Nikon D200

Opinion: Great Upgrade From the D100. Better colors, Deeper Buffer, metering etc. Build quality is amazing for a camera in this price range.

Opinion: Very nice camera. Solid, very good viewfinder, Accurate focus

Opinion: I love this camera. Recently I have been shooting with a CP 8800. I love that camera too but its slow write and focus speeds were limiting me in what I could shoot. Increased speed and better low light capabilities were the main reasons I decided to dive into DSLR. I tested the waters with a KM 5 D for a couple months (also a very fine camera) but quickly found that I wanted a better build and more room for cropping.

My main input for others would be that I find the camera very easy to use in most situations. Contrary to some opinions, I think it makes an excellent P&S camera if you are looking for that. Combined with the 18-200 VR it produces excellent .jpgs right out of the camera. Just be sure to tweak in camera settings for sharpening, saturation and contrast and either use Auto WB and Auto ISO or be good about manually setting those last two and you will be happy with most of your shots.

Opinion: upgraded from D100, and was immediately impressed with the improvement in image quality. it takes sharpening easily and effectively. the build quality is very very good for this price range, and the ergonomics are also very nice. not quite as nice as the canon 1DsII or D2x, but again, in this price range, i know of no other camera that touches it. user controls are easy to learn and easy to use. my sample of the body is flawless, no issues, problems or concerns. it is also a very handsome camera, with good weight and balance. menus are comprehensive and understandable, and easy to navigate. custom controls (image optimization) are a big plus, compared to the D100.

i will be using this camera for 3 upcoming book projects, and for documentary architectural and engineering work. i have used hasselblads, MF pentaxs and mamiyas, variety of nikons, leicas, rolleiflex's, and cambo 4x5 professionally for the past 30 years. shopped for canon 5D, 1DII, 1Ds, 1DsII, and D2x before making my purchase decision. no regrets.