Nikon D200 a good upgrade from a D60?

Ink84

I have a D60 (basically a D40 with go faster stripes). I'm looking at upgrading to a D200, but I just need to know if it would be a good upgrade.

I would get a D300, but I would rather get a D200 and spend the money saved on some good glass. I would probably get a D300s when I have the available funds, a year or so.

I mostly shoot sports and landscapes, I also shoot some wildlife.

With winter approaching, I need a camera that can cope well with low temperatures and snow. The reason why is that I'll be shooting snowboarders and skiers, so the high fps of the D200 would be very useful. I find the D60 too small for my hands and it makes it uncomfortable to handle and it lacks several features I have came to need, such as the LCD panel on top, mirror lock-up, screw-drive focus, fps and better built body.

Is the AF speed on the D200 any faster?

How much different/ better is the D200 to the D60, and is there any difference in ISO noise between the two?

angevin1

Ink84 wrote:

I have a D60 (basically a D40 with go faster stripes). I'm looking at upgrading to a D200, but I just need to know if it would be a good upgrade.

I would get a D300, but I would rather get a D200 and spend the money saved on some good glass. I would probably get a D300s when I have the available funds, a year or so.

I mostly shoot sports and landscapes, I also shoot some wildlife.

With winter approaching, I need a camera that can cope well with low temperatures and snow. The reason why is that I'll be shooting snowboarders and skiers, so the high fps of the D200 would be very useful. I find the D60 too small for my hands and it makes it uncomfortable to handle and it lacks several features I have came to need, such as the LCD panel on top, mirror lock-up, screw-drive focus, fps and better built body.

Is the AF speed on the D200 any faster?

How much different/ better is the D200 to the D60, and is there any difference in ISO noise between the two?

I suspect theres tons of difference in the noise...DPreview might be a good source.

I can tell you that unless you need higher ISO Performance, and I'll qualify it by saying only slightly higher...Then do just as you say, get the D200 and spend the rest on glass. I've had a D200 and I have a D300, and the former is a fine machine.

jziegler

Another D60 user here. It sounds like you may be stretching your camera a bit more than I am mine, since I'm very happy so far. Anyway, the D200 is an upgrade in many ways, but not all. The sensor is the same, so high ISO noise should not be very different. You get the focus motor, better autofocus (more points, and should be faster), better frame rate. The body is bigger and heavier which you seem to prefer, but you should check it out before switching. I have small hands and have never felt a larger body that I like, but I seem to be odd in that. Its a very personal thing.

You might consider reading this article:
http://www.bythom.com/upgradepath.htm

Which shows the D90 as a possible upgrade, which you may want to consider. It is newer than the D200 with a sensor that is supposed to be better, has similar autofocus to the D200 with the built in motor, and has a higher frame rate than the D60, although not as high as the D200. The size would be between the two. In many ways, it looks like a better D60 upgrade for many people.

I like your avatar.

Jim