Nikon D1H Review

Yes, this review features one of Nikon's first DSLRs - Nikon D1H... The camera is about 12 years old, it is very interesting to write and work with such a rarity. The Nikon D1h is an upgrade from the first Nikon D1 to increase burst speed.

Nikon D1H review from Radozhiva

Nikon D1H review from Radozhiva

1. The camera has an APS-C sensor, with crop factor 1.5x. What it is and what it affects is described in my article about crop factor. Matrix size (sensor) in area is the same as in modern Nikon D7000, D5100 etc. Matrix size DCC is one of the most important parameters that affects image quality. All APS-C cameras have the same physical matrix size.

View Nikon D1H

View Nikon D1H

In the days of the Nikon D1H camera, film was the rule, and the Nikon D1 series was the foremost in the fight for the digital photography market. In those days, it was impossible to carry out a full-format digital APS type sensor, which in size would correspond to the size of 35mm film. Therefore, professionals had to come to terms with crop, or continue to film. The situation did not change with the release of the D2 series, and only 8 years later (since the release of Nikon D1 in 1999) did the full-frame digital camera come out Nikon D3.

View Nikon D1H

View Nikon D1H

2. The weight of the camera is very large,  more than 1 kg. For untrained people working with the camera can quickly cause fatigue in the hands. The ergonomics of the camera are good. I would say excellent, but the access buttons in the menu are very small and hidden behind a protective slider. Almost the entire body of the camera is rubberized. The camera can be used both in standard landscape mode (horizontal) and in vertical portrait mode. For this, some buttons are duplicated. Unfortunately, the selector has only 4 directions and does not have a central button. But the camera has two monochrome displays, which make it very convenient to set all the most necessary parameters. I configured a programmable button to change image quality. There is a button on the front of the camera to preview the depth of field; it cannot be reprogrammed.

View Nikon D1H

View Nikon D1H

3. The focusing system is based on the Nikon Multi-CAM1300 sensor with 5 focus points (zones). Yes, 5 focus points now it's pretty damn small, but a professional at that time could work with a single focus point. When I tested the Nikon D1H camera, it turned out that the focus is quite tenacious, but inferior to any modern camera. There are only a few focus settings available - AF-C (servo), AF-S (single), AF M (manual). In mode AF-C and AF-S focus tracking is always active. And in the camera, there are always two modes of operation with focus areas: one-point and automatic (according to the closest object). Nothing superfluous - everything you need for the photographer's “survival”.

View of the Nikon D1H. Battery compartment

View of the Nikon D1H. Battery compartment

4. Nikon D1H supports CF cards  (I, II, Microdrive), but the camera only works with cards up to 4GB. I used a 2GB card without any problems. A 2GB card accommodates over 1200 photos in JPEG Fine mode, and around 500 RAW photos without compression. Nikon D1H refused to work with my 32GB card. In 2001, even 512MB was considered a huge luxury. On the memory cards they even wrote Digital Film (digital film). Given that the size of JPEG files is very small, 2GB is enough.

Sample photo on Nikon D1H

Sample photo on Nikon D1H

5. The battery of the camera is Ni-MH Battery Pack EN-4 (7.2V DC) - this means that it is very heavy and has a “memory” effect. To remove the “memory” effect on the charger, there is a Refresh button. Unfortunately, despite its large parameters and weight, the battery runs out very quickly. Now they use much better lithium-ion batteries. My batteries pull out up to 100 shots. For the review I was provided with as many as 3 pieces.

Sample photo on Nikon D1H

Sample photo on Nikon D1H. ISO 400 is quite bearable

6. Frame buffer and shooting speeds are simply chic. In Tiff format, JPEG (at any quality and color space settings) can fit 40 pictures to clipboard. With shooting speed 5 frames per second You can shoot a series of 8 seconds. This is a chic figure, even by today's standards. True, in RAW format, the buffer only holds 27 framesbut it is more than that Nikon D300, D200, D7000... Shooting in RAW, you can shoot continuously for 5 seconds. RAW format is available uncompressed and compressed. This speed and buffer performance is very attractive. Roughly speaking, buffer and burst are the main indicators of camera speed.

On average, uncompressed RAW: weighs 3.9MB, RAW with compression: 1.7MB, Tiff 7.6MB, JPEG L 1MB.

Sample photo on Nikon D1H. The very blue of Nikon

Sample photo on Nikon D1H. The same "blue" Nikon

7. Exposure the camera works ranging from 30s to 1 / 16000s. Yes, the shortest excerpt is 1 / 16,000s. In fact, Exposition at ISO 200, 1 / 16.000s is the same as ISO 100, 1 / 8000s. You can set the shutter speed to 1 / 8000s, 1 / 10000s, 1 / 13000s and 1 / 16000s. So short excerpt will help to “freeze” the movement. For example, modern cameras have a limit of 1 / 8000s. This is one of the few parameters that wins even in modern cameras. Short excerpt very useful when photographing in bright light with an aperture of F1.2-F1.8, for example, to create a good portrait.

Sample photo on Nikon D1H

Sample photo on Nikon D1H

8. Nikon D1H has ISO 200-1600 expandable to 3200 (Hi1), 6400 (Hi2). The same ISO range uses Nikon D100. The ISO extension is not available through the selector and ISO button. Advanced modes are available only through the camera menu and when they are turned on, changing ISO values ​​becomes unavailable. Yes, the matrix by the standards of our days is very noisy. But, at low ISO, a quite good result is obtained. It is a pity that the camera does not have ISO 100. Most likely, due to the lack of ISO 100, a shutter with shutter speed in 1 / 16000s. Funny but even Nikon D300 has an extended range of 6400.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H. Photo at high ISO 1600

9. The display of the camera is very small - 2.3 inches, with 130.000 points. Viewing the footage on it is very difficult. The display is mainly used to configure menu options. The menu is very small and very easy to figure out. 0,8 × viewfinder with 96% frame coverage. The viewfinder is very nice. The viewfinder has a built-in electronic rangefinder that works great with manual focus, even on manual lenses.

Attention: The menu does not support Russian.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H. A photograph is more affected by a lens than a camera.

10. Nikon D1H has a built-in focus motor, which allows you to work with AF lenses (without a focus motor). This will help to save on optics using good old type lenses. Nikon 50mm F1.4D, Nikon 85mm F1.8D etc.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H

11. Measurement exposure with old lenses center-weighted or spot only.

Attention: Nikon D1H does not support matrix metering exposure with old unchipped lenses. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the lens parameters (focal length and aperture) cannot be entered into the camera. The camera has a ring for reading the aperture value from the lens, but the display will always show F–. The camera measures the exposure from AI-S correctly with lenses (checked on AI-S compatible Helios-81H). No matrix metering exposure fixed in Nikon D200.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H

12. CCD type matrix with 2.74MP (in fact, only the image is responsible for 2.6mp) Maximum shot has 2000 x 1312 pixels. Yes, you read that right - just 2.6 megapixels. Surprisingly, the pictures look quite normal, on my Full HD monitor of 1920 * 1080 pixels, the images take up all the space, you can even put it as a screensaver on your computer desktop. Yes, 2000 x 1312 is too little for cropping. But in the CZK the camera is important precisely matrix sizerather than the number of megapixels. From 2000 x 1312 you can print prints in half up to A4 with grief. I'm not chasing megapixels - read the section battle of megapixels. Funny, in order to get 36mp Nikon D800 (E) - you need to collect 14 Nikon D1H matrices of 2.6MP each. By the way, Nikon D1 has one more modification - Nikon D1X with 6mpbut with a much slower burst speed. D1, D1h, D1x - the first of the first, D1x released right up to 2004.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H. Expo froze well.

13. The minimum flash sync speed is 1 / 500s. Unfortunately, the Nikon D1H camera does not work in i-TTL mode with modern flash units. SB-400, 600, 700, 800, 900, 910, as it is designed to work with SB-28DX, SB-50DX, etc. .. With my Nikon SB-900 the camera really squeezes excerpts up to 1/500 inclusive. This is a very good indicator without fast FP synchronization. Nikon SB-900 can work with D1H in mode A. All other modes, such as manual mode, curtain sync, red-eye - also work.

Attention: camera Nikon D1H does not have a built-in flashlike the whole the lineup flagship professional cameras Nikon D1, D2, D3, D4.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H

14. More trivia: the camera supports sRGB and Adobe 1998 color spaces, 3D White Balance (with the possibility of correction + -3), GPS input, IEEE 1394 port, video output. For measuring exposure responds with a 3D Color Matrix Metering sensor with a 1,005-pixel CCD.

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Example photo on Nikon D1H

Personal impressions:

I do not recommend Nikon D1H for commercial photography, the camera can only be purchased for personal use, creative photography. This is due to the fact that 2.6MP for today is really not enough. Also, the camera has a very small reserve of frames per battery. Despite all the disadvantages - I was very pleased to work with the Nikon D1H - the camera sits very well in the hand, its portrait mode is very convenient, you quickly get used to ergonomics.

It is interesting to ask the question - what did the users of Nikon film cameras do back in 1999, to whom digital fashion dictated the transition to Nikon D1, D1h, D1X? They didn’t bother with the choice, and even on D1 they made damn wonderful shots.

Important: Nikon has a serious problem with swelling and peeling gum from the camera body. Nikon D1H does not suffer from such diseases, her gums remain in good condition for a long time. My copy of this is excellent evidence.

View of the Nikon D1H and Nikon D40 - size difference

View Nikon D1H and Nikon D40 - difference in size

Sample Photos

All photos without processing, the original maximum size with Nikon D1H. Everything is filmed on Nikon 50mm F1.4G AF-S, RAW without compression, converted to JPEG Q = 80% using Lightroom + imprinted data from EXIF for a quick understanding of shooting settings.


Prices for modern Nikon cameras in popular stores can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Conclusions:

Nikon D1H is an interesting vintage professional camera with a large buffer and fast burst shooting up to 5 fps. Nowadays, a number of camera parameters are morally outdated, since cameras are much better.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Andrew

 

 

Comments: 31, on the topic: Review Nikon D1H

  • Sergei

    The camera is old, but the photos are excellent! Thanks for the review.
    It seems to me that this review will emphasize that the most important part of the photo business is the photographer, and not the camera, as many people think.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Yes, that's right.

  • Vasil

    Once you’ve looked at the camera (: You’ve forgotten how much you’ve gotten to live the camera (: You’ve come to know how to do it on a new year’s day, it’s better to know how much you’ve experienced before:)

    • Arkady Shapoval

      It will be necessary to see.

  • Vasil

    As a matter of fact, now throw me RAW, and I will say some probig (: vasia.hvesick@yandex.ru
    Then I used to supply you with a kind of camera more beautifully and vibrantly with Canon and Nikon Ale by buying Pentax Km. A camera with apertures ale kitty smc pentax dal 18-55mm AL sweep out the small HA, small focus and front focusing ring (manual), it’s inconvenient to spin the focus for an hour, it’s inconvenient. Also decals are even the same autofocus (because we’re tackling the biggest problems of the dumb) (: The axis of the photo’s photo was taken into focus.

    http://fastpic.ru/view/43/2012/0623/182b56b16fe1441389f10f5cbeec3192.jpg.html

    http://fastpic.ru/view/42/2012/0623/5b14bee24aef41ba96116ae256aa1317.jpg.html

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Sent.

      • Vasil

        Having received (: I wondered if I could find a binary code for turning the shutter on. After decoding, the editor showed 52428 (: I can do a little less. But I can do a little less information (: all) the editor didn’t deliver zero zero :)

        • Arkady Shapoval

          In fact, this model does not support the number of shutter releases.

          • Vasil

            It is clear (: And it’s a pity the tsikavo skіlki won the whole hour ((:

  • Nicholas

    A good camera was for its time and now it is interesting only as a rarity. Thank you for the review and the opportunity to visit the past! How fast is progress - 2,6 MP, and just 12 years later - already 36 MP !!! Not to mention all the other camera parameters.
    About the development of DSLR I am now reading an interesting book by Chris Weston “Digital SLR Camera”, which has already been reprinted for the second time. A very informative book.

  • Aleksey

    Arkady, if you come across 1Ds (mk2), a big request, do a review. I would also like a little more about Canon for you to write. :)

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Of course I will. Usually such cameras are rarely given to anyone to test.

  • Egor

    Great review! Very rare, just like the camera itself! I read it - I could not tear myself away! The necessary information, it was very interesting to read) Thank you!

    • Arkady Shapoval

      not at all)

  • Yang

    Arkady, thanks for the reviews. I want to ask about digital compact cameras. SLR cameras have large dimensions. There are a lot of digital compact cameras. I am considering between the new nikon 1 v1, nikon j1 ​​and Panasonic Lumix GF3, etc. Thank you!

    • Arkady Shapoval

      I did not hold these two in my hands, but the Sone NEX with a large matrix are pretty good!

  • Az0t

    The noise is film. Very nice picture.

  • Ivan

    Nikkor 50mm 1: 2 Lens AI or Non-AI?
    Nikkor 50mm 1: 2 Lens will fit Nikon D1h?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      ai converted, ai, ai-s will do, non-ai, pre-ai won't do

  • Ivan

    thank you
    How to determine ai converted, ai, ai-s, non-ai, pre-ai?

  • Ivan

    I read it, sort of figured it out.
    I bought this monster (Nikon D1H) for $ 50 + 15 delivery to Russia - unless you refuse, you will join Nikon and you have got lenses for cheap.

  • Yarkiya

    We have a boy Nastenka, her name is Sergey.

  • Andrei

    The killed Nokon D1 fell into my hands.
    I could not resist, I took it apart: inside the Motorola programmable controller, a processor with the Nikon inscription and the most interesting 10-bit AD7171 analog-to-digital converter. Apparently a 12-bit RAV is interpolated by a processor from a 10-bit source.
    I think that with D1H and D1X the same bird.

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Bullshit. Why ADC for digital matrix?

      • KalekseyG

        Well, yes, yes. Really why.

    • Andrew

      Andrey, you're right, there are 10 mega. they cut them down to 2.7, so that they would not make noise

  • Andrei

    Not ad7171 but adv7171

    • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

      Either AD7171 ADC, or ADV7171 video decoder - you are confused in the readings. Can you read datasheets? What does a video decoder and a matrix bit have to do with it?

  • Mr. boggy

    Digital cameras were sincere then, real hardware, hardcore cases, and the picture was 100% film ... I didn’t have enough flea markets in those days, as in the capitals, I grabbed 400d and then spat from its creaky soap box and pentamirror ...

Add a comment

Copyright © Radojuva.com. Blog author - Photographer in Kiev Arkady Shapoval. 2009-2023

English-version of this article https://radojuva.com/en/2012/06/obzor-nikon-d1h/?replytocom=256971

Versión en español de este artículo https://radojuva.com/es/2012/06/obzor-nikon-d1h/?replytocom=256971