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Nikon D1x

Nikon ups the ante with 5.33 million pixels (5.9 megapixel file size), improved color, and exceptional noise performance!

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Page 1:Intro and Highlights

Review First Posted: 6/16/2001

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True Nikon pro SLR that just happens to be digital
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5.47- megapixel CCD, 3,008 x 1,960-pixel images
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ISO from 125 to 800 ("ISO Boost" to 3200)
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Three frames per second, super-fast shutter delay!
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Part of Nikon "Total Imaging System" - Compatible with >90% of all Nikon F-mount lenses ever made!


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Manufacturer Overview
Nikon is one of the names that literally needs no introduction in the world of photography. Long a leader in the film world, they offer cameras for both the serious amateur and working professional. Their professional line contains cameras like the legendary F3, continuously produced for over 20 years now, and new "legends in the making" like the F5 and F100, renowned for their toughness and advanced features. In the digital world, Nikon has developed a commanding presence in the "prosumer" market with their Coolpix series. They broke new ground for usability and features with their Coolpix 900 a couple of years back, building on that success with the 2 megapixel 950, followed by the 3 megapixel 990, which has now been upgraded to the 995 with a 4x zoom lens and improved flash configuration. The "Nikon Total Imaging System" also includes the hugely successful Super Coolscan 4000ED and Coolscan IV film scanners, which we've reviewed elsewhere. (Well, technically, only the 4000ED is "reviewed" as we write this, the Coolscan IV will be going up on the site soon.)

Back in early 1999, Nikon announced their first all-digital professional SLR, the D1. At the time, the specifications and projected price point (2.7 megapixels and a list price of $5850 for the body) rocked the pro camera world, and left many wondering whether Nikon could actually do it. They did. Now, not quite two years later, they've once again raised the bar, this time with the D1x, having a 5.47 megapixel CCD that produces 5.9 megapixel files. The D1x has the same superlative "cameraness" (a favorite Nikon term, describing how the device functions as a camera), but incorporates all-new electronics to accompany the new, larger chip. We understate the case when we say the results are impressive: The D1x offers significantly improved color rendition relative to the original D1, and has astonishingly low image noise. There undoubtedly will still be some photographers who'll cling to film for any of a variety of reasons, but for many (many) applications, the D1x will easily supplant film. It isn't often that a specific product can be said to substantially redefine an entire market, but the D1x has done just that for professional SLRs, just as the original D1 did a bit under two years ago.


Highlights

  • 5.47-megapixel (5.33 megapixel effective), 23.7 x 15.6mm, 12-bit RGB CCD delivering resolutions as high as 3,008 x 1,960 pixels. (5.9 megapixel file size)
  • Single-lens reflex digital camera with interchangeable lenses (supports essentially all standard Nikon F mount lenses).
  • Variable ISO (125 to 800 with "ISO Boost" settings equivalent to 1,600 and 3,200).
  • TTL optical viewfinder with detailed information display.
  • 2-inch, low temperature polysilicon TFT color LCD with 130,000 pixels.
  • Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual exposure modes.
  • Continuous Shooting mode capturing as many as nine images, at speeds as high as three frames per second.
  • Variable White Balance with Auto, Preset (manual), Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Overcast, and Shade settings.
  • Plus/Minus fine adjustment (arbitrary units) on White Balance settings.
  • TTL autofocus with Single-Area or Dynamic-Area options.
  • Topside hot shoe for external flash connection of Nikon Speedlight SB-28DX flash as well as a second PC-style flash sync socket.
  • TTL Matrix flash exposure, independent of ambient light exposure computation.
  • Front-Curtain Sync, Red-Eye Reduction, Red-Eye Reduction with Slow-Sync, Slow Sync, and Rear-Curtain Sync flash sync modes. (With compatible external speedlight.)
  • 3D-Color Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot metering options.
  • Adjustable exposure compensation from -5 to +5 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments, in all exposure modes.
  • Shutter speeds from 1/16,000 to 30 seconds in one-third step increments, and a Bulb setting for longer exposures.
  • Self-timer with programmable duration from two to 20 seconds.
  • Secondary shutter release with lock for vertical-format shooting.
  • Image storage on CompactFlash Type I or II, or Microdrive.
  • JPEG, uncompressed TIFF (RGB-TIFF and YCbCr-TIFF), and RAW data file formats.
  • DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compliant.
  • Powered by EN-4 NiMH rechargeable battery pack (battery and charger included).



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