Despite the fact that I am very tired, as soon as I arrived at home, I download the content of the CF cards onto my computer. Than to my FireWire reader, it operation is fast. With the D2x file size, I suggest that Nikon photographer owns a very fast CF reader. I copy the NEF files in one directory and the Jpeg files in another one.
First, I check the Jpeg files. Now, I can see the benefit of having stored the file in Raw + Jpeg formats because I safe a lot of time during the first editing. Because of the poor weather conditions, the shots have low contrast. Therefore, I select the photographs which will be processed as NEF with Nikon Capture.
After the files selection, I quit all the running software and I start Nikon Capture. As soon as I started processing NEF files from the D2x with Nikon Capture 4.2.0, I discovered that this software needs a huge quantity of RAM (at least 1 Gb of RAM) and it is very slow. The current version of Nikon Capture 4.3.1 has partially solved the speed issue, but Nikon Capture works smoothly with NEF files from the D2x only if the computer is equipped with a lot of RAM.
First, I work on the curves of each photograph for the adjustment of the white point in order to have details in the snow nearly white. Then I adjust the overall ton values of the images. There is a feature of Nikon Capture that helps the user for high precision adjustment of the curves : it is possible to open the curves palette in a separate window and to resize this window. I often use this feature. On very difficult images in which the flakes between the lens and the dogs made the image contrast very low, I draw an S curve. This is on this type of images that one notice how Raw files get more information than Jpegs. With my snow photographs, I get better results with 12-bit NEF files.
Then, I use the unsharp mask tool palette to adjust the sharpness of each image. With the D2x one can choose a quite high intensity for the unsharp mask. Anyway, I prefer to adjust individually the unsharp mask of each file in order to get better results.
For few pictures only, I use the D-lighting tool (former digital DEE) to adjust low light values.
The photographs optimised with Nikon Capture are saved as TIFF files and usually need no further modification. In order to analyse the real image quality of the D2x equipped with the lens AFS VR 200 mm f/2 G, I printed out some of them using my Epson 2200 ink jet printed on the biggest sheet that can be used by it.


There is a feature of Nikon Capture that helps the user for high precision adjustment of the curves : it is possible to open the curves palette in a separate window and to resize this window.



On the sceen, the quality of the 200 mm f/2 VR a obvious : very high shapness, short depth of field with magnificent bokeh : the nicest bokeh of all Nikkor lenses ! The image quality of the lens used wide open are stunning. this very important for a lens that I intend to use mainly to freeze the fast motion of butterflies' wings. The very short depth of field is made even shorter by the details stored by the 12 megapixels of the D2x.

I did not see immediatly how detailled are the images of the Nikon D2x because I first looked at details in crops at 100% on the display of my computer. I had forgotten that a crop of a 12 megapixels file is only a very small part of a very big picture.The quality of D2x photographs becomes obvious when I discovered the first larges prints.

If you are interested in the Nikon D2x, you have to keep in mind that this DSLR require very good lenses optimized for digital cameras. For sure, the AFS VR 200 mm f/2 G IF-ED is the best telephoto lens for the D2x of the current Nikkors !


The Nikon D2x associated to the lens AFS VR 200 mm f/2 G is a very good tool for action phoography.

First good point : the 2/200 VR really behaves on a DX sensor DSLR like a 300 mm f/2.8 on a full frame camera, but it comes with a lot of advantages. It is twice more opened : f/2 and f/2,8, this is not the same aperture ! The lens is more compact (lenth : 203 mm only). Associated with teleconverters, the 200 mm is very versatile !

Then, the main conclusion regards image quality. the lens gives sharp images with a lot of details in the 12 megapixels files of the Nikon D2x. the bokeh is very nice at every distance. No doubt, this lens is a "must have" for any owner of a D2x.

For an ergonomic point of view, no other DSRL is so well designed. The build quality of the lens is perfect but there is 2 points that could be modified on the lens. the hood is too big and not adjusted to Nikon DSLR requirement with their DX size sensor. The hood HK-30 of the zoom AFS VR 200-400 mm f/4 is surely a better coice for the 200 mm. The tripod mount is not well designed : it is too small it does not facilitates the handheld and the transport of the lens. This lens and its perfect image quality seem to be not very well known from professional photographers. It is not often in their bag.
But, if I had not enough money and if I had to choose between the Nikon D2x body and the lens 2/200 VR, I had chosen this terrific prime !


Note : Text extract from the article published in the french magasine "Chasseur d'Image" nb 273 dated May 2005.



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