8. Summing Up

Nikon D2H has up to now been a very satisfying experience. The camera is a joy to use in practice and its handling is second to none, clearly even better than my former D1X/D1H workhorses. I won't go so far as to equal it to my beloved Nikon F2 Titan or my black beauty, the S3 rangefinder, but it comes awfully close, and of course its output is purely digital, so I won't waste time scanning my images.

Its very polished user interface, ease of use, and the consistent excellent image files it is capable to deliver, means my D2H now largely has replaced the D1X/D1H as my bread-and-butter equipment. Needless to say, its ability to stand up to my exacting demands for shooting UV and IR further endeared D2H to me. I also appreciate all the enginereeing ingenuity lavished upon the camera, a token of Nikon's continued commitment to making truly pro-calibre cameras. Their developers surely take their time to come up with new or improved designs, but in the long run this practice is beneficial for all end users.

... All You Have to Do, Is Dream ... Nikon D2H, Nikkor 135 mm f/2.8Q lens, 800 "ISO"	© Bjørn Rørslett/NN

So, how restrictive is the "meagre" 4.1 Mpix chip of D2H for shooting nature photography? No DSLR I've used so far, and that includes Canons premier offering, EOS 1DS, really can deliver the exquisite details often deemed necessary for scenic landscape work. So this is still a domain in which film (and large format) prevails. However, not all people equate nature photography with pretty, but mundane, scenic photography, and thus for alternatives to the more main-stream areas of nature photography, D2H or its kindred certainly can take on the challenge. Give me the D2X, with LBCAST chip and 2-3 times the resolution of D2H*, and I'll reconsider bringing my F2 Titan with me on my next field assignment. Meanwhile, it's more important to get the shots I want, or plan to acquire, with my D2H and stop waiting for the next level of techological achievement. The opportunity to catch your images and fulfill your visions is today, not tomorrow.

* (July, 2004): D2X will use CMOS technology instead of LBCAST, according to yet uncorroborated rumours. I expect to learn more on this in the near future

Nikon D2H Reviewed