Digital-SLR enthusiasts and even pro shooters will be rendered speechless when they pick up Nikon’s top-of-the-line D-SLR, the 12.3-megapixel Nikon D2X ($4,999.95 list). After the oooohs and aaaahs (and recovery from the shock of its very high price), there will be a long pause as they analyze all the features available on the D2X’s body (the camera doesn’t come with either a kit lens or a built-in flash).
The Nikon D2X captures images on a CMOS sensor, unlike Nikon’s other D-SLRs, which use CCD sensors. It’s loaded with features, including 11 selectable autofocus sensors that can also be used to track fast-moving subjects, providing incredible control over how to capture those subjects when they move into your field of vision. It also has several burst modes, the fastest of which sounds like machine-gun fire. This last one, which is called high-speed cropped-image mode, will downsize the image to 6.8MP. The resulting burst fires off 8 frames per second. If you want to keep the images at 12.3MP, the regular burst mode yields 5 fps. We believe (and hope) this type of technology will eventually trickle down to consumer D-SLR models.
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The Nikon D2x is a big and heavy camera by consumer standards; it weighs 4 1/2 pounds including battery and the Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR lens we used for testing. It is the same body as the D2H, made of a magnesium alloy and designed to take the day to day beating of a war correspondent as well as resisting dust and moisture in the harshest of environments. The D2X is ergonomically designed, and comfortable to hold in either portrait (vertical) or landscape orientation. The controls are well-placed on the body, and have a solid, professional feel. The 2.5-inch 235,000 pixel LCD provides a clear view of menu’s and image playback, but the monitor can’t be used as a live image viewfinder. The Playback options mimic those found on the consumer cameras with zoomed playback and pan, thumbnail review and several screens of camera and exposure data as well as a histogram display. The top and rear LCD control panels complement the viewfinder nicely, allowing you to set shooting parameters comfortably with the camera at waist level or on a tripod with your eye away from the viewfinder.
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The Nikon D2x is much like the D2h. Both are a complete redesign from the D1 series cameras. While the family heritage is obvious, virtually every significant aspect of the D2 series cameras has been rethought from the D1 series. The D2x is not a “some new features in a D1 package” type of design. As I said in my D2h review, I was impressed that Nikon took the time to try to improve, refine, and innovate in as many places as it has. Every control, every body curve, and even every part deep in the body (frame, shutter, etc.) seems to have been touched from the D1 designs. Even more impressive is that they didn’t rest with the D2h UI and specifications; the D2x has additions and refinements over the D2h all over the place. Thus, we have our work cut out just running down the feature set and changes to it.
One thing that’s had the Nikon throng puzzled is why the D1h and D1x appeared together, but the D2h and D2x were separated by over a year. Interviews in Japanese periodicals with some of the Nikon executives all point to the sensor decision. While we’ve come to expect sensor developments on a continuous basis, we’re still very early in the digital sensor era, and sometimes you get caught in the cracks. The sensor used in the D2x had its design origins in 1996 (the D2h’s sensor goes back further), but the actual decision to go forward with it came pretty much coincident with the D1x’s release. These two sensors share almost nothing in design or even design teams, unlike the D1h and D1x sensors. Once you start making commitments to specific and divergent designs, even minor changes in development schedules can have ripple effects. In short, I don’t think Nikon wanted the D2h and D2x intros to be separated by as much time as they were, but with the cameras now in hand, I believe they probably made the right decision.
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