Nikon D1H Digital Camera
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- Camera Type: Standard Point and Shoot
- Weight: 2.5 lb.
- LCD Screen Size: 2 in.
- Resolution: 2.7 Megapixel
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A great professional camera, with some drawbacks
Pros
Great flexibility, easy to use out of the box, many advanced features.
Cons
heavy, 2.74 MP limits to 8x10 or 10x12(in some cases), price.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A good camera for a photojournalist or sports photographer. Can be adjusted for portraits. Best quality is flexibility of the plethora of options.
I have been using this camera for my job for the past 4 years. I am NOT a professional photographer, but a computer programmer that has integrated D1H's into a remote imaging system. I have been able to use it for personal use as well as a side benefit of my job :)
The Basics:
2.74-Megapixel CCD imager(2000 x 1312 pixel images)
Digital SLR based on Nikon F5 body
AF: Five area with dynamic tracking
LCD: 2in. color LCD(130,000 pixels and backlight)
ISO sensitivity: 200 to 1600(in 1/3, 1/2 or 1EV steps)
Shutter speeds: 1/16,000 to 30 seconds plus Bulb
Interchangeable lenses, Nikon F-mount (1.5x focal multiplier)
Memory: CompactFlash Type II(IBM Microdrive compatible)
Video: output with NTSC or PAL format
Output: IEEE 1394 (FireWire), serial port
Battery: EN-4 Battery Pack and MH-17 charger(included in kit only)
Weight: 2.5lbs!
Image Formats available: YcbCr-TIFF, RGB-TIFF, RAW(uncompressed and compressed), JPEG(Fine, Normal and Basic).
Image size ranges from 5.0MB to 320KB along this range of formats.
Features Discussion:
This camera has quite a few features that are worth mentioning and even more I don't have the time to cover in this review.
Auto Focus:
Auto focus mode can be used with one point, 5 point or a center weighted metering circle. I have not had much trouble with the autofocus and have found the 5 point option to be the best so far.
White Balancing:
The auto white balancing is excellent and I have only had trouble with it when indoors in bright fluorescent lighting.
If the auto white balancing doesn't take care of it, the manual option can with some testing.
LCD Display:
It is a good 2 inches wide and contains 130,000 pixels. It can be set to preview 1, 4 or 9 images at a time which makes going through tons of images taken quickly a snap. As if that wasn't enough, you can even sift through the images in a zoomed focus mode that allows you to review portions of each picture using the 4 way controller.
The LCD is not huge, but is a nice size and the menus are laid out pretty straightforward. Once you are familiar with the camera, you will not need to lug the manual with you in the field. The LCD is difficult to see in bright sunlight, but many accessories are available to shade the LCD.
The Good:
This is a fabulously flexible camera, especially with the interchangeable lenses. I have used this for almost 4 years now and am still finding plenty of things to try with this camera.
The nice thing is that the autofocus mode is pretty good on this camera. It doesn't take much reading of the manual to just charge up the battery and start shooting.
The controls are laid out very nicely, all the shooting controls are in the upper right and easily identified by touch. You also get a bonus set of controls for when you rotate the camera for portrait mode.
The shutter lag is basically non existent for this camera which makes it a great camera for sports and action shots. One of my favorite shots was a CRISP image of a seagull flying toward me, it was like it was suspended in mid-air and not flying at me at a high rate of speed. The great rate of 5 frames per second is also helpful for action shots.
Connecting the camera to a computer with the IEEE is a piece of cake with the included software.
This camera body is DURABLE!!! Made of high quality metal and rubber coating in some areas. Many controls are covered by metal or plastic protectors or flip close rubber hinges. Built in strap holders for a camera strap.
This camera does not have a built in flash, but most professional photographers use external flashes anyway. It easily connects to studio lights and any number of Nikon flashes with some compatibility with other brands.
The camera captures excellent pictures that are ready to print with minimal post processing. The color rendition is excellent with skin tones being very close to real life, if not exactly on target.
The Bad:
This camera is HEAVY! 2.5lbs without the battery. A long day of shooting with this camera leads to tired arms, even with the camera strap. A tripod is highly recommended for a long day.
Because of the weight this camera likes to go in the direction it is moving, so you have to be careful walking with the camera not protected.
The lens attachment is fairly high up on the camera so you need to support the front of the lens if you are going to set the camera down for long periods of time, otherwise it could stress the lens mount connector. Luckily the lens mount is metal and highly durable, so this minimizes that risk.
With being incredibly flexible, the learning curve for the advanced features is a little intimidating. It does come with a good manual(222 pages) that describes things, but the index of the manual leaves a little to be desired. Luckily, you can get very good pictures without having to know most of the features.
We used the batteries on these cameras with no complaints for about 2 years. We then stopped using the cameras on a regular basis for 6 months and ever since then we have had trouble keeping the batteries charged and one has completely quit working.
We only briefly used the included software before using another software package. It was a decent software package, but nothing to write home about.
No USB port, but firewire is still fast.
The interchangeable lenses create one problem, you are opening up the camera to change the lenses. This allows dust and oil to infiltrate the camera. It is good to have compressed air on hand to clean any spots that begin to appear on the imager. However, if you change lenses a lot, eventually you'll need to get it professionally cleaned.
The price is HEFTY, around 3,000-3,500 new, but since the D2H is now the new camera, this price should be dropping rapidly. For the quality of camera you get I cannot call this expensive though.
Summary:
A great professional camera, but it is a bit heavy and only has a 2.74 MP imager. This is great for 8x10 photos, but above that size then the photos will begin to get grainy.
This camera is no longer in production, as it was replaced by the D2H, but it is still widely available as a used camera and some new ones are still available. The price is still high, but should be coming down as the D2H takes over.
While the D2H is better in many ways, this camera is by no means a slouch and as long as you aren't planning larger than 8x10 prints, it is a great camera.
If you are seriously considering the D1H, I would recommend going to:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/nikond1h.html
It is a more in-depth review by a more knowledgeable photographer. There is also a D2H review on there so you can compare the two cameras.
The Basics:
2.74-Megapixel CCD imager(2000 x 1312 pixel images)
Digital SLR based on Nikon F5 body
AF: Five area with dynamic tracking
LCD: 2in. color LCD(130,000 pixels and backlight)
ISO sensitivity: 200 to 1600(in 1/3, 1/2 or 1EV steps)
Shutter speeds: 1/16,000 to 30 seconds plus Bulb
Interchangeable lenses, Nikon F-mount (1.5x focal multiplier)
Memory: CompactFlash Type II(IBM Microdrive compatible)
Video: output with NTSC or PAL format
Output: IEEE 1394 (FireWire), serial port
Battery: EN-4 Battery Pack and MH-17 charger(included in kit only)
Weight: 2.5lbs!
Image Formats available: YcbCr-TIFF, RGB-TIFF, RAW(uncompressed and compressed), JPEG(Fine, Normal and Basic).
Image size ranges from 5.0MB to 320KB along this range of formats.
Features Discussion:
This camera has quite a few features that are worth mentioning and even more I don't have the time to cover in this review.
Auto Focus:
Auto focus mode can be used with one point, 5 point or a center weighted metering circle. I have not had much trouble with the autofocus and have found the 5 point option to be the best so far.
White Balancing:
The auto white balancing is excellent and I have only had trouble with it when indoors in bright fluorescent lighting.
If the auto white balancing doesn't take care of it, the manual option can with some testing.
LCD Display:
It is a good 2 inches wide and contains 130,000 pixels. It can be set to preview 1, 4 or 9 images at a time which makes going through tons of images taken quickly a snap. As if that wasn't enough, you can even sift through the images in a zoomed focus mode that allows you to review portions of each picture using the 4 way controller.
The LCD is not huge, but is a nice size and the menus are laid out pretty straightforward. Once you are familiar with the camera, you will not need to lug the manual with you in the field. The LCD is difficult to see in bright sunlight, but many accessories are available to shade the LCD.
The Good:
This is a fabulously flexible camera, especially with the interchangeable lenses. I have used this for almost 4 years now and am still finding plenty of things to try with this camera.
The nice thing is that the autofocus mode is pretty good on this camera. It doesn't take much reading of the manual to just charge up the battery and start shooting.
The controls are laid out very nicely, all the shooting controls are in the upper right and easily identified by touch. You also get a bonus set of controls for when you rotate the camera for portrait mode.
The shutter lag is basically non existent for this camera which makes it a great camera for sports and action shots. One of my favorite shots was a CRISP image of a seagull flying toward me, it was like it was suspended in mid-air and not flying at me at a high rate of speed. The great rate of 5 frames per second is also helpful for action shots.
Connecting the camera to a computer with the IEEE is a piece of cake with the included software.
This camera body is DURABLE!!! Made of high quality metal and rubber coating in some areas. Many controls are covered by metal or plastic protectors or flip close rubber hinges. Built in strap holders for a camera strap.
This camera does not have a built in flash, but most professional photographers use external flashes anyway. It easily connects to studio lights and any number of Nikon flashes with some compatibility with other brands.
The camera captures excellent pictures that are ready to print with minimal post processing. The color rendition is excellent with skin tones being very close to real life, if not exactly on target.
The Bad:
This camera is HEAVY! 2.5lbs without the battery. A long day of shooting with this camera leads to tired arms, even with the camera strap. A tripod is highly recommended for a long day.
Because of the weight this camera likes to go in the direction it is moving, so you have to be careful walking with the camera not protected.
The lens attachment is fairly high up on the camera so you need to support the front of the lens if you are going to set the camera down for long periods of time, otherwise it could stress the lens mount connector. Luckily the lens mount is metal and highly durable, so this minimizes that risk.
With being incredibly flexible, the learning curve for the advanced features is a little intimidating. It does come with a good manual(222 pages) that describes things, but the index of the manual leaves a little to be desired. Luckily, you can get very good pictures without having to know most of the features.
We used the batteries on these cameras with no complaints for about 2 years. We then stopped using the cameras on a regular basis for 6 months and ever since then we have had trouble keeping the batteries charged and one has completely quit working.
We only briefly used the included software before using another software package. It was a decent software package, but nothing to write home about.
No USB port, but firewire is still fast.
The interchangeable lenses create one problem, you are opening up the camera to change the lenses. This allows dust and oil to infiltrate the camera. It is good to have compressed air on hand to clean any spots that begin to appear on the imager. However, if you change lenses a lot, eventually you'll need to get it professionally cleaned.
The price is HEFTY, around 3,000-3,500 new, but since the D2H is now the new camera, this price should be dropping rapidly. For the quality of camera you get I cannot call this expensive though.
Summary:
A great professional camera, but it is a bit heavy and only has a 2.74 MP imager. This is great for 8x10 photos, but above that size then the photos will begin to get grainy.
This camera is no longer in production, as it was replaced by the D2H, but it is still widely available as a used camera and some new ones are still available. The price is still high, but should be coming down as the D2H takes over.
While the D2H is better in many ways, this camera is by no means a slouch and as long as you aren't planning larger than 8x10 prints, it is a great camera.
If you are seriously considering the D1H, I would recommend going to:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/nikond1h.html
It is a more in-depth review by a more knowledgeable photographer. There is also a D2H review on there so you can compare the two cameras.
