Originally Posted by
tharris
Well, I bought the D200 with the 18-200 lens, an extra battery, and 2 - 2GB SanDisc Extreme III cards. I also ordered and waiting for the external battery pack.
My first impressions:
I like it, but it is heavy. With the lens at its shortest, it isn't any longer than my Sony DCS F717, but the body is significantly taller. I ordered the external battery pack to see if it would feel in better balance for me.
I want to shoot in RAW, preferably + JPEG, so I will order a few more memory cards before we leave for Thailand this Friday (I get Amazon Prime 2 day shipping). I will probably get a few 4GB cards and was thinking about getting the Sandisk Extreme IV as they are faster than the III. However, I test shot continuously at 5 shots per second and the III kept up with no problems, so I think I will stick with the IIIs (also, Amazon does not sell the IV, so I would have to pay for shipping). I normally prefer smaller cards as I don't want to risk losing everything if a card fails.
At first I regretted my purchase. The Sony really has worked well for me and I loved that I could move the lens and take candid pictures while looking like I was just screwing around with my camera. However, I took what I consider a great shot on a trip last spring and was frustrated that I could not make it the size I wanted without the quality being unacceptable.
I spent several hours screwing with the camera and now am happy with it. I really love the continuous shooting. There were some things that surprised me, such as the picture doesn't show on the back monitor when you are composing it (it does when you review), but I normally turned that feature off on my Sony as it ate batteries and I prefer looking through the view finder.
I have to say that the "made in Thailand" stickers on the camera and lens made me smile. I definitely will bring my receipt so there are no problems with US Customs. I noticed the lens' serial number starts with "US", but on the camera, the only number I can find is on a plate and it doesn't.
Maybe I will pick up a protective filter and, if the battery pack does not come in, one of those as "souvenirs of Thailand".
So, now I only have to worry about where I will find the wall space to display all of the incredible poster-sized shots I will be printing!
Of course it's heavy. It's made out of metal instead of plastic and it is weather/moisture sealed. And no
true D-SLR has live preview. Think about it for a moment and it should come to you why.
Yes, filter[s] are a wise investment against the cost of a new lens. Don't skimp here either. If you are shooting in color and outside look at a 1a filter from B&W. If not B&W then look at Nikon or Heliopan, everything else [save the really expensive stuff like Schneider, Hassy, etc.] is junk so why compromise your images at the first point that the light hits your lens.
Forget the SanDisc/Lexar cards. IMHO they have poor price/performance ratios.
I was a loyal SanDisc Ultra/Extreme user for years, great stuff but then I found Transcend. Just as good, nearly as fast, and much cheaper.
Even Galbraith's CF timing matrix bears this out. The Transcend 120x 4 GB CF card is almost as fast as the top Lexar and SanDisc cards but about 1/3 the price.
Galbraith CF Charts
NewEgg has the Transcend 120x 4GB cards for $42!
Neww Egg