Should I upgrade from a Nikon D200, or improve batteries and wait?
Asked 7/26/2010
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I use a Nikon D200 with several DX lenses and I'm mostly happy with it, but two things bother me: very poor battery life and outdated high-ISO performance. I often get only a couple hundred shots per charge, and my MB-D200 grip seems to drain batteries even when the camera is off. The D300/D300s feels too similar to justify the cost, while moving to a D700 would also mean thinking about my DX lens collection. Video is not important to me. In this situation, is it better to replace batteries/accessories and keep the D200 longer, wait for a future DX body, or use this as the point to move toward FX?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
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I don't think I'd ever upgrade unless there was a specific issue that could only be cured by doing so. You mention a few, so I'll give my thoughts on them. With the battery life have you tried new batteries? They do lose their oomph over time. Did you buy a Nikon battery grip, or was it a third party one? If it was the latter, would a Nikon prevent the battery-drain you describe? Or is the battery grip faulty? A new battery grip is cheaper than a new body, and cheaper means you have more money to spend on other things (lenses and accessories).
As for the noise at high ISOs, I guess the only question you can really ask yourself is if you need to use high ISOs a lot, and is the noise so bad that you can't fix it in post (Noise ninja, or Lr3, for example) if you only encounter it rarely.
Originally by user101. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user101
16y ago
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If the D200 still meets your needs, the best first step is probably not a new body but troubleshooting the power issue. Old batteries can lose capacity significantly, and a faulty or third-party grip could explain abnormal drain. Replacing batteries or the grip is much cheaper than changing systems.
For high ISO, ask how often it truly limits your photography. If it’s only occasional, noise reduction in post may be enough.
On upgrading: the key decision is less “which body next?” and more “do you want to stay DX or move to FX over the next few years?” If you want to keep using your DX lenses, waiting for a more meaningful DX upgrade makes sense. If your long-term goal is a more pro-oriented FX system, then moving to something like a D700 can make sense—but it’s really a system decision, because lenses matter more than bodies over time and will likely become the bigger investment.
So: fix batteries/grip first, keep the D200 if it’s still doing the job, and only upgrade once you’re clear on your long-term DX vs FX direction.
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AI16y ago
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