Digital Camera News

Nikon Modifies Flagship DSLR; Releases D2Xs

June 1, 2006 – Nikon updated its D2X digital single lens reflex camera with improved viewing options and some interesting new functions. The company announced the new Nikon D2Xs today, which has the same 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor and 5 fps burst mode as the original D2X. The new model will be released worldwide later this month for $4,699.

The older Nikon D2X has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 235,000 pixels. The new D2Xs has the same size screen with slightly less resolution – 230,000 pixels – but with a wider 170-degree viewing angle. Nikon also updated the optical viewfinder with new custom settings.

The Nikon D2Xs has much better battery life, grabbing up to 3,800 shots on a single charge. Photographers can monitor the battery with a better gauge too. The old D2X showed the battery life in only five stages, while the new version shows the percentage of battery power remaining along with the number of shots taken since the last charge and the overall battery status.

Nikon included some brand new functions on the D2Xs including in-camera trimming and a mode that merges 10 exposures into one file. There is also an image overlay function. Nikon added more sensitivity options to its list, which put HI-0.3, HI-0.5, and HI-0.7 options between the 800 and the HI-1 settings.

"Increasingly, professional photographers have chosen the D2X as their primary workhorse camera due to its remarkable performance and versatility, making it Nikon’s best selling professional digital SLR camera," said Edward Fasano, general marketing manager for Nikon’s SLR Systems Products, in today’s press release. "With the introduction of the D2Xs, Nikon has built upon the proven performance of its predecessor and added new technologies and refined features that will offer professionals an enhanced overall experience."

The Nikon D2Xs keeps all the good qualities from its predecessor. It can shoot RAW or JPEG images at a quick 5 frames per second in full resolution. In the high-speed crop mode, the camera can shoot 6.8-megapixel images at a rate of 8 fps. A new feature in the Nikon D2Xs allows photographers to access the 3D Color Matrix Metering II in this mode.

The new model, like the old, has compatibility with Nikon’s Speedlight flashes and a slew of other accessories. The Nikon D2Xs can sync with a wireless lighting system or an optional GPS adapter. It can also be controlled remotely with the optional Camera Control Pro software, either wirelessly or with the USB cable. Nikon announced the software today.

The camera can also download files to Nikon’s Capture NX editing software, which has not yet been released but will be available soon. Nikon also announced new Image Authentication software today that allows files from the Nikon D2Xs to be authenticated and "can determine whether or not [the files have] been altered since capture," according to today’s release.

The Nikon D2Xs has a magnesium alloy body that is dust and water resistant and is the same 6.2 x 5.9 x 3.4-inch size as the D2X. It weighs the same 2.4 lbs as well. The body was created by acclaimed industrial designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was the brainchild behind the Volkswagen Golf and the Ferrari GG50. The body accepts Nikon F-mount and DX lenses.

The new camera’s predecessor, the Nikon D2X, retails for $4,999. Nikon issued a $500 rebate for it that is good through June 30.