The designers at Nikon in 2004-05 were looking for a way to reach the semi-pro photographer. The semi-pro is someone who has another job but shoots photos - often at weddings - as a part-time job. They're sometimes called weekend warriors. They tend to be serious and dedicated, but they had no need for the pro digital single-lens reflex behemoths like the Canon EOS IDX Mark II or the Nikon D5. What they needed then and now is a DSLR camera that is built strong, is always reliable and can handle their workload. That led to the first true semi-pro camera from the company, the Nikon D200. The D200 may have been overshadowed by its successor, the Nikon D300, but it's still a great camera. A great camera that can be had relatively cheaply, and that makes it an even better camera.