Sometimes it's better to wait for some other shmuck to do the testing

Nikon have finally admitted, via an FAQ, to some banding problems with some cameras in early batches of their new D200 under certain conditions. With so many caveats this may be a bit of a non-problem as few users have found it and as ever the issue is blown out of proportion on the message boards. There were back focus problems with some early D70 models and these problems were ironed out quickly as well. It sometimes feels like respected hardware companies are beta testing products on the paying public, but there is always going to be glitches when a product goes into full production. Nikon will get off lightly compared to the media furore surrounding the "scratching" issues with the iPod nano. And the morale of the day is - don't get caught up with the nerd frenzy around a new product that is going to seriously dent your bank balance. I'm still waiting for my D200 and happy to do so!