Nikon D2X
Manufacturer: Nikon Type: Camera (DSLR, professional) Year introduced: 2004 (announced), 2005 (shipping/reviewed) Resolution: 12.4 megapixels
Overview
The Nikon D2X was Nikon’s flagship professional DSLR and represented a critical moment for the brand in the underwater photography market. Announced in September 2004 ([1]), it was widely characterized as “Nikon’s last chance” to retain professional underwater photographers who were increasingly defecting to Canon’s full-frame 1Ds line. With 12.4 megapixels on a CMOS APS-C sensor, it offered the highest resolution yet in a Nikon body, though it remained a crop-sensor camera while Canon offered full-frame alternatives.
The D2X generated enormous excitement in the UW community, becoming a “hot topic on the forums” ([2]). Alex Mustard published the first underwater review using the Subal ND2 housing ([3]), and Brian Skerry switched to the D2X for his professional work ([4]).
However, the D2X was plagued by the “hotshoe syndrome” — a reliability issue where the camera’s hotshoe connection caused intermittent strobe firing problems underwater. This was documented and a fix was eventually published ([5]). The Subal D2X housing also required a hotshoe pin modification for reliable operation ([6]).
Housings
- Subal ND2 — Used by Alex Mustard for the first UW review. Required hotshoe modification. ([7], [8])
- Seacam D2X — First delivery to Kasey Canton. Extensively reviewed by Dennis Liberson in the Bahamas. Prototype shown at Antibes 2004. ([9], [10], [11])
- Nexus D2X — Pre-production photos published January 2005, available late March. Reviewed by Ken Knezick at Wakatobi. ([12], [13])
- Aquatica D2X — Prototype photos shown mid-2005, machined from solid aluminum, MSRP $2,999. ([14], [15])
Reviews & Discussion
- [16] — Alex Mustard’s first UW review of the D2X
- [17] — Dennis Liberson’s extensive Bahamas review
- [18] — Ken Knezick review from Wakatobi
- [19] — Documentation of the hotshoe reliability issue
Timeline
- 2004-09: Nikon announces the D2X, 12.4MP CMOS ([20])
- 2004-11: Subal and Seacam housing prototypes shown at Antibes Festival 2004 ([21])
- 2005-01: Nexus D2X housing pre-production photos published ([22])
- 2005-03: D2X becomes “hot topic on the forums”; Alex Mustard publishes first UW review with Subal ND2 ([23], [24])
- 2005-05: Brian Skerry switches to D2X ([25])
- 2005-07: Seacam D2X first delivery; Dennis Liberson review published; Aquatica D2X prototype photos shown ([26], [27])
- 2005-10: Nexus D2X housing reviewed by Ken Knezick ([28])
- 2005-11: Hotshoe syndrome documented with fix ([29])
- 2005-12: Subal D2X hotshoe pin modification published ([30])
Community Discussion
- D2X Flash Issues (41 replies) — Extensive troubleshooting thread for the D2X hotshoe syndrome, where community members documented the strobe misfiring problem and shared fixes including the Seacam hotshoe pin configuration workaround. (forum thread, topic 7791)
- Nexus D2x Housing (35 replies) — Community reactions to the Nexus D2X housing pre-production photos and early user reports. (forum thread, topic 7403)
- D2X Underwater Images (19 replies) — Early underwater image gallery thread showcasing D2X results, demonstrating the camera’s 12.4MP resolution advantage over previous Nikon bodies. (forum thread, topic 8098)
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Sep 16, 2004: Nikon Announces The D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 3, 2005: Hot Topic On The Forums Nikon D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2005: Nikon D2x And Subal Nd2 Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 9, 2005: Dive With Brian Skerry Or Nubile Nymphs ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 27, 2005: Nikon D2x Hotshoe Syndrome And Fix ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 19, 2005: Modifying The Hotshoe For The Subal D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2005: Nikon D2x And Subal Nd2 Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 19, 2005: Modifying The Hotshoe For The Subal D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 17, 2005: Seacam D2x Spotted In The Forums ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 20, 2005: Seacam Nikon D2x Housing Field Report And Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2004: Antibes Festival 2004 Report1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 28, 2005: Nexus Nikon D2x Housing Photos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 13, 2005: Nikon D2x And Nexus Housing Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Aquatica D2x Housing Photos1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 5, 2005: Aquatica D2x Housing Appears In The Forums ↩
- Nikon D2X and Subal ND2 Review (article) ↩
- Seacam Nikon D2X Housing Field Report and Review (article) ↩
- Nikon D2X and Nexus Housing Review (article) ↩
- Nikon D2X Hotshoe Syndrome and Fix (article) ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 16, 2004: Nikon Announces The D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2004: Antibes Festival 2004 Report1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 28, 2005: Nexus Nikon D2x Housing Photos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 3, 2005: Hot Topic On The Forums Nikon D2x ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2005: Nikon D2x And Subal Nd2 Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 9, 2005: Dive With Brian Skerry Or Nubile Nymphs ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 17, 2005: Seacam D2x Spotted In The Forums ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2005: Aquatica D2x Housing Photos1 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 13, 2005: Nikon D2x And Nexus Housing Review ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 27, 2005: Nikon D2x Hotshoe Syndrome And Fix ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 19, 2005: Modifying The Hotshoe For The Subal D2x ↩
- Nikon Announces the D2X (article) ↩
- Antibes Festival 2004 Report (article) ↩
- Nexus D2X Housing Photos (article) ↩
- D2X Hot Topic on Forums (article) ↩
- Nikon D2X and Subal ND2 Review (article) ↩
- Seacam D2X Field Report (article) ↩
- Aquatica D2X Housing Photos (article) ↩
- Nikon D2X and Nexus Housing Review (article) ↩
- D2X Hotshoe Syndrome (article) ↩
- Subal D2X Hotshoe Modification (article) ↩