Second camera - Nikon D80 or D200
 

I have a D80, 17-135 and Tamrom 200-500. I am thinking of adding a Sigma or Nikon 500 prime (if I can get a used Nikon at the right price) and a Nikon 70-300 (and selling the Tamron). I want to get a second camera so I am not changing lenses all the time. Is it worth spending the extra for a D200 or should I just buy another D80 - I am very pleased with the D80 at the moment.

Another quick question - mirror slap blur - is this a load of horsesh.... or is it something I need to worry about. I read a whole thread on some other forum about how bad the D200 was for mirror slap. I feel I'm missing something important here and feel left out :) or should I just ignore it.

For your second body I would consider used. Its your second body so does it matter if its slightly worm or has a few miles on the clock? - NO!

I would advise something better than your main camera if you are happy with D80. So a used D80 or possibly a D70/D70s as you will get a good camera for little money now D80 has been available for some time. Also consider the battery type so you can share batteries between the two, bodies can be different just try to keep battery and card type the same.

I have two bodies but do not often use simultaneously, after doing this for a while you may find its easier to just change a lens! However a second body is a great backup and if you second body has features/properties that the primary does not have then its a bonus. E.g. I use my D2Hs in darker conditions because of its better noise profile whereas D2X is used during brighter conditions.

Mirror slap! - I think its only relevant on a tripod where tripod mass and collar design are key factors. It does not occur with hand-holding as your body is sufficient mass to absorb any slap.

Is mirror lock up worth it? Depends what kind of photography you're doing. It's up to you, but I've found it to be significant even with shorter lenses when using a tripod. See:
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...ad.php?t=1037&

I agree with Stephen about use when hand holding though. A few times I've forgotten to turn off MLU and taken a hand held shot. Framing the image is "interesting".

A D200 is only worth it if you need the extra features which are primarily a) higher frame rate, b) better build and c) mirror lock up. There are also a few neat things such as the intervalometer which allows time lapse photography.

The better build might be useful if you mount heavy lenses on the body which in turn is on a tripod as it reduces the likelihood of the body flexing.

Otherwise the D80 seems to be a D200 look-a-like.

Is MLU useful? IMO if you take pictures on a tripod at 1/100 or less especially with long lenses (200mm+) then you need MLU for ultimate sharpness. 1/15" is supposed to be the danger area with any lens. It does in part depend on the lens as some are more resonant than others. Also it might depend on the camera, as I suspect the degree of mirror slap differs between cameras. I would suspect that more expensive cameras have less slap (better damping) but that is a guess and might be horse poo.

Regarding hand holding and MLU, I defer to Stephen as I do not handhold without flash.

You could always pick up a like new used D200 from a dealer ensuring you will get some warranty. Or a refurbished unit.

I agree with most of the above - I use a D200 and D70 as backup. The D70 was my first Digital SLR and when I upgraded to the D200 I kept it. Very useful is the fact that they both have interchangeable batteries and Compact Flash cards. Also they both have pop up flash and can work as Commander units with the Nikon Close Up Remote Speedlight kit R1 that I use for macro photography. I think that interchangeability can save you quite a bit. One thing I have noticed is that lenses with Silent Wave Motors seem a bit more responsive on the D200.

As an alternative to MLU (although my 20D has this :D ) on some cameras self timer can be used if the mirror moves when the shutter is pressed before the ST counts down - static subjects only - lol

I was in the market recently for a back-up camera to my D80 (Which I love) & considered nudging up to the D200, however, it just wasn't cost effective for me so I have just bought (On E Bay) a used but like new D80 with Nikon 18-135 + Nikon battery grip / batteries & 2 x 2gig cards & a usb card reader thrown in for £550 - the same price folks want for the D200 body only - content.
Kind Regards
BJ

Er, yes I got a lovely D80 second-hand from someone with your identical name, its only drawback being the difficulty of cleaning it.

Unless you are prepared to change mode completely from light to heavyweight, I wouldn't have thought a D200 that advisable. Big lenses have trpod mounts, which can be used as a handgrip or placed on posts or rocks. The argument of balancing lens and camera doesn't grab me. If you had wanted any of the few features not on D80 you would have got a D200 as no 1?

Have you won the lottery (Nikon 500 prime!)?:D

I now have a 1 body solution for most of my photography, viz D80 with Nikkor 80-400 and canon 500D close up ring. It hardly ever comes off except in town or indoors where the 18-135 kit comes into its own. But then I am not into the v wide-angle landscape approach that is in fashion (and like all fashions will pass).

I don't think the sensor dust comes from lens changing as such - it seems to either lurk within or is even generated within by very fine abrasion fragments. Its worth making sure inside of body-end caps and lenses are really clean before putting them on, likewise Sensorscope if you use one to view the muck. An artists sable brush charged up by rubbing on a clean piece of wood seems quite good for removing visible fragments from each place. The sub-visible residue can be dealt with using dust-off function using camera+capture NX combination

Michael,
What happend to the switch to Canon?

FWIW I have a mint D80 body (with warranty card) along with a selection of memory cards which I'm trying to move on because I bought the D300.

Now down to to a bargain £350