Nikon D2X

The D2X has landed, and
with it come the hopes of
a generation of Nikon
devotees keen to see their
company match arch-rival Canon.
Unfortunately for users of
Nikon, the company has
perpetually been a step behind its
competitor in the race for sensor
development. Since early 2003,
Canon users have had the 11MP
EOS 1DS, and Nikon users just
5.9MP with the fl agship D1X (fi rst
introduced in 2001).
While the D2X can’t match the
new 16.7MP EOS 1DS Mark II in
terms of pixel resolution,
knowledge of the post-capture
process has now taught pro and
amateurs alike that megapixels
aren’t everything. A decent 12MP
sensor is suffi cient for most
applications, but a high-quality
12MP camera can be pushed
further than its pixels might
suggest – even to the same ceiling
as the EOS 1DS II.
The most revolutionary and
unprecedented aspect of the D2X is
its High Speed Cropped mode. This
gives users the ability to switch
from fi ve frames per second
shooting and 12.2-megapixels, to a
smaller crop of 6.9-megapixels with
a burst rate to match the D2H
(8fps), even if the buffer’s slightly
reduced from that camera. The
D2H can hold 50 full-quality
JPEGs/40 RAW, while the D2X
manages only 35 JPEGs/29 RAW.
Bearing in mind that Canon’s 8.5fps
EOS 1D II hits just 40 JPEGs/20
RAW, this isn’t too much of a
handicap, and may well make the
D2H redundant for those
photographers who’ve got the cash.
Where the D2X loses out slightly
in terms of resolution to the
1D II in High Speed Cropped, it
makes gains with focal length
multiplication. This becomes 2x
rather than 1.5x, and should
prevent the need for slower, bulkier
lenses, or even the use of
teleconverters (a 300mm lens
becomes 600mm). No user,
professional or otherwise, can
baulk at the chance to get
essentially two cameras in one – a
high-res unit for portraits,
landscapes, architecture and still
life, as well as a lightning fast midres
unit for sports, press, wildlife
and action shots.