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.