Why to buy a Nikon D2X / D2Xs
The queen mother of the Nikon line as of late 2006. The highest resolution, fastest, best handling Nikon DSLR. The D2X doesn’t need a vertical grip accessory – it’s built right in. Similar to the legendary Nikon F5 film body in size, build quality and durability, the D2X exudes the “top of the line” spirit.
The D2X and D2Xs models are nearly identical (once the D2X has been upgraded to Version 2.0 firmware).
The D2Xs ships with a higher capacity EN-EL4a battery, which can be purchased separately for the D2X. The D2Xs will mask the viewfinder in High-Speed-Crop mode and provide metering based on the cropped area only. The D2X does indicate the border area of the cropped area (not masked like the D2X) and meters the entire DX frame, rather than the reduced crop in High-Speed-Crop mode. The D2Xs has and LCD as the same size as the D2X, but can be viewed from a wider angle.
The D2X is heavy and durable enough for extreme conditions. While the D200 is lighter, the weight of the D2X inspires confidence and balances with the heaviest of lenses.
For the D2X, Nikon elected to utilize a CMOS sensor (versus CCD for most other Nikon bodies). The CMOS at ISO 100 provides images with a smooth and crisp quality unmatched by other Nikon bodies. I cannot quantify this difference with numbers and statistics, but it is a difference which transcends mathematical descriptions. My D2X images are more likely to be confused with traditional film images than those from other Nikon camera bodies.
I own a D2X and use it daily. It is not as good a value as the Nikon D200. The D200 offers nearly the same functionality and build quality for less than 1/3rd the price of the D2X. On the other hand, price and value aside, the D2X offers Nikons top quality and highest image resolution.
For detailed comparison to Nikon D200, see the D200 page.