Nikon D2X 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Body only)

For anyone migrating from the Nikon F series of 35mm film cameras this is the one to get. If like me you have a F4 then the shape & feel are very similar. Most important almost all those lens will fit the D2X, some will only be usable in manual focus and you can only use the standard 2 metre options. Overall this camera is built to last being constructed with Nikon's precision and care to detail. Because it is a pro camera you can pick one up for under £500 that should still have plenty of life left in it.
It will take a while to get use to the menu system but once it's setup you need only concerntrate of shooting.
Remember that the 35mm film lens you use will have a differing focal lens but nothing to concern you about as the bright viewing screen in the back of the camera will allow you to see the shot you have taken.
The viewfinder is bright and as a specs wearer allow me to view all the info, i can also usse the top plate screen too.

I bought this camera for one very simple attribute - it is the only Nikon Digital SLR that supports the famous TC-16A autofocus 1.6x teleconverter. This TC was a 1985 concept that allowed manual focus lenses to autofocus with the new AF cameras - initially only the 35mm film camera F501, later other film cameras up to the F90. By the time the brilliant F100 came along, the Nik AF lenses had come of age and the TC-16A was no longer a big deal.

Enough history, I doubt many people buying this camera second hand will be interested in this aspect. If anyone is, yes it works - a manual focus Tamron Adaptall 2 300mm f/2.8 became a 480mm f/4.5 (approx) AF lens. For those who believe the 1.5x APS-C magnification factor propaganda, that's an equivalent 720mm lens. Just Google "crop factor" first if you are impressed by that stat.

On a more general note. I've been with Nikon for decades - FG20, F501 (loved it) F601, F90, F100 (love it). In the digital age, I've gone D70S, D80, D300 and D700. The two latter are being marketed as "Pro" cameras but the D2X is the first I've had that is really truly aimed at Pros - massive battery, portrait mode controls with no extra driver, weather seals, and err.. that's about it?

At the moment, there's precious little to choose pricewise between second hand D300s and D2Xs. For me, the D300 wins hands down on 2 related counts - the 3" rear LCD screen is wonderful, and taken in tandem with tripod mode live view that is a real modern selling point.

I have a decent stack of Nikkor and Tamron SP primes that I will be using on the D700, but mostly at the wide end. At the long end, AF for me is crucial so it was a fairly easy decision to swap the D300 for a D2X.

So I'm feeling in a happy dilemma - will I use the D700 with the D2X as backup, or vice versa?

Recomendation: Unless you need the TC-16A AF capability that goes with the D2X, get a D300. If you have a good selection of full frame primes, think about the D700, but also think about whether modern zooms are so good that they have broken the old rule that primes are always better. For all the criticism he gets, Ken Rockwell's site is really helpful on this.

Being a medium format user had to give way to digital for some assignments - have used others but prefer Nikon optics and do not like Fuji's lack of reliability and find that the colour rendition, saturation, speed of autofocus, ease of use, even the reasuring feel of the weight and build of this magnesium bodied camera reasuring.

Compare to say 12mp interpolated fuji S2 which is a 6+6mp camera which when used in raw produces a conversion into a tiff file and can then have the jpeg conversion via either their software of photoshop but try to open the raw in photoshop and all you get is a 6mb image. Considered the S3 but having had to scrap a two year old S2 and considering thet the earlier D100 was still going stond build yuality was a strong consideration.

In use the controls are slightly different to the earlier Nikons and Fujis but a few minutes and they due to their logical outlay become easy to use and once the results are sampled there is absolutly no contest.

Have attempted conversion of the raw image by several means especially when requiring larger quantities in batch where options are the software provided with the camera which although offing a working option is slow in use and capture is an additional option at over £120 which I have a copy of as well as CS2 from photoshop. I tried a further cheap option which cost sub £10.00 and being ever the pesemist thought would be worth a gamble and having tried it now use it as my first option that being tone up as found for sale on ebay.

If you require photos for resale and are tied into nikon lenses and can justify the premium price for a premium product then there is no contest.

A final thought is that if you are considering it inferior to the D2xs then why not gain the features of the later spec by upgrading the firmware which is available free from Nikons website.

Additional comment - now looking at D700 to back up Hasselblad digital backs. But for a storeybook Wedding album the D2x takes some beating especially as there are a few second hand due to upgrades, but carefully check vendor and the condition especially the sensor / chip as unqualified cleaning can totally wreck it.

In all, this is simply a fabulous camera, especially at current ebay prices hovering around the £650-700 mark!
As a pro tool this camera, whilst may not neccessarily feature specific specs any greater than current new mid range DSLR's it has one major advantage.....build quality!
Speed of use is a joy, as many features are on their own button, not shared with many different other ones.
Being more use to a D2h, the D2x is a very similar beast. Whilst the frame rate is reduced to 5fps, instead of the D2h 8fps, this can be made up by selecting whats called a hi speed crop mode. This effectively reduced the surface area of sensor used (approx' 2x crop factor, instead of 1.5x), it does boost the fps rate back up to 8fps.
A neat idea, like the D2h, is a programmable function button. This can be used for a variety of functions you'd like to access at the touch of a button, rather than going through the custom menus. I have mine set to instantly take a spot metering reading, however, it can also be used for flash on/off, umoungst other others. I also like the fact I can program this to switch between full and hi speed crop, by pressing the button and using the back control wheel.
Do not be confused about the resolution of this camera. Impressive at just under 13mpixels on paper, in reality it is simply astounding!! This really does blow away Nikons own D80 and D200.
Chipped batteries might be a little expensive, but they do give a very very accurate use indicator.
I thoroughly recommend the use of the optional magnified eyepiece, which makes viewing appaerance more like the film SLR's like nikons F5. It's invaluable if you also plan on using the hi speed crop mode.
It's not all good though. One headache users have to work around is the max flash sync speed. Whilst the D1 series cameras were pretty phenominal in this department, the D2x struggles at max speed of 1/250th. Ok in the days of the film cameras like FM2n, but a little middle of the road for a todays technology. Can be limiting if you're a fan of fill-in flash. One thing to work around though.
One thing that more than makes up for flash spec is the colour modes. Colour mode III is brutally brilliant. In fact, it is so well respected that D300,D700 and D3 cameras have an option to download this D2x firmware!!
If only the poor colour control seen in the D1 series cameras had been somewhere near this D2x.
Forget buying a new D90 or saving up for a D300....get a D2x here on ebay for a real bargain price!
Happy hunting

As a semi-professional photographer (making small amounts of money from my photographs) I bought a D2X new at £3500. I used it for civic and coroprate functions and the results were excellent when used with pro-quality lenses. After using the camera for less than four years and during an important photo-shoot (that is I was being paid for once!) the camera seized up. The last image I had taken was on the screen but nothing worked. I removed the battery the image disappeared and thereafter the camera was useless. If you are interested read on...
I took the camera to a professisonal repairer (in Edinburgh) who informed me that they could no diagose the problem and advised me to have it sent to Nikon UK. They charged £20 for this service. I agreed thinking that a professional outfit like Nikon would be helpful. Next...
An estimate for repair by Nikon was £310 (I still have the documentation) and as this was 10% of the value of a PROFESSIONAL camera I decided to have Nikon UK undertake the repair. Next...
The Edinburgh repair centre contacted me to say that 'on further examination by Nikon UK' the repair would now be £928! Next...
I was asked if I was prepared to pay this and when I said NO WAY I was asked if I wanted the camera back!
Of course being a good Scot I asked for the camera to be returned to me but was told that the £20 previously paid did not cover postage so I have to arrange to collect it. Next...
I asked again and again for precise disconnected..