigger 2.5" LCD monitor, long life battery, modified metering equipped with high-speed crop mode, 1/3 step ISO boost options, an image authentication system, and in-camera trim function.

This professional digital SLR camera shares many great features with the D2X, but, performance is definitely enhanced, and noticeably so. The viewfinder performance is much refined while the new LCD now has a 170-degree viewing angle. Battery life is longer, while you can get a wide range of firmware improvements.

You can get high quality pictures with the D2Xs through the 12.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor. You can capture images in JPEG or RAW format up to five fps in continuous shooting mode. Detail-rich, smooth tones, and vivid color are achievable through the 3D-Colour Matrix Metering II technology. You can use this in high-speed crop mode as well, while the custom settings lets you view much more clearly in the viewfinder.

Created for pros, the camera has options for selecting Adobe RGB in three colour modes, so you can work with a broader range of colours in different working environments. On top of this, you can work with a black and white (sRGB) colour mode as a plus.

The D2Xs features high-precision flash performance through Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, plus i-TTL flash control which supports Nikon’s Advanced Wireless Lighting system. Long life battery is made possible through the high energy EN-EL4a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. You can shoot as much as 3,800 images on a single charge – which is plenty.

The fuel gauge displays the number of shots since last charge, the remaining charge by percentage, and the overall battery status.
The D2Xs is compatibile with Nikon’s Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A, thus letting you achieve speedy image transmission, better security and improved compatibility with new protocols. If your computer has a Camera Control Pro software installed, you have the option of using a wireless LAN remote D2Xs control.

It can’t be emphasized enough that this camera is a faster model than its predecessor. The D2Xs can be used in high-speed shooting, features a quick start-up, an 11-area autofocus system and a release time reaching only 37ms. You can also expect compatibility with the AF Nikkor lenses and DX Nikkor lenses, thanks to the Nikon DX Format sensor and Nikon F mount design.

Pros: One good thing about the D2Xs is its high resolution in full-frame mode: expect excellent large print outs. The camera JPEG images on the other hand are a little soft, though visibly smooth. Again, speed is perhaps its best selling point: it operates on 8 fps in high-speed shooting mode with quick buffer clearing operating on fast memory cards. The mirror operation copies this speed as well, so you can expect short viewfinder blackout, which can be important when you’re shooting at high frame rates. The Fast 11-area Multi-CAM 2000 AF system has great focus-tracking modes.

You may find the cropped high-speed shooting mode rather useful. You can enjoy longer and more effective focal lengths (2x vs 1.5x crop factor), which is great for sports shooting and other high speed image capturing.

Cons: On the downside, you might find the auto white balance difficult to use with artificial light. There’s some image noise when you use ISO 1600 and 3200, typically higher than what you will find with the competitors’ models. When anti-noise processing is used, expect to sacrifice some subject detail which may or may not matter. The sensitivity range of ISO 100-800 is smaller than the competitors’ though.

Overall: The D2Xs is a slight upgrade to the D2X, while remaining a great item in the SLR market. Versatile in its dual-resolution and dual-speed capabilities, it works well in a variety of situations, such as sports shooting and traditional studio photography. Despite some complaints, there’s still more to love about the D2Xs, making it well worth your money.

Attached Images

Nikon_D2Xs.jpg (5.7 KB, 1 views)