Nikon D1

Nikon’s D1 has been on the market for more than a year now, having been formally introduced on June 15th, 1999, but we’d seen plenty of “behind glass” prototypes before that date. In September of last year, I was the first to get my hands on a prototype of the D1 product.

When it came to professional SLR cameras, Nikon’s D1 was their response to Kodak’s dominance of the industry. In terms of history, it was significant since it was the first digital SLR developed and constructed completely by one of the major manufacturers (“homegrown”).

As a result, it signified a significant shift in consumer expectations about the cost of this type of equipment, as it was at least half (if not a third) the price of its nearest Nikon-based competitor, Kodak DCS 620, at the time of its release. Better still, it had a 2.7-megapixel sensor as opposed to the DCS x20’s 2.0-megapixel sensor, allowing the camera to capture images big enough to print and produce high-quality prints.

This is a good opportunity to clarify why it has taken me this long to publish this review. I did have a loan D1 at the beginning of this year, but my relocation from Singapore to the United Kingdom put a stop to the work on this review. I’m sharing this review in order to assist round out the spectrum of digital SLR reviews available online (also Canon EOS-D30, Fujifilm S1 Pro, Kodak DCS 520, 620 & 620x).

CCD sensor with a resolution of 2.74 megapixels

The D1 is equipped with a 2.74 megapixel CCD measuring 23.7 mm by 16.7 mm, which produces 2.62 million pixels (2000 x 1312). This sensor is slightly larger than the one used in Canon’s new D30, but it is still significantly smaller than either the APS or 35mm film formats. Because the D1 has a 1.5x focal length multiplier, like other digital SLRs, a 28-mm lens on the D1 will produce an equivalent image of a 35-mm lens on an SLR. 42 mm is the focal length of the lens.

Nikon D1 Specs

General
Name	Nikon D1
Retail price	US$5,500 (body only)
Type	Lens-interchangeable SLR-type digital camera
Body	Magnesium alloy, resistant to penetration by water drops
Imager / Sensor
Imager	CCD Sensor
Imager effective pixels	2,000 x 1,312 (2.72 million)
Imager total pixels	2.74 million
Imager ratio	3:2
Imager size	15.6 mm x 23.7 mm
Imager system output	36-bit (12-bits per colour)
Imager filter	Primary (RGBG) colour filter
Low-Pass filter (anti-alias filter)	Ultra-thin lithium niobate (LiNB) Low-Pass Filter (also cuts infrared rays) incorporated just in front of CCD
ISO speed range	Equiv to 200, 400, 800 and 1,600
Lenses
Lens compatibility	Compatible with virtually any F-mount Nikkor lens, picture angle with D1 is equivalent to 1.5x focal length in 35mm format.
Focal length multiplier	1.5x, therefore a Nikkor 28 mm lens on this camera has a focal length equivalent to 42 mm.
Usable lenses	1) D-type AF Nikkor: All functions possible 2) D-type Manual-Focus Nikkor: All functions except autofocus possible 3) AF Nikkor other than D-type: All functions except 3D Color Matrix Metering and 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash for D1 possible, 4) AI-P Nikkor: All functions except 3D Colour Matrix Metering, 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash for D1 and autofocus possible 5) Non-CPU: Usable in [A] or [M] modeCentre-Weighted or Spot Metering; Electronic Rangefinder usable with lens with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or fasterNote: When Non-CPU lenses are used, [A] mode is selected automatically for [P] or [S] mode, also Centre-Weighted Metering is selected for 3D Colour Matrix Metering.
Focus
Auto focus	High-speed AF system including Dynamic AF operation (same performance as F5 and F100) TTL phase detection, Nikon Multi-CAM1300 autofocus module; Detection range: EV -1 to EV 19 (ISO 100 equivalent, at normal temperature)
Focus points	One of five focus areas can be selected
Focus point selection	Via rear 4-way controller
Focus lock	Focus is locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button or lightly pressing shutter release button in (S) AF
AF Area Mode	1) Single Area AF 2) Dynamic AF (Dynamic AF Mode with Closest Subject Priority is available)
Lens servo	1) Single Servo AF (S) 2) Continuous Servo AF (C) 3) Manual focus (M) Focus Tracking automatically activated by subject’s status in (S) or (C) AF
Lens aperture	Instant-return type, with depth-of-field preview button
Metering / White balance
Metering modes	1) 3D Colour Matrix Metering with 1,005-pixel CCD EV 0-20 2) Centre-Weighted Metering (75% of the meter’s sensitivity concentrated on the 8mm dia. circle) EV 0-20 3) Spot (4mm dia. circle, approx. 2% of entire frame) EV 2-20
Exposure modes	1) Programmed Auto [P] (flexible programming possible) 2) Shutter-Priority Auto [S] 3) Aperture-Priority Auto [A] 4) Manual [M]
Exposure compensation	+/- 5 EV range, in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps
AE Lock	1) Auto AE lock 2) Manual AE lock button
Exposure metering coupling	CPU and AI combined
Exposure / Shooting
Shutter	Single-blade mechanical shutter provided for smear prevention
Shutter speed	BULB, 30 secs to 1/16,000 sec
Drive modes	Single, Continuous full frame (1.5 fps), Continuous 1/16 size
Exposure metering	3 mode TTL metering: 256-segment Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot
Self-Timer	Custom 2 – 20 seconds
Bracketing	Auto Exposure Bracketing available for two or three shots in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 1 step
Burst shooting	4.5 fps shooting speed for up to 21 consecutive shots
Speed	Quick startup and 0.058 sec. shutter time lag
Image storage
Storage media	CompactFlash type I or II
Uncompressed formats	12-bit Raw*, 8-bit YCbCr-TIFF*, 8-bit RGB-TIFF. (Black & White / Colour modes) * Optional software is needed to reproduce Raw or YCbCr-TIFF images; “Nikon Capture” for Raw images, “Nikon View DX” for YCbCr-TIFF images
JPEG image modes	Three: JPEG Baseline (approx. 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 compressed),
Colourspace	NTSC (1953)
LCD / Viewfinder
LCD	2″ 120,000-dot low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with histogram indication. Backlight and brightness adjustable.
Top-Panel LCD	Exposure value (shutter speed/aperture), exposure mode, exposure compensation, exposure compensation value, aperture/shutter speed lock, flash sync mode, focus area, exposure bracketing information, electronic analogue display, battery power, CF Card confirmation, number of shots taken, number of shots remaining, frame number at playback battery power for built-in clock, date/time
Rear-Panel LCD	Number of shots remaining, sensitivity, white balance mode, image quality mode, monochrome mode, CF Card status, LCD monitor status, Custom function
Viewfinder	TTL Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder with frame coverage of approx. 96%, Dioptre adjustment (-3 to +1 DP), High eyepoint (higher than 22mm), Eyepiece shutter provided
Focus screen	B-type BriteView clear Matte Screen III; Interchangeable focusing screen (compatible with focusing screen for F100)
Viewfinder Magnification	Approx. 0.8x with 50mm lens set to infinity and -1.0 DP
Viewfinder Information	Focus indications, shutter speed, aperture, exposure mode, metering system, shutter speed lock, aperture lock, AE lock, electronic analogue display, frame counter, ready-light, five sets of focus brackets (area)
Flash
Internal Flash	None
Flash synch	Up to 1/500 sec
Sync contact	X-contact only
Flash sensor	3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash for D1 controlled by five-segment TTL Multi Sensor with new Speedlight SB-28DX
Flash control	1) Automatic Balanced Fill-Flash controlled by five-segment TTL Multi Sensor: o 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash for D1 when used with SB-28DX and D-type Nikkor lens o Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash when used with SB-28DX and AF Nikkor other than D-type, AI-P Nikkor lens 2) AA (Auto Aperture)-type Flash available when used with SB-28DX and lens with built-in CPU 3) Non-TTL Auto Flash with a Speedlight such as SB-28DX, 28, 27, 22s, etc.
Flash synch modes	1) Front-Curtain Sync (normal sync) 2) Red-Eye Reduction 3) Red-Eye Reduction with Slow Sync 4) Slow Sync 5) Rear-Curtain Sync
Playback
Playback modes	1) 1 frame 2) Thumbnail (9 segments) 3) Slide show 4) Histogram indication
Playback erase	1) Single 2) All (except protected)
Battery / Power
Batteries	Interchangeable Ni-MH battery pack EN-4 and dedicated Quick Charger MH-16 (compatible with battery charger MH-15 for F100) (all optional)
Battery charge time	90 minutes
Communications / I/O
Communication Interface	IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Video Output	Switchable NTSC or PAL
Remote control	Via 10-pin remote terminal
Standard Accessories
Software	“Nikon View DX” Browser Software
Standard	Neck Strap, Video Cable
Optional Accessories
Optional	“Nikon Capture” Control Software (req. for RAW format) Ni-MH Battery Pack EN-4, Quick Charger MH-16, AC Adaptor EH-4, CompactFlash� Cards, Speedlight SB-28DX, IEEE1394 Cable SC-D1, Antifog Finder Eyepiece DK-15, “Nikon View DX” Browser Software, “Nikon Capture” Control Software
Physical specifications
Dimensions	157 x 153 x 85mm (6.1 x 6.1 x 3.4 in.)
Weight (no batteries)	1.1kg (2.5 lbs.)
Operating temperature	0oC to 40oC (32oF to 104oF)
Operating humidity	85% or lower