The Nikon D2Xs is a professional grade 12.2 MP DX format DSLR. It is Nikon’s flagship DSLR and was announced on June 1, 2006 as the successor to the Nikon D2X. The D2Xs was more of an incremental upgrade to the D2X, which includes the following upgrades:
- Automatic viewfinder masking in High-Speed Crop mode
- Increased buffer capacity to 60 frames in continuous shooting
- Additional ISO steps between 800 and 1600
- Improved metering for High Speed Crop
- More Autofocus options
- An AF system that can now detect focus at lower contrast and in lower light, higher capacity
- Battery rated to 3,800 exposures per charge
- Improved Auto-ISO features
- Image verification
- Ability to save and load camera settings from a memory card
- 2.5 inch (64 mm) 230,000 pixel LCD with 170 degree viewing angle (same as D200)
- Menu look ported from the D200
- Black and White mode
- Additional color mode selections
- Locking USB connector
- Support for multiple custom curves
- A lockable recent settings menu
- Improved GPS data recording
- AF and VR mode recording in shooting data
- In-camera cropping
The D2Xs is the predecessor to the Nikon D3, which was announced on August 23, 2007.
Reviews
For the working professional who can use its many attributes and who is tapped into the Nikon system of lenses and accessories it is state of the art, and should remain so for some time to come.
12mp is a lot of data, and puts us into the realm of “that might be all we need.” Acuity is good, color is excellent, and noise performance is excellent at low ISO values and acceptable at higher ISO values. With the right settings and discipline, this camera performs at the state-of-the-art.
The introduction of the Nikon D2xs gives professional photographers yet again the choice of upgrading their digital workflow with the latest Nikon technology. The Nikon D2x already proved itself as a professional tool for the Pro and was awarded with diverse Award recognizing the importance of the top model of Nikon’s assortment of digital SLR cameras.
Nikon’s flagship dSLR ranks among the best 35mm-format cameras currently made, but some pros may take umbrage with its less-than-full-frame sensor.
The Nikon D2Xs’ performance was impressive overall, starting with a startup time that was really faster than our human reflexes. Shutter lag was excellent regardless of lens position or “prefocus” (halfway pressing and holding the Shutter button before firing the shutter) status. Shot-to-shot cycle times were very good, at about 0.2 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and the camera captured as many as 18 frames at this rate before it needs to slow down and clear the buffer.
The D2Xs is a minor upgrade to Nikon’s D2X. Among the D2Xs’s notable features are 11 selectable autofocus points, nine of which are cross-type sensors; excellent tracking autofocus modes; interchangeable focusing screens; both TIFF and RAW capture; an advanced battery meter; a time lapse mode; an advanced multiple exposure mode; voice annotation; numerous color options; and 40 custom settings.
If you earn your living with your camera you’ll want one of these. If you want a camera to take with you for fun, relaxation and vacation this isn’t it: it’s a huge, hulking beast of a pro camera.
Where to Buy
First off, consider going to your local camera store (and I don’t necessarily mean Wolf Camera at the mall). By going to your local camera store, you’re supporting your community and you just might build a lasting relationship with people you can rely on when you need some help or answers. If you’re buying online, I recommend sticking with Amazon, B&H Photo or Adorama. These three vendors are reliable, trustworthy and generally have the best (legitimate) prices. Additionally, purchasing your camera through these links helps support this site.
[tags]nikon, d2xs, review, dslr, digital camera[/tags]
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