I owe a D80 and had the possibility to test the D200 and D2X. Well, to talk about the D2X is for the birds. I am not Ken Rockwell and I think one should talk to users and pro's to get the required information. Sure Ken is a specialist but he is not the god of photography and many things with cameras are quite subjective....
The D200 shows a lot more noise above ISO 200 than the D80. This is astonishing as I thought both cameras are equipped with the same sensor. However, the shutter of the D200 is a lot smoother than the D80's. And it is not so loud. The first thing I realized when getting the D80 was this extreme loud shutter which creates a big bang every time. It is now better after approx. 8000 shots.
The D200 has a better built quality, better shutter and is a bit faster. The price differnce between D80 and D200 is considerable. I am not sure if the technical differences justify the price difference but it depends on what features one might need.
Overall I am happy with the D80 though it has some bad points, like the noisy and rough shutter. It will be my backup in the future as I go for the D300. Yes it is more expensive than a D200 but the technical previews of the D300 promise really a lot.
Regards
Steve
foto61.net