Nikon has announced the successor to the D100; the u00a31299 D200 features a 10.2MP DX format CCD capable of capturing images 3872 x 2592 pixels in size.

Nikon has announced the successor to the D100; the D200 features a 10.2MP DX format CCD capable of capturing images 3872 x 2592 pixels in size.
With a body-only price of £1299.99, Nikon is targeting the D200 at serious amateurs or professional photographers looking for a second camera to use alongside high-end cameras such as the D2X. Nikon claims that the camera operation is similar to that of the D2X, incorporating features such as 3D-Colour Matrix Metering II and the 11 selectable focus areas in the newly developed Multi ? Cam1000 Autofocus system.
Boasting 0.15-second power-up and 50-millisecond shutter lag time, the D200?s ultra-high-speed continuous shooting mode can capture 37 Jpeg or 22 RAW pictures at a rate of 5fps.
The sensitivity range can be adjusted from 100 to 1600 ISO in 1/3, 1/2 or 1EV increments, with the potential to reach ISO 3200 in Hi-1 mode, while the new Optical Low Pass Filter helps prevent effects such as fringing, shifting and moiré.
Featuring a magnesium alloy body weighing 830g, the D200 includes a durable double-bladed shutter, while the pentaprism viewfinder provides 95% frame coverage and 0.94x magnification.
The camera incorporates the largest top-plate LCD in the industry, and the 2.5-inch back LCD is composed of 230,000 pixels providing a wide 170° viewing angle.
Enhanced battery life is promised from the new EN-EL3e battery that can capture 1800 pictures from a single charge.
Connection to a Global Positioning System is possible with an optional adaptor cord, and remote picture transfer is also possible using the Wireless Transmitter WT-3. Other features include RGB histograms, an X-sync terminal and USB 2.0 image transfer.
The Nikon D200 will be available at the end of December with an 18-70mm lens for £1499.99 or with a 17-55mm lens for £2299.99.
Nikon has also announced other kit, including an 18-200mm optic. The AF-S DX VR-Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IF ED lens incorporates improved Vibration Reduction (VR) technology.
Nikon claims that this compact and lightweight lens can produce sharp photographs using shutter speeds four times slower than a non-VR lens, making it suitable for shooting in a range of lighting conditions.
Compensating for camera shake, VR Normal Mode includes automatic panning and automatic tripod detection, while VR Active Mode is designed to reduce the effect of pronounced vibration when shooting in unsteady conditions.
Quiet focusing is promised from the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) and the lens can focus 50cm from the subject. Constructed from 16 elements in 12 groups, the lens includes two ED glass and three aspherical elements, designed to reduce chromatic aberration and distortion, while retaining contrast and resolution.
The AF-S DX VR-Zoom Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens will be available at the end of December for £549.99.
Two flash units have also been announced. The SB-R200 Remote Speedlight and SU-800 commander Unit are new additions to Nikon?s Creative Lighting System, designed for macro photography.
The SB-R200 Speedlight can be incorporated in multiple lighting set-ups and controlled by the SB-800 or SB-600 units in Master mode. Alternatively it can be attached to a Nikon digital SLR with built-in Speedlight capabilities (such as the Nikon D200, D70s or D70) for photographing small subjects.
The SU-800 can be used for metering and triggering Speedlights in multi-lighting situations. An LCD panel can be used for manually adjusting the output of each unit, and a one-touch switch automates exposures of small subjects accurately.
The SB-R200 will retail for £169.99, Nikon has yet to confirm a price for the SU-800.
Two Macro lighting kits are also available. The Nikon Close-up Speedlight Commander Kit retails for £549.99 and includes the SU-800, two SB-R200 units, lens adaptors and filters. Meanwhile, the Nikon Close-up Remote Kit SB-R1 costs £379.99 and includes two SB-R200 units along with a selection of adaptor rings and filters.
For more information log onto www.nikon.co.uk or call 0800 230220.

Nikon D200 Specifications

Effective Pixels
10.2 million

Image Sensor
RGB CCD, 23.6 x 15.8mm; total pixels: 10.92 million

Image Size (pixels)
3,872 x 2,592 [L], 2,896 x 1,944 [M], 1,936 x 1,296 [S]

ISO Sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)
100 to 1600 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV with additional settings up to 1 EV over 1600

Storage Media
CompactFlash? (CF) Card (Type I and II) and Microdrive?

Storage System
Compressed NEF (RAW): 12-bit compression, JPEG: JPEG baseline-compliant

File System
Exif 2.21, Compliant DCF 2.0 and DPOF

White Balance
Auto (TTL white balance with 1,005-pixel RGB sensor), six manual modes with fine-tuning, colour temperature setting, preset white balance, white balance bracketing possible (2 to 9 frames in increments of 1, 2 or 3)

LCD Monitor
2.5-in., 230,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment

Playback Function
1) Full frame 2) Thumbnail (4 or 9 segments) 3) Zoom 4) Slideshow 5) RGB histogram indication 6) Shooting data 7) Highlight point display 8) Auto image rotation

Delete Function
Card format, All photographs delete, Selected photographs delete

Video Output
Can be selected from NTSC and PAL

Interface
USB 2.0(Hi-speed) (mini-B connector); mass storage and PTP connectable; FTP file transfer and PTP/IP camera control/file transfer is also available with optional WT-3 (IEEE 802.11b/g); CF card slot Type II: supports firmware updates via CF cards

Text Input
Up to 36 characters of alphanumeric text input available with LCD monitor and multi-selector; stored in Exif header

Compatible Lenses
Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)

Picture Angle
Equivalent in 35mm [135] format is approx. 1.5 times lens focal length

Viewfinder
Fixed eye-level pentaprism; built-in diopter adjustment (-2.0 to +1.0m-1)

Eyepoint
19.5mm (-1.0m-1)

Focusing Screen
Type-B BriteView Clear Matte screen Mark II with superimposed focus brackets and On-Demand grid lines

Viewfinder Frame Coverage
Approx. 95% (vertical & horizontal)

Viewfinder Magnification
Approx. 0.94x with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0m-1

Viewfinder Information
Focus indications, Metering system, AE/FV lock indicator, Flash sync indicator, Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure/Exposure compensation indicator, ISO sensitivity, Exposure mode, Flash output level compensation, Exposure compensation, Number of remaining exposures

Autofocus
TTL phase detection by Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module with AF-assist illuminator (approx. 0.5m to 3.0m) Detection range: EV -1 to +19 (ISO 100 equivalent, at normal temperature: 20°C/68°F)

Lens Servo
Instant single-servo AF (S); continuous-servo AF (C); manual (M); predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status in continuous-servo AF

Focus Area
Normal: 11 areas; single area or group can be selected; Wide: focus area can be selected from 7 areas

AF Area Mode
1) Single Area AF 2) Dynamic Area AF 3) Group Dynamic AF 4) Dynamic area AF with closest subject priority

Focus Lock
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button

Exposure Metering System
Three-mode through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering.
1) 3D Colour Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); colour matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); colour matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data; metering performed by 1,005-segment RGB sensor.
2) Centre-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 6, 8, 10, or 13mm dia. circle in centre of frame.
3) Spot: Meters 3mm dia. circle (about 2.0% of frame) centred on active focus area (on centre focus area when non-CPU lens is used)


Exposure Metering Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)
1) EV 0 to 20 (3D Colour Matrix or centre-weighted metering)
2) EV 2 to 20 (spot metering)

Exposure Meter Coupling
Combined CPU and AI

Exposure Modes
Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]

Exposure Compensation
±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

Auto Exposure Lock
Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button

Auto Exposure Bracketing
2 to 9 exposures in increments of 1, 1/2 or 1/3

Shooting Modes
1) Single frame shooting mode 2) Continuous low speed (CL) shooting mode: 1-4 frames per second 3) Continuous high-speed shooting mode: 5 frames per second 4) Self-timer shooting mode 5) Mirror-up mode

Shutter
Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal plane shutter, 30 to 1/8000 sec. in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb

Sync Contact
X-contact only; flash synchronization at up to 1/250 sec.

Flash Control
1) TTL: TTL flash control by 1,005-pixel RGB sensor

Built-in Speedlight: i-TTL balanced fill-flash or standard i-TTL flash (spot metering or mode dial set to [M]). SB-800, SB-600 or SB-R200: i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR and standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR.
2) Auto aperture: Available with SB-800 with CPU lens.
3) Non-TTL Auto: Available with Speedlights such as SB-800, 80DX, 28DX, 28, 27, and 22s.
4) Range-priority manual; available with SB-800.

Flash Sync Mode
1) Front-curtain Sync (normal sync), 2) Red-eye Reduction, 3) Red-eye Reduction with Slow Sync, 4) Slow Sync, 5) Rear-curtain Sync

Built-in Flash
Manual pop-up with button release; Guide number (ISO 100, m/ft and 20°C/68°F): approx. 12/39 (manual 13/42)

Flash Compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV

Accessory Shoe
Standard ISO hot-shoe contact with safety lock provided

Sync Terminal
ISO 519 standard terminal

Self-timer
Electronically controlled timer with 2 to 20 seconds duration

Depth of Field Preview
When CPU lens is attached, lens aperture can be stopped down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or value selected by camera (P and S modes)

Remote Control
Via 10-pin Remote Cord MC-30/36 (optional) or Wireless Remote Control WT-3 (optional)

GPS
NMEA 0183 (Ver. 2.01) interface standard supported with 9-pin D-sub cable (optional) and GPS Adapter Cord MC-35 (optional)

Power Source
One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, MB-D200 battery pack (optional) with one or two rechargeable Nikon EN-EL3e Li-ion batteries or six AA alkaline (LR6), NiMH (HR6), lithium (FR6) batteries, or ZR6 nickel-manganese AA batteries, AC Adapter EH-6 (optional)

Tripod Socket
1/4 in. (ISO 1222)

Dimensions (W x H x D)
Approx. 147 x 113 x 74mm (5.8 x 4.4 x 2.9 in.)

Weight
Approx. 830g (1 lbs 13 oz) without battery, memory card, body cap, or monitor cover

Supplied Accessories*
Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, Quick Charger MH-18a, Video Cable, USB Cable UC-E4, Strap, Body cap, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecup DK-21, LCD monitor cover BM-6, PictureProject CD-ROM

Optional Accessories
Multi-Power Battery pack MB-D200, Wireless Transmitter WT-3, Semi-soft case D200, Magnifying Eyepiece DK-21M, Remote cord MC-36/30, GPS Adapter Cord MC-35, AC Adapter EH-6, Speedlight SB-800/SB-600/SB-R200, Nikon Capture 4 (Ver. 4.4)

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area.

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