Nikon D200 DSLR

Average Megapixels For an SLR

This digital SLR has an average megapixel count for its class. You can print images from an 8- to 10-megapixel camera at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches with no loss in quality; at 13 by 19 inches, however, prints will exhibit a slight loss of detail. Images from a 13-megapixel camera look good at 13 by 19 inches and can be pushed to 16 by 24 inches. Though prints at these larger sizes will lose some sharpness, they'll be superior to what you'd get from 35mm film printed at the same dimensions. You’ll also have plenty of latitude to crop and resize images. As the pixel count on an image sensor increases, so does its propensity to produce images plagued by noise--ugly speckling patterns. To avoid noise, look for a camera with the lowest pixel count that still serves your output needs.
High Continuous Shooting Speed

When a camera is in burst (or drive) mode, it will continue to shoot as long as you hold down the shutter button. How quickly a particular model takes pictures in this mode depends on its continuous shooting speed, measured in number of frames per second (fps). This SLR has a high continuous shooting speed. With a burst speed of 5 fps or greater, a camera can record a very subtle range of expressions in series shots of people. These slight variations can often make the difference between a good portrait or candid photo and an unusable one. You'll also be able to capture decisive sports and entertainment moments.
RAW Image Format

RAW is an uncompressed format for preserving graphics files. Smaller than TIFF files, RAW files often permit restoration of images that have overexposed highlight areas; also, you can ensure that your camera will store the full range of color it captures. You'll need special software on your computer to deal with RAW files, and shooting in RAW format can slow down your SLR. Some cameras with RAW capabilities let you choose from among several resolutions, so you can shoot RAW files at smaller pixel dimensions. That way, if you don’t need the full resolution of your camera, you can shoot RAW photos while saving space on your card.
JPEG Image Format

All digital cameras can capture JPEG images. The JPEG compression process greatly reduces the amount of storage an image requires, and JPEG images transfer quickly from your camera to your computer. JPEG compression is a lossy algorithm, however, which means that saving an image in JPEG format degrades its quality. The high-quality JPEG settings on most cameras are quite good, and it's difficult to spot differences between a JPEG compressed image and a noncompressed image. Still, if you like to edit your images, you may want to upgrade to a camera that also supports a noncompressed (lossless) format, such as TIFF or RAW.
Supports Center-Weight Metering

The light meter controls how long the shutter stays open and how large the aperture is--two variables that are critical to image quality. The default meter on most cameras is a matrix meter, which divides your scene into a grid, gauges the light in each cell of the grid, and then averages the results to come up with a final metering value for the shot. This SLR, however, uses a center-weight meter, which works like a matrix meter but pays more attention to the cells at the center of the viewfinder. This approach to metering can help greatly with backlighting complications.
Supports Spot Metering

A camera's light meter controls how long the shutter stays open and how large the aperture is--two variables that are critical to image quality. This SLR features spot metering. A spot meter gauges the necessary aperture and exposure time for a shot by measuring one spot in the scene you are photographing--usually a very small one. A spot meter is useful for dealing with backlighting complications and scenes that have a very wide dynamic range (a big variation in brightness or darkness) because it ensures that the exposure will be appropriate for certain specific details in the scene.
Fast Shutter Speed

A camera has two mechanisms for controlling how much light hits the sensor: the aperture, which opens and closes like the iris in your eye; and the shutter, which determines how long the sensor will be exposed to light. Depending on how fast the camera can open and close its shutter, you’ll be able to freeze fast-moving motion more precisely or less precisely. This model's fast shutter speed makes it ideal for capturing pictures at sporting events, in nature, and in moving water. You still have the option of shooting at slower shutter speeds to create blurred motion, if you wish.