quality one would expect from an expensive digital SLR. Audience The D2X was aimed at professional users. It replaced the D1X and complemented Nikon's D2Hs camera with which it shares a body. It was a very important model for Nikon given the 3½ years which had elapsed between the D1X and D2X, during which time competitive pressure mounted on the D1X. Competition The principal competitive cameras for the D2X were the full-frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II and the Canon EOS-1D Mark II N. There was also some competitive overlap between the full-frame Canon EOS 5D and the D2Xs, although they were not direct competitors. An unresolved debate rages about the respective technical compromises of the DX-format sensor and full frame sensors (100% of a 35 mm film frame) offered in competition with the D2X's DX format. Each format offers advantages and disadvantages which become more or less important in different usage settings (e.g. studio vs sport, indoor vs outdoor, wide angle vs telephoto). Nikon, convinced that the design characteristics of the DX format are best choice for its customers and target markets, had committed itself publicly to the DX-format sensor and its line of DX lenses is specifically designed for the smaller sensor. This philosophy remained until 2007, at which point Nikon's new generation of professional-level digital SLRs - the Nikon D3 and Nikon D700 - adopted a full-frame sensor. Nikon's D2X was awarded best product accolades for 2005–6 by the European Imaging and Sound Association. Named European Professional Camera of the Year, the D2X's 'extraordinary performance' was praised by the judges. Nikon D2Xs Nikon D2Xs is a digital single-lens reflex camera announced June 1, 2006, replacing the professional Nikon D2X. Its improvements over the original D2X include: Automatic viewfinder masking in high-speed crop mode Increased buffer capacity to 60 frames in continuous shooting Additional ISO steps between 800 and 1600 Improved metering for High Speed Crop More Autofocus options An AF system that can now detect focus at lower contrast and in lower light Higher capacity battery rated to 3,800 exposures per charge Improved Auto-ISO features Image verification Ability to save and load camera settings from a memory card 2.5 inch (64 mm) 230,000 pixel LCD with 170 degree viewing angle (same as D200) Menu look ported from the D200 Black and White mode Additional color mode selections Locking USB connector Support for multiple custom curves A lockable recent