Would you buy a D2hs as your only DSLR?

[PWPhoto]

Jan,
For that money I'd throw in a few more $ and pick up a used D300 or even a D2x.
The D2H was great in its day, but it is long of tooth now.

I also didn't like the limited cropping that 4 MP allowed.

Don

Agreed +1

 

[WillyPete]

With a lot of answers favouring the D300 instead, and as an owner of both the D2h and D300, I'll add my bit of advice and hope it might be valid for you.

I upgraded to the D2h from my D70.
The reason was weatherproofing, better AF and higher frame rate.
The build is excellent and it met all the standards I set and more.
I was lucky enough to get a body with only 30k shots on it.
All the rubber was there too.

What you need to keep in mind to anser your question of using it as an only body:

How often do you use your camera?
Do you carry it a lot, or drive to a location and take it from the car?
Would you use it for sports or mainly family shots?
Do you use the LCD a lot for checking photos?

If you decide to go for it:
This body was meant for working in media and sports. As such, second hand bodies can rack up a significant number of shutter actuations just messing around and learning it, due to its high frame rate.
Check the numbers on the body.

Does it have a decent warranty? Have them check for the dead-shutter problem on the first shot.
Many D2H/Hs bodies (My D2h included) have suffered from a problem where the first shot of the day will result in an underexposed image, the top LCD shows "Err" and you can't meter or AF until you fire another shot, then it returns to normal.
This isn't the metering problem that Nikon had with these, but is a different, unacknowledged fault that hits a LOT of these. My shutter is currently at 50k+ shots. Well within its lifetime specs.

Check the rubber. A lot of these D2H bodies lost their rubber panels. It was just a batch of crappy glue. I think they sorted it by the D2Hs.

It's an imposing camera, it's also heavy. (Although my D300 with MB-D10 is heavier)
If you don't have a decent bag for it or will have problems carrying it then you may want to rethink things.

I still use mine. It's a lovely machine and great to take places that might damage the D300: Snowboarding, on boats, etc.

Enjoy, whatever your choice may be in the end.

 

[Zensu]

It's still a great camera

WillyPete makes very good points.
I've been using a D2h exclusively for a couple of years and still love it. I am purely an amateur but I get great images up to 16x20 with no problems
It is a very fast action camera and very solid. The only thing I had trouble getting used to was the size. It's not a petite camera.

 

[jantheman13]

Thanks to all who have replied to this thread. It is certenly a tough descision given all of the different opinions about the D2hs. The only problem I hve with D300 is the price. Right now it is not in my range. The used D2hs's are and seem to meet most of my needs. And worse case I could resell it if it did not turn out to be what I need.

Thanks again, Jan

 

[BobC]

Thanks to all who have replied to this thread. It is certenly a tough descision given all of the different opinions about the D2hs. The only problem I hve with D300 is the price. Right now it is not in my range. The used D2hs's are and seem to meet most of my needs. And worse case I could resell it if it did not turn out to be what I need.

Thanks again, Jan

As a pragmatic thing, because the price has come down so much from original levels, and it's still in demand, if you buy it and don't like it you might be able to resell it without taking too much of a hit.

 

[djsphynx]

^^ agree with BobC.

 

[jonlee]

IMHO, this is a tough one. For the longest time, I sought after a D2Hs, then when I finally got it, it just didn't do it for me. A lot of this has already been covered, but here's my take with the D2Hs. . .

Pros: True pro body and solid exterior build quality; great ergos with easier access to common controls (over the Dxxx); good AF tracking; good high iso capabilities with JPEGs (up to 1600, but not so with NEF), wonderful small files; capable of 8 fps (amazingly fast, but it wasn't really practical for me), and it will turn your AF-D lenses really fast (likely noticably faster than any Dxxx body).

Cons: Auto WB typically required some tweaking in PP, limited dynamic range (blew highlights faster), a little short on resolution for landscapes (perhaps not a problem if not cropping); and heavy and bulky (compared to your wonderful F100 - I love the F100).

$869 seems a tad high, but the 3-year warranty is nice to have. I had to send mine back and fortunately it was backed by a Mack warranty. Maybe look at a D2H - people seem to be dumping them at anywhere between $400 - $500. The D2Hs definitely had better high iso capabilities on JPEGs, but I never really saw the difference in the NEFs.

 

[Cools]

Yes, if I didn't have a D300 already.

I shoot a lot of photos and there are many times where a 4mp camera would've done just as good. Heck, I'd get a D2Hs for event work now, but I'm too used to the way the new cameras work (picture controls, 51 AF points, etc.).

 

[DavidKvapil]

If you can swing an extra $100-150, find a D2x. I upgraded to one from a D80, and it is one of the best purchases I have made.

That being said, I just sold my D80, and will be buying a D2h as a backup/second body to my D2x. The Pro bodies are just so much easier/better to use, and I think that the D2h will be a great camera to use for weddings and similar situations, where a "film-like" look is very often liked/preferred, and the 8fps will be great for sports and BIF.

 

[jonh68]

If higher frame rates for sports are the reason, I would not get one. I have found ISO performance is better for sports than high shutterspeed. If the sports you shoot are in the day, then it's not much of an issue.

Timing is more important for sports photography than firing off like a machine gun. Unless you need a pro/weather resistant body, I would recommend a D90 or save for a D300.

 

[kiwi]

Well, I've had D300, D2h and D2Hs and I have to say that the D300 with grip smokes the D2h's. Just far more forgiving for DR and for cropping

But, maybe buy the D2Hs now, get 6 months use out of it and by then the D400 will be out and D300's will drop and you'll not lose much in the upgrade at that point

 

[jantheman13]

Well, I've had D300, D2h and D2Hs and I have to say that the D300 with grip smokes the D2h's. Just far more forgiving for DR and for cropping

But, maybe buy the D2Hs now, get 6 months use out of it and by then the D400 will be out and D300's will drop and you'll not lose much in the upgrade at that point

Thanks for the exellent idea. Strangly enough I never looked at it that way. Thank you for the input and brillent suggestion.
Cheers, Jan

 

[daveja]

Hi all,

I'm looking at a used D2hs with 3 year Mack warrenty for $869. It would be my first and only Dslr. I shoot alot of sports but also do landscape and nature work. Plus the usual family shots. Is this the right choice for the price? I have owned and used an F100 for many years. Any input would be great.

Thanks, Jan

Hi,

I just recently bought a D700 and was using the D2hs as my main camera for a couple of years. It is a great camera and certainly great for outdoor sports. I did not have an issue cropping the lower ISO stuff. You could certainly pick up a 1.4 or 1.7 TC and that would negate the need to crop as much if you don't have glass with a lot of reach. For indoor sports it gets a little tougher. The Hs is great up to about ISO 1000 then get pretty noisy after that, though decent up to 1600 if not under exposed. I still shoot the Hs for outdoor sports and even for basketball if I setup my off camera strobes. It can still "GETR DONE" And it is more than fine for the family pics... Great color....

 

[jantheman13]

Thanks Dave for the thoughts. The he I was looking at was sold. Got to act fast I guess. I may just wait for the 300 to drop after PMA. We'll see.
Thanks again, Jan