- Great ergonomics
- Nice integrated grip for heavy and big lens
- Great build quality as compared to a D200 or D70
- Faster responses on nearly everything versus a D200
- Being a 5 or 6 year old camera, prices have come way down
- Shutter rated for 150K

- Noise issues at ISO 800 or more
- Relatively expensive battery to replace (~$110 USD)
- No built in flash (but no professional DSLR does)

A great ergonomic camera. I upgraded from a D200 with a MB-D200. The D2X fits very nicely in my hands. Like other reviewers' have said, the camera is very quick at everything, instant on, focusing and shutter lag time. You are getting what you pay for, the D2X is built to last and like the proverbial tank. The high speed crop is nice when you need the extra reach. Upgrading the firware almost gets you to a D2Xs camera. A nice upgrade to a D200, if higher ISO is not that important to you. Everything is a slightly nicer feel and build on the D2X versus the D200. I gave the camera a 4 star rating only because of the noise issues.

Customer Service

Had my D70 Serviced by Nikon, and purchased some D70 parts. I was satisfied with their service.

Similar Products Used:

D70, D200 w/MB-D200 Battery Grip

Construction - its a tank
Speed - start up, shot to shot, and focusing speeds are superb
Large LCD - largest in a Pro SLR at the time of this post
Features abound - the latest firmware update is the most extensive that I can recall by any manufacturer... offers BW mode, new ISO settings, and tons more.
Fully compatible with all of the superb Nikon glass and industry leading flash technology.
Image quality is stellar - 12.5 MP is excellent. Yes, the 1D Mark II offers 16% res boost, but at double the price.
Image quality at 8 fps still double the D2Hs and only a 1 MP shy of the 1D Mark II N!!!
Excellent Battery Life
Two pro bodies in One!!!

Price - though LOW by industry standards - is high for most buyers (like me)
To shoot at 8fps you must shoot at a 2x crop factor instead of 1.5. This is fine on the field but in doors it can be limiting.
Slightly higher image noise at higher ISOs than Canon
A bit heavy versus say the D200, but it feels sturdy
No built in flash (no pro SLRs offer it) so it requires a flash at an additonal $200-300.
Some say the DX (APS) size sensor is a drawback. However this is the sweet spot for most lenses and allows it to work with ALL Nikon's lenses. Also keeps price down.

This is the best camera that Nikon has ever developed. Having worked with amature 35mm cameras like the N80 as well as professional work horses like the F100 and F5 I have spent a great deal of time with the later icons of the film era. Prior to Nikon I worked with Minolta and Canon bodies and a variety of lenses. I chose to stay with Nikon as I perfered its control layout and ergonomics. The grip has always felt secure, even on the N80, and of a durable quality. When I crossed into digital, I began with the D70. I still feel that bang for dollar it was the first real breakthrough in the digtial SLR market. I was always attracted to the D1 series, but could not justify the price at the time. Enter Nikon and the D2H. An incredible build quality, blistering speed, and superb ergonomics. Finally on the brink of committing to the D2 series and Nikon blows the doors wide open with the release of the incredible D2X. For the first time a camera body offered professional build, superb handeling, excellent resolution, and a high speed crop mode up to 8 fps for actions shots required above the acceptable 5 fps - all of this while maintaining almost 7 megapixels of resolution. Priced in between the Canon 1D Mark II and the 1Ds Mark II and offering the perfect combination of freatures, the D2X was the obvious choice for me.

Many shooters where contemplating switching to Canon, but the D2X proved that Nikon is thinking ahead and that it's products are among the best in the world. The D2X offers the best build of any SLR I have EVER used. It offers wicked fast focusing, superb features, and breathtacking images. If you are looking for the best... this is it.

Buyers Note: Most of those looking to upgrade to this camera may also be considering switching to Canon. I know because I was there. Before you drop a ton of bills for a new camera, you need to make sure the other guys don't offer something better. I am in NO WAY knocking Canon as they make superb cameras and lenses and anyone would be happy with their products. I was shooting Canon before Nikon. But there is something to consider when looking at this and other cameras... sensor size. Nikon uses the APS size DX sensor which creates a 1.5x crop factor on regular lenses. Canon (and others reviewers out there) like to focus on the full frame sensor and it's benefits. However, Canon offers cameras with 1.3x, 1.4x, 1.5x, and NO cropping. I think this is more confusing to tell you the truth. Besides, you get a nice camera like the 5D or 1Ds with the full frame sensor and yes you get wider wides with their lenses, but a lot of their great new leses like the 10-22 and the 17-55 will NOT work with them because they are designed for the 30D and lower models. The 16-35mm is an alternative to the 17-55, but it is shorter on the long end and does not offer IS (image stabelizer). That means you can't pick and choose any lens... you have to be careful about compatibility. So far, Nikon has remained constant and at this point in time all of the Nikon leses fit all fo the Nikon bodies. It's nice and easy. Besides, with all of the new wide glass availabe from Nikon, Tokina, Sigma, and Tamron, why worry about it? A 10-17mm lens like the new Tokina willl be the equiv. of a 15-26mm... that's wide in my book. Just keep that in mind before making your decision. ;)

Customer Service

Not Needed.

Similar Products Used:

Construction wise the D2H/s is similar, but there is really nothing like it in the photographic world.

Solid, well built and just a visually beautiful piece of technology. Battery life. Snap fast auto focus. Viewfinder data. Auto white balance is always right on. Feel of the grip and ergonomics. Menu is the best. Works well with Nikon Capture 4.4 software.

Price so I can't buy two.

Originally purchased the D70s. Great camera with nice results but just couldn't get excited about it. Missed my F5 so bought the D2X. This camera is just amazing! They compare it to the D200. Picked up the D200 in a store and was surprised that weight did not feel much different compared to the D2X. To compare the two the D2X autofocus is more sensitive in lower light and does not need a focus assist light as the D200. I use the Nikkor 300mm f/4 with a 2.0x teleconverter and at f/8 it autofocuses. The D200 could not do that. The D2X veiwfinder is closer to 100% and has a higher eyepoint so you don't have to keep your eye glued to the glass to see the whole image. Also more info available in the viewfinder as well as the LCD display on the back of the camera so you don't have to stretch your neck out of the socket to view the top display when the camera is on a tripod. The battery lasts for days as opposed to hours on the D200. The D200 needs the extra battery pack if you are out in the field so adds to the weight. The list goes on. The D2X is just more of a professional camera and treats you that way.

Customer Service

I live near Nikon in Mellvile, NY needed adjustment on a lens and they were fantastic to me.

Similar Products Used:

D70s

Build quality, handling, image quality, focusing speed metering. Very tough

High ISO but see summary fro why this is not so big a deal, bomb proof cameras cost a lot

I am not a pro so don’t need a camera which can go through war zones but this one definitely fells like it could. It handles so well and everything is very fast. There is not much I can add to the reviews already posted except to echo them.

I have never enjoyed using a camera more and the results are exceptional.

The high ISO performance in low light can be marginally bettered but not by much unless you go for the full frame Canon models. I have a different take on this and think it’s not as clear cut as it first seems. I can’t see the case for a full frame CMOS. Wider digital optics to compensate for the smaller CMOS are cheaper and easier to produce than fast longer optics. This is compounded by the long lenses needing the high shutter speeds that require high ISO. So it’s great that the Canon has better noise at ISO 1600 but because its full frame the equivalent Canon lens loses a stop anyway so we need to compare 800 on the Nikon to 1600 on the Canon. By way of illustration my 70-200 2.8 on the Nikon is closest to a 100-300 on the Canon they don’t have a equivalent 2.8 Sigma make one buts its not anywhere as easy to hold and can’t match the VR. Just as the 300 2.8 equates to a 450 2.8 which again does not have an equivalent and even a 400 2.8 IS is way more expensive and harder to handle.

The only comment I would make is that my new D200 fits my needs better than this in many ways and if it had been around when I bought this I would probably have gone that way.

This is a great camera capable of so much but the pro ruggedness is at a price premium that “enthusiasts” like me might not need.

Similar Products Used:

D2H D200

Battery life.
Build quality.
Speed.
Large buttons operable with gloves.
Accurate exposure.
Good AF (if you read the manual!).
Viewfinder, especially with magnifying eyepiece.
HSC mode.

No threaded shutter button for a standard cable release.
Electronic remote release fiddly.
Supplied software awful at the price.
Heavy on hikes.

There's nothing much I can find fault with with the D2x, image quality has been superb using RAW, it's tough, batteries last, AF works well, exposure good. Just picking it up and feeling the weight inspires you to want to take better pictures.

Supplied software unacceptable at the price, I use Pixmantec Rawshooter Premium anyway.

Personally I love the High Speed Crop mode, I have the 12-24 to cover the wide end and it makes my 300/2.8 into seriously long glass!

Only giving 4 for value because of poor software and now the D200 is here.

Customer Service

Not used.

Similar Products Used:

Fuji S2 Pro.
Nikon F801s

Everything except.....

The price (especially compared to the D200) and the AC adapter requirement before allowing sensor cleaning.
Also be nice if they had retained the audible beep on focus lock that the D70 and D200 have.

Excellent piece of kit. The feel and handling is fantastic - make you want to just keep taking shots!.
Very very responsive (as noted elsewhere). Everything it does it does immediately - from menu selections to shutter release. I picked up my old D70 last night (which I had always thought was very quick handling) and was astonished to see how slow it was comparative to the D2x - I'm just pleased I didn't pick up the old Fuji S2 Pro!!!!

The exposure metering has so far almost always bang on (even when bracketing for difficult conditions I usually end up going for the camera recommended setting) and white balance (whilst not always perfect) is very good with accurate colour rendition.
The only thing I have found I really don't like (apart from the price!!!) is the way you need the AC adaptor (more £$£$£$£$£) in order to clean the sensor. I also have a D200 and they seem to have been more sensible there and allow cleaning if the battery is more than 60% full - shame they didn't do this for the D2x too.... If I'm away from a power source (such as hiking/camping etc) this is a major hassle.

High speed crop is very useful too - although the eye does tend to lose the HSC marks in the viewfinder resulting in lost limbs and suchlike until you get used to it.

Other than that its brilliant..... (but so is the D200 for half the money.....)

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D200, D70, Fuji S2 Pro and a whole raft of point and shoots from Olympus, Nikon, Fuji and Minolta...

- Extremely good handling/ergonomics, even with gloves - Balance very good, especially with most slightly heavier zooms and teles - Most controls are quickly/easily set by switches/buttons without menues - Rugged construction and weather/dust seals - limage quality of optimum quality corner-to-corner with good glass - commercially viable image quality at higher (400-800) ISO speeds - extreme push (1600-3200 ISO) more like film behavior (less color artifacts) - DX-size chip allows shorter/lighter lenses with better depth-of-field - ability to switch to "high speed crop" mode very useful for: - reducing file size (6.8 MP images) for card-consuming 8fps - obtaining a 2X "lens factor" with long lenses - Highest write speeds to (high speed) compactflash cards - abaility to record audio files associated with image file - works with almost all Nikkor lenses, including older and/or manual AIS types

- $4500 street price a bit high - camera box does not include RAW image processing software, but does include some amateur software not befitting a "pro" camera - has been some confusion about Nikon's RAW (NEF) format compatability with other 3rd party software due to proprietary (?) data encoding - the very sophisticated AF focusing system requires some patience to learn, but actually works quire well once you get the hang of it - don't even think of using low quality glass with this camera

I think this camera is the best photographic tool I have ever used, film or digital! Both fast handling in the field and intuitive enough so that I do not stumble with all the various options/settings available. I think this is too much camera for an amateur who uses "programmed auto" even a little bit. An experienced photographer who understands how to meter and use AF options will be very pleased with the ease of making rapid settings changes under pressure. I particularily enjoy working without menues while making my settings on-the-fly. The new Nikon D200 has much of the prowess of this D2X, and should rightfully be praised, especially for the price....it will be sought by pros as viable back-up camera bodies to the D2X. Why the D2X then? Working with zooms and fast lenses in available light...I like the balance of a slightly larger and heavier body, especially when I also get the extra ruggedness and sealing for working under poor field conditions (rainy, drizzle, freezing, hot and blowing, dusty, etc)

Customer Service

Support has always been quite readily available for Nikon equipment... no change with the D2X; however, problems with the RAW data encoding and "Nikon Capture" RAW processing software were avoidable by Nikon. I believe they have learned some lessons in this matter and shouldn't be a problem in the future (I hope!)

Similar Products Used:

- Canon 1Ds Mark II - Canon 1D Mark II - Canon 10 D - Nikon D70

The focusing is super fast. The D2x has many options for shooting.

Requires an AC adapter to clean the sensor. This could be fixed by making this option available in the next firmware update. Also, bright colors tend to over expose.

It is my first truly pro-camera in a 35mm body. And if I had a tail, it would be wagging back and forth with excitement. It's a very sturdy and super fast camera. I use a Sandisk Extreme III CF card, and there is no wait while in shooting in Continuous mode, and shooting RAW. The colors are great. For the most part the exposure is incredibly good. No post processing necessary.

Similar Products Used:

D70

12.2 megs. Fast autofocus. Improved white balance. Brighter/sharper 2.5in. LCD screen with incredible zoom feature. High speed crop area. Great new histogram. Very easy to use, almost identical to D2H.

Only 175 images on 2 gig card, but to be expected with 12.2 megs in RAW. Longer download times.

Received 2 weeks ago and find it to be the best camera I have ever owned. Have owned all the professional Nikon Digital equip.... D100, D1X, D2H. Nikon has combined the best features of all the above,improved on them, and made it into the best Digital SLR on the market.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Most Nikon SLR and Digital cameras.