The D200, After All

Okay, so call me bogus. Back in February, I made clear that there would be no camera switch, as I previously contemplated—from the Canon EOS 20D to the Nikon D200. I’ve been unhappy with my EOS 20D for sometime, even as I acquired several nice Canon lenses. The Canon camera’s ergonomics doesn’t suit me, nor have I been satisfied with the photos compared to the Nikon D70. The Nikon D70 felt more like an extension of my eye, capturing images just as I saw them.

But low-light photography is important to me, and that’s one area where the EOS 20D excels over the Nikon D200, based on tests like PBase forum member Norm’s 20D-D200 photo comparison. I resigned to sticking with the EOS 20D—after all, I had some nice lenses. 

But, something unexpected occurred last week. I tested a Nikon D200. Within five minutes, I was dumbstruck. The ergonomics suited my sensibilities much better than the EOS 20D.

So…I worked out a complicated deal with a friend, who took my 20D and lenses; I got back from him my Nikon D70 and two lenses and also ended up with the Nikon D200 Kit (with 18-70mm lens). He got a little better deal, but I’m overall quite satisfied.

My friend concluded that in cameras we have different tastes. He likes the Canon’s ergonomics and the output. In the PBase comparison, doing the blind test, he preferred the EOS 20D pictures down the line, while I favored the D200 (except for the ISO 1600 comparison) images.

I do agree with the reviewers about sharpness. Images are softer than the D70.

I took the camera downtown yesterday, where I shot some images on the National Mall. My daughter and friend dressed for the Cherry Blossom Festival, which officially ended yesterday.