DIWA Press Release

High expectations met the Nikon D200 when it was introduced a few months ago. Would it live up to them? The answer is an overwhelming “yes”. The D200 outperforms most of its rivals, even those at a much higher price. The Nikon D200 is not only an extraordinary camera on paper. It also performs like a pro. Even our demanding DIWA test procedure was an easy match for the Nikon D200 - a worthy winner of a DIWA Gold Award.

Amsterdam, 12. May, 2006: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today has the pleasure of announcing a DIWA Gold Award to the Nikon D200. The international group of DIWA experts found it to be one of the finest cameras ever made.

Tough competition has inspired Nikon for decades. Driven by an obsession to deliver top quality products, Nikon has come out on top time and time again. This time, they have displayed their remarkable fighting spirit and astonishing expertise by launching a camera that performs like a pro, but at a price affordable also for many amateurs. With a 10.3 Megapixel CCD image sensor, a dedicated image processor and compatibility to almost any Nikkor lens ever made, the foundation is laid for excellent, Nikon renowned image quality.

Kai Thon, DIWA’s test manager, says: “The perfect camera is not made yet and will probably never be made. With the D200, Nikon has made an impressive attempt. When challenged by equal competitors, the D200 wins on virtually all vital points. Actually, it is also a strong competitor to Nikon’s own professional range of D-SLR cameras in the D2-series”.

Built on a rigid magnesium alloy chassis and covers, strategically sealed for weather-proof handling, excellent “Nikon-like” ergonomics and familiar controls layout, the D200 may very well be classified as a professional camera. Also, its highly responsive functions, 11- and 7-point AF system, 1005-field 3D Color Matrix II metering, 45 Custom Functions in 4 banks, 22 frames buffer for continuous shooting with 5 fps and RAW+JPEG format options all rank as truly professional performances.

DIWA experts in Europe and America gave the D200 standing ovations for its design, specifications, handling and performance. Especially the image quality was highly praised, not to forget its surprising moderate price. A DIWA Gold Award is hard to get, but for the Nikon D200 it was child’s play.

About DIWA

A fast growing independent, authoritative, industry organization
The Digital Imaging Websites Association (DIWA) is a fast growing group of independent Web-based specialist publications dedicated to digital imaging. DIWA harnesses the collective talent and expertise of its members, resulting in industry awards that command unparalleled confidence and value, both for consumers and the industry, alike. DIWA awards come in the form of bronze, silver and gold medals for various product categories.

Unique bullet-proof test scoring procedure
DIWA product test awards are exclusively decided through the analysis of multiple test scores from different DIWA testers, testing different samples of the same product. A very detailed and comprehensive standardized scoring procedure is employed, tailored carefully for each category of product. Multiple testing eliminates the chance of an isolated, unrepresentative product sample or test error, or even hidden bias, from affecting the trustworthiness of the overall result.

Awards throughout the year
DIWA is also unique in its policy in issuing awards for deserving products throughout the year, culminating in an annual best of the year Platinum medal awards in all product categories.

DIWA Awards members:
- Canada: www.photoxels.com
- Czech Republic:  www.fotoaparat.cz
- Denmark:  www.digitalmagasinet.dk
- Germany:  www.digitalkamera.de
- Netherlands:  www.letsgodigital.org
- Norway:  www.digit.no
- Poland:  www.fotopolis.pl
- Slovenia:  www.e-fotografija.com
- Spain:  www.nuevafotografia.com
- Turkey:  www.diginorm.com.tr
- United Kingdom:  www.photographyblog.com

The DIWA multi-lingual Web site
At the heart of the DIWA organisation is its multi-lingual Web site, www.diwa-awards.com, where you can find links to the latest reviews published by DIWA member publications. The site also archives DIWA awards and is designed to aid consumers in their choice of imaging products.

For further information about DIWA please visit our Web site - http://www.diwa-awards.com - or email us at [email protected].