Nikon is one of the most well-known and trusted brands of cameras in the entire world. The company’s products have been sold in various countries for a long time. So, there is a good reason to consider a Nikon camera. Now, if you are looking for a DSLR camera, you may have come across two products from Nikon, which are D200 and D5200. Despite coming from the same line and using APS-C sensors, their prices differ greatly. Nikon D200 is usually considered as a high-class camera, whereas Nikon D5200 is more of an entry-level option. So, what are the differences between the two?
Design
If we put the two DSLR cameras on our two hands, we can see that Nikon D200 is larger and heavier than Nikon D5200. The weight difference is quite significant that if you really, really want to use something that is lightweight, you may lean more towards Nikon D5200. In addition, Nikon D5200 comes with a 3” fully articulated screen, allowing you to take selfies and shoot from difficult angles with more ease. (Read also: Canon Rebel T3i vs. Nikon D5200)
Nevertheless, Nikon D200 comes with a more rugged and durable housing. It is waterproof and environmentally sealed. Thus, you can use it in the rain just fine. The surface is textured, which helps in handling. There is a very cool top deck display that shows settings. Unfortunately, the display is just a 2.5” fixed screen.
Features
If you want to be able to shoot videos as well, you should stay away from Nikon D200. It can’t record a video! However, for photography alone, Nikon D200 has been considered as a very good camera, partially due to the pentaprism optical viewfinder. It boasts a higher viewfinder magnification as well as much better image fidelity. And then we should note that the AF motor of Nikon D200 is installed in the body, allowing autofocus with all Nikon lenses.
Nikon D5200 comes with a pentamirror optical viewfinder, but it is able to record 1920×1080 videos. There is a microphone port for recording high-quality audio. The AF already incorporates face detection, and there is AE Bracketing.
Performance
The thing with Nikon D200 is that it is packed with an APS-C CCD sensor, which offers excellent low-light performance. At the time of its release, Nikon D200 was indeed a great camera. However, the 10 MP resolution is perhaps too low for today’s standards, and the ISO only goes up to 3200.
Nikon D5200 is armed with a 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, and the ISO is expandable to 25600. The maximum shutter speed is lower than that of Nikon D200 at 1/4000s, but this is not a big issue. Overall, with the newer technologies, Nikon D5200 is able to offer better color depth and dynamic range. Not to mention the unlimited JPG buffer and longer battery life.
Conclusion
All in all, we recommend you to choose Nikon D5200. It is a better value for your money. Nikon D200 was a great camera, but is no longer a viable option for today’s competition.
