Nikon D200 Digital Camera Review

by Patrick Singleton & Alex Burack
Published on December 30, 2005

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings
Photo Gallery

Picture Quality / Size Options (9.0)

The Nikon D200 offers RAW file capture and three levels of JPEG quality in three resolutions. The range of files sizes and quality is very wide; a 1GB CF card will hold approximately 60 RAW files, or about 2,200 “Basic” JPEGs at the smallest available resolution. The camera can also shoot RAW (NEF) and JPEG files simultaneously, with the JPEG at any size and compression setting.

 

The D200 can compress JPEGs in two ways. Size-priority mode compresses JPEGs to a relatively consistent size, and Optimal Quality compresses varying amounts, depending on the complexity of the image. Nikon has typically used a size-priority JPEG algorithm; the Optimal Quality is a new addition. At full resolution and fine quality, we found that Optimal JPEGs were consistently larger than Size-priority, but that the sizes of files from both methods vary with subject matter and shooting conditions.

Picture Effects Mode (8.5)

The Nikon D200 offers control of sharpness, saturation, contrast, and hue via the “Optimize Image” menu. There are 6 presets, and the option to create custom settings. The presets are Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, and Black and White. Softer apparently cuts down on in-camera sharpening, while the two Vivid settings boost sharpening, contrast, and saturation. Portrait lowers contrast.

 

Creating custom settings on the D200 involves adjusting several parameters. Sharpening is adjustable on a 6-point scale from “-2” to “+2,” plus “None.” Nikon refers to “Tone Compensation” and “Contrast” more or less interchangeably. It can be set to Auto, Normal, Less Contrast, or More Contrast. For more flexibility, the user can create a new contrast curve in Nikon Capture 4 software. Capture 4 is not included in the sale price of the D200, however. Color mode can be set to I, II, or III. Nikon recommends I for portraits, III for landscapes and II for images that will be post-processed. Saturation can be set to Auto, Normal, Moderate (less saturated), and Enhanced (more saturated.)

 

“Optimize Image” provides a range of controls for making both subtle and bold changes to image quality. As a group, the parameters indicate how significant in-camera processing is to image characteristics. Nikon warns that when any of the parameters are set to automatic, results can vary from shot to shot, depending on exposure, the subject, the position of the subject in the frame, and so on.

 

Though “Optimize Image” is clearly powerful, it has a somewhat less clear, less flexible interface than the Canon equivalent, which is present on the EOS 5D and the 1D series cameras.