Have you upgrade from D200 to a D3?

Remember, the D3 will not necessarily give you better pictures. You have to work on your skill first. You may find getting the D3 and dissatisfied with the results. Now if you have money to burn and need any justification, this is a nice way to burn money. In any case, whatever your decision is, enjoy it.

tommy_in_ct said:

Phyl -
I'm moving from a d200 to a d3 as well and while I have not received
my order as of yet, I'll share my thoughts since we seem to be
thinking along the same lines.

First - I am not a pro either., and I'm keying in on the fact that
you said money was not a deal breaker for this decision.

Click to expand...

Thanks! The similaries in our circumstance make me appreciate your thoughts tremendously!

tommy_in_ct said:

tommy_in_ct said:

Do you miss the pop up flash much?

Click to expand...

Can't answer yet, but based on what I have been reading, I feel that
fast glass and the ISO capabilities of the D3 should satisfy me for
almost everything I wish to do.

Click to expand...

There are very few situations anymore where I'm not using my SB800 because otherwise my lenses are in the way. The more I think about it the more moot this concern even is.

tommy_in_ct said:

Yes! But let's face it, in todays world of P&S, shooting with
anything that doesn't fit in your pocket still makes us a geek!

Click to expand...

That has to be the quote of the day. Yeah, I'm already quite the spectacle at the kids events. I get more comments than imaginable. But photography and my kids are my two favorite hobbies...

tommy_in_ct said:

I think the next
2 years will be a very interesting time for SLR in terms of
technology leap frogging and price wars.

Click to expand...

I wish I had the patience to wait it out!

I have a D200 and will upgrade to D3 in the next couple of months if I can find one.

I've never used the D200's pop-up flash. It won't clear the lenses that I use anyway.

The D300 is better but I'm not looking for a small incremental improvement.

The D3, what's not to like?

I'll keep the D200 for backup.

--
Scott

I had a D200 as well - and was #1 on the D300 pre-order list until I gave it some more thought and switched over to the D3 pre-order list in mid-october.

I've only had my D3 for a couple weeks now but I in no way regret my decision - my main rational was would I be happy with the somewhat smaller step up in features from the D200 to the D300 - as someone who had a D70, then D200, I wasn't sure I wanted to do that again.

I knew that if I got the D3 it would serve me well for at least 3-4 years, or more, and I can get off this merry-go-round of always sllightly upgrading to the newer model when it is release.

I sold my D200, a coupld of my old DX lenses which helped me justify the purchase as well.

--
Mike in Minneapolis
http://www.pbase.com/mmingo
http://www.twincitiesphotography.com

Phyl259613 said:

Phyl259613 said:

I think the next
2 years will be a very interesting time for SLR in terms of
technology leap frogging and price wars.

Click to expand...

I wish I had the patience to wait it out!

Click to expand...

I really wasn't thinking about waiting on the techonology to settle. I'm getting something now since it's always going to be a changing technology landscape. The agony for me was the more I spend now the less I can justify an upgrade later when something better comes along in 6 months. Getting a D300 now and saving $2000+ makes it easier for me to justify an upgrade 6mo/a year from now.

It also hurts less when next dec you will be able to buy a d# 36mp blah, blah, blah for the same price as you paid for your d3 and a d3 is down to $1800. Again, all my logic hinges on if you believe we are on the verge of a Sony/Olympus/Cannon/Nikon technology/price war.

I have a D200 and wasn't really thinking I'd get a D3 right away but then there they were on Amazon so I clicked BUY. And I am very happy with that choice!

The D200 with the flimsy grip was within a fraction of an inch of the size of the D3, but felt toy-like by comparison (hard to believe I know, since the build of the D200 is pretty robust). But for me the ability to shoot in LOW light and the ability to go WIDE trumps everything else.

With the D200 I was always cringing if I had to set Auto ISO to 1600, but with the D3 I happily set it to 6400!!! Let me say that again "! ! !"

My D200 is up for sale and I've already sold most of my DX glass (when you see how small an area DX is on the D3, you'll gasp) with no regrets.

I am using older primes anew with great results. I can use my lightweight 28-70 3.5/4.5 AFD with a flash if need be for events.

Do I miss the pop-up flash? yeah a little but i'll pick up and SU-800 to run CLS with this cam.

All-in-all a great big fat upgrade. But I wouldn't give the D300 short shrift either -- it could be just what you need!
--
Cheers,
Joe

Started digital with D70, upgraded to D200 and now have a hard time deciding between the D300 and D3. One problem with the D3 is that I might have to keep the D200 for hiking etc. where weight and size matter and also to allow me keep using my 12-24 mm f/4. But I naturally could replace the latter with the 17-35 mm f/2.8 and sell the D200...

--

Guy

My 'work' photos are at
http://swarbrick.com/photos and
http://www.sportsshooter.com/members.html?id=7241

The 'fun' stuff is at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swarbrick

Phyl said:

I've been oogling over the D300 since its release and am beginning to
cave in to my lust over it. Then of course there's the D3. Better
noise, better images, etc. Why upgrade 1/2 way, right?

I was wondering who has upgraded from a D200 to a D3? If so, why?

Click to expand...

I cut my teeth on the D100 then the D200, I wasn't planning to upgrade from the D200 but with the announcement of FF it caught my imagination, especially having built up a small collection of non-DX lenses. The high-ISO performance is probably what attracted me the most.

Phyl259613 said:

Do you miss the pop up flash much?

Click to expand...

No, I had a small SB400 and this is an ideal substitute if you are looking for a compact flash head.

Phyl259613 said:

Is it too much camera to take out to the kids events to get shots of their plays and sports?

Click to expand...

I don't think so, my initial impressions of the D3 are that it has the capability of being a very versatile body, over the past week or two my family and pets have become as familiar with it as I have )

Phyl259613 said:

If you still have the D200 do you find yourself reaching for it because of its
smaller size?

Click to expand...

No, the D200 doesn't go anywhere without the grip attached so I have become accustomed to the physical size (I find the D3 feels better in my hands than the D200 plus grip, the D3's dimensions and solid construction are actualy a welcome bonus)

Phyl259613 said:

I'm not a pro... is the camera just totally overkill if you're just a
hobbiest? Pretend money's no issue.

Click to expand...

I am trying to pretend that money is never an issue but the bottom line is the D3 is an expensive camera - overkill? IMHO No! I have the D200 batteries all topped up and ready to go but I just haven't been able to put the D3 down yet

--
Mark

I upgraded a few weeks ago from the D200 to D3 and have never looked back. I mostly did it for high iso shooting at dance competitions. I don't think I ever used the pop up flash so I don't miss it (SB800).

As far as size, I used the grip on my D200 and sitting side by side I believe the D3 was just a little smaller (if not smaller, they were really close) than the D200 and it definitely fits my hand better then the D200 combo.

5K is a big investment (I'm not telling you anything, I know) but from my low light shots I took last week though it will be well worth it for competitions and the situations I usually find myself in, at least for me.

Good luck

--
Chris
http://chrisalbertsonphoto.smugmug.com/

I do wedding photography and found that we outgrew the D200... kept getting in the way of good shots... Just could not keep up. The D3 is one camera that you will find hard to outgrow!

That said, you should first spend your $$$ on good glass... Camera bodies come and go, good glass you can hand down to your grandchildren...

hmmm

Raul

I love the Tommy logic. I can totally relate.

Re: the good glass comments, I do have good glass, though my 17-55 will be of less use on the D3 (and that's my all time favorite lens). So that's one I'll need to replace, but my 70-200 and 105 will serve me well on the upgrade.

Thought I'd ask as I'm thinking of the 300AW as an alternative to the current backpacks I use. Heavy and a little inconvenient for quick shooting, but I get everything in (2 bodies, 2-3 lenses, 2 flashes plus other junk).

Thanks

mosman

J Kuek said:

you should first spend your $$$ on good glass... Camera
bodies come and go, good glass you can hand down to your
grandchildren...

Click to expand...

Right. That's what I'm telling myself.

My D200 is giving me the best pictures I've ever taken. For my hobbyist needs it's great.

But I WANT a D3. That camera is sure lust-inducing. At the same time, I know the D3x is not too far off. One strategy is to keep taking pics with the capable D200, and buy one or two pro grade FF lenses. Then spring for a new body when either the D3x or the next iteration of the D3 comes out.

It's hard to wait when the gear is so tempting, but I think a bit of patience will be of advantage. The changes in this current crop of cameras are SO big and the next changes are likely to come so fast -- like within the year -- that I'd kick myself for springing for the new body soon before another lustful model is announced.

I wonder: How much will the D3x cost? Similar to the D3? Or more? Any guesses?

I keep saying to myself, "just, just wait..." It's hard.

---------------
Tom B

5000 grand used to be 5 dollars in Turkey, if I'm not mistaken

To Tom;

Hi Tom - if it comes out - It will cost more than the D3. About the same how the Dh2s and the D2xs.

I understand your decision. But, if you wait a year or two... than after a while, it would be perhaps another new model and another one... and so on!

I will buy the D3. What will be in a year or two... I will see then. In the meantime, I will take pics with an outstanding cam and I will enjoy it
best regards
--

Nikon D2X, D2hs, AFS12-24/4.0 DX, AFS 17-55/2.8 DX, AFS 70-200/2.8 VR, AFD 85mm/1.4, AFS 200mm/2.0 VR, TC-1.4E II, SB-800

Gitzo GT2540 tripod, Markins M20, Markins TB-20, Manfrotto Neotech 685B monopod with RRS clamp
Elinchrom Ranger RX with S-head

Yes - I upgraded from the D200 to the D3 - Huge difference. The D3 is a amazing camera.

I have not found the learning curve to steep - That said I had my D200 setup with custom banks etc for each type of situation I would commonly shoot, so If you know the D200 inside and out you won't find the upgrade to difficult.

Still getting used to alll of the AF options and testing what situations work best for each option.

The slow performance of capture NX is my only complaint - I shoot raw and convert in capture NX - it is quite slow even on a quad core processor.
The JPGS'S out of the camera are quite good for general purposes.

The D3'S High ISO and ability to autofocus in the dimmest of light is amazing - you really will not be disappointed.

I have the 14-24 F2.8 as well - have to say this lens is insane - just love it, I like to be creative and it really makes you think.

Must tell the wife - I am having a LOve Affair - With my D3 ----- LOL

Good thread all.

I upgraded last month from the D200 to the D3, as allready stated many times it was the high ISO for me as I do a lot of theatre perfromances as a very semi-pro.

The extra two stops the D3 gives me over the D300 was the clincher, together with the 70-200 VR I rekon I can get at least 5 stops better on the low light shutter speed over a couple of years ago which is a real leap forward.

However I think it is worth saying that if high iso is not your be all and end all (and the D300 iso is better than the D200), the D300 is worth considering if money is at all an issue.

Although I have seen some reviews saying not to bother upgrading from the 200 to the 300 I don;t agree. Both the D3 and the D300 have the new autofocus, processor and metering system, and these are good reasons to upgrade. I have found that the D3 gets the shots right in the camera a lot more regularly than the D200 and I assume the D300 is the same.

I do miss the D200 flash as it was a great controller for the remote flashes, so with the D3 I will have to buy the commander.

As you know the 17-55mm (a great lense) is not ideal with the D3 so £1000 for the 24-70mm needs to be added to the body price unless you have some good old primes. The batteries are far better than the D200 but a spare will be another £100. So the money adds up.

As I need two bodies in the field I have sold my D200 and will invest in a D300 to work along side the D3 for the telephoto work.

In the UK you can sell your D200 for 50% of the cost of a D300. As I say if those extra couple of stops on the high ISO are not a deal breaker or you are not earning from the camera, going for a D300 and waiting for the D3x which may be along pretty quickly is a viable route.

A question on the next D3 upgrade. I think a read somewhere that the great ISO performance of the D3 has a lot to do with the relatively low pixel count spread across a large sensor. If the D3x is up around 22mp will the high iso be affected or will it require a more expensive sensor which will push the price up??

Enough waffle
Jon

the one frustration i had with the D200 is the AF. it wasn't even up to par with the D1-series. the D3 solved that problem, and i now have very useable high ISO capabilities. this makes auto ISO extremely useful in changing lighting conditions, as i can now leave the camera in M mode and have a properly exposed picture with exactly the DOF and motion freezing/blurring that i wanted.

i'm an amateur like you, and i was looking at the D300 to replace my D200. but like you said, why upgrade 1/2 way? i do miss the extra reach of the DX crop, and i've lost my command flash and emergency flash (high ISO makes up for that though).

if you can afford it, go for the D3. you won't regret buying it.

Phyl said:

I've been oogling over the D300 since its release and am beginning to
cave in to my lust over it. Then of course there's the D3. Better
noise, better images, etc. Why upgrade 1/2 way, right?

I was wondering who has upgraded from a D200 to a D3? If so, why? Do
you miss the pop up flash much? Is it too much camera to take out to
the kids events to get shots of their plays and sports? If you still
have the D200 do you find yourself reaching for it because of its
smaller size?

I'm not a pro... is the camera just totally overkill if you're just a
hobbiest? Pretend money's no issue.

Click to expand...