For the impatient among you, the short summary is “Wow!”

While the D2x still holds an edge in several areas, there’s no question that the Nikon D200 delivers the most performance for the money of any camera Nikon has created to date. This is a camera that just feels right in your hands, with well laid-out controls making for very fluid, intuitive operation, and it makes absolutely beautiful images. Editor Shawn Barnett spent a fair bit of time with it, and was greatly impressed. Given that Shawn’s been almost exclusively a Canon shooter for years, it’s noteworthy how quickly he felt at home with the camera, and how much he enjoyed using it.