Hot For Mac Users: Nikon D200 Digital SLR Camera.

I’m a Mac user (duh). And a digital camera user from waaaaay back. My favorite camera is Tera’s favorite. The Canon 20D.

The new Nikon D200 has more cool, more features, about the same money. It’s not the digital SLR for the rest of us.

The $1,6995 price tag alone puts it out of reach of most folks who are satisfied with the digital images of lower-priced, non-SLR cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Fuji, and friends.

We bring up this announcement of a new SLR as a ‘pro’ feature because it’s probably the type of camera that would go well with Apple’s upcoming pro ‘Aperture’ photo imaging application.

Prepare to drool.

The Nikon D200 is similar to the previous pro DSLR, Nikon D2X camera. The new model features an 11-area auto focus system, five frame per second continuous shooting capability.

That extra capability alone will get you 37 continuous JPEG images or 22 RAW images in sequence.

Battery life has also been extended with the EN-EL3e battery rate at up to 1,800 images per charge. The D200 has a ‘fuel guage’ display which highlights the remaining power in the battery.

I’ve had the Canon 20D for about a year, and it’s the best digital camera I’ve ever owned. Period. While digital image quality at these price points still doesn’t compete with high end film SLR output, even many experienced photographers are hard pressed to tell the difference.

The Nikon D200’s 10.2 megapixel CCD image sensor delivers an image at 3,872 x 2,592 pixels.

Unlike the Canon 20D which I love so much, the Nikon D200 has a large 2.5-inch color LCD monitor on the backplate. That screen is the same size as the display on Apple’s new iPod with video.

Another feature that looks nifty and handy is start up time. .15 seconds on the D200; substantially faster than my now old-looking Canon 20D.

Don’t you have a ‘love hate’ relationship with technology advances?

Another slick feature of the new Nikon is wireless, though it’s not scheduled for release until early 2006. The Nikon Wireless Transmitter WT-3 option adds IEE 802.11b/g for cable-free image transfers to your Mac or PC.

Comparing the D200 to Canon’s 20D may not be fair. The Canon comes with a great wide angle, zoom lens for less than $1,500, while the Nikon D200 is body only at about $1,700, so there’s a substantial money difference.

Still, technology advances, and the drool continues.