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Nikon D100 Nikon ups the ante with 6 million pixels, superb color and resolution, at a 'bargain' price! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet D100 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on D100 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, Software Review First Posted: 5/31/2002

Video Out

US and Japanese models of the D100 come with an NTSC video cable for connection to a television set or VCR (European models come with the appropriate PAL cable). This allows images to be played back on the TV screen and recorded to video tape, with all the menu options available.

Power

The D100 uses Nikon's new EN-EL3 lithium-ion battery pack or an optional AC adapter for power. An indicator on the status display panel lets you know approximately how much battery power is left. I didn't have access to the external AC adapter when testing the D100, so wasn't able to conduct my usual direct measurements of power consumption. That said, the D100/EN-EL3 combination seems to offer really exceptional battery life, as I could shoot literally hundreds of photos without draining the battery. (Nikon claims it's good for 500 shots without flash, a number I wouldn't dispute.) Despite the long battery life though, I still heartily recommend purchasing a spare battery pack and keeping it charged for long shooting days or for shooting in cold weather (which can greatly reduce battery capacity). As a separate accessory, Nikon also offers the MB-D100 Multi-Function battery pack, which attaches to the bottom of the camera and provides a vertical shooting grip (complete with secondary Shutter button and command dials). The battery pack also features a microphone, for recording short sound clips to annotate captured images.

Included Software

The software they didn't include...

(But that you should) Few people realize just how *much* you can improve your digicam images through clever processing in Photoshop. Greatly (!) increased sharpness, reduced noise, and even ultra-wide dynamic range (light-to-dark range) by combining multiple exposures. Fred Miranda and uber-Photoshop expert Fred Miranda has packaged some of his Photoshop magic in a collection of powerful and affordably priced "actions." Check out his site, the results are pretty amazing! Camera manuals are (sometimes) fine for knowing which button does what, but where do you go to learn how and when to use the various features? Dennis Curtin's "Shortcourses" books and CDs are the answer. (Cheap for what you get, too.) Order the Shortcourses manual for the camera reviewed in this article.

The D100 ships with the "Nikon View" software, which provides basic manipulation and cataloging capabilities for images captured by the camera, and which can interpret the raw CCD format "NEF" files. A much more advanced package called Nikon Capture is available separately. I received copies of both View and Capture with my prototype eval unit, but haven't had time to work with them yet. - I'll try to come back and update this review at a later date with a full report on the updated versions of these applications. Users will also want to check out the third-party applications Bibble and Qimage Pro, both of which offer enhanced interpolation of NEF files, for even higher image resolution. (As of this writing, neither application has been updated to support the D100's NEF formats. I've contacted both authors though, and expect that they'll add support for the D100 shortly.)

In the Box

Included in the box with the D100 are the following items:

• Nikon D100 body with body cap and LCD monitor cover.
• Neck strap.
• Video cable.
• NikonView 5 CD-ROM.
• User guide.
• NikonView 5 CD-ROM reference guide.
• Registration kit.