This is a wonderful camera. It has great strengths - excellent resolution, good color fidelity (shot in Adobe 1998 mode), ability to use manual focus lenses (I shoot a lot with specialty lenses). I have shot 20,000 + images with this body, several thousand of which have been published in print or on the internet.
Strengths:
Speed of autofocus, lens selection, great image quality - I have made 20x30 inch enlargements from images shot in fine JPEG mode that turned out fine - much better than blowing up a 35mm image to that size. With the buffer upgrage (included in newer production cameras) you can shoot a lot of images in a hurry.
Weaknesses:
TTL flash is miserable. Inconsistent. I tried the SB28DX first, now use the SB80 which is somewhat better but still not consistent. I find that for indoor shots, setting the shutter speed to about 1/30th to 1/60th and setting aperture to f/4 or f/5.6, manual exposure mode, flash set to TTL, will work fairly well most of the time. I am suddenly having a major problem - the camera is dropping images when shooting in RAW mode. I shot about 200 shots last weekend for a band - there are about 25 missing images that didn't record to the compact flash, no missing numbers. Doesn't seem to happen shooting in JPEG modes, so off to Nikon it goes this week...
Similar Products Used:
I previously shot with my trusty F5. After getting the D1X, I almost completely quit using the F5 in favor of digital - the only time I used it in the last year was when the D1X was getting the memory buffer upgrade at Nikon. Previously used the N90, and the FA before that. I still own a bunch of Nikon F2 cameras that I will probably never sell...
Customer Service:
Overall Nikon's technical phone service has been adequate. My original call was a disappointment - the technician told me that Nikon would not support anything if I wasn't using a Lexar brand CF card. Ridiculous. Since that time, they have been very helpful. Service has always been performed in reasonable time.
I use this camera proffesonaly on location and in the studio. Having read other reviews I'm surprised that there are people out there who rate this camera highly. Firstly we only use it when our clients ask for it and to get the best results shoot raw files then process them in the capture software. The quality is no-where near that of film, the latitude is poor and it will totally bleach out in highlights if the scene is to contrasty-(Easy with this camera!) The battery may last half a day but its life is short, we are on our sixth with two spares. Dust is a constant problem and only 100% alchohol cleans without a smear. Skintones arent always nice to look at. And it eats micro-drives too. Resolution is ok but behind its rivals. Button fell of the back. Processor went in it and had to be sent back twice. Software isn't as good as phase one and has had to be constantly upgraded to de-bug it.
Strengths:
Built solidly except for control dial
Auto-focus is fast and acurate
Weaknesses:
Lacks Lattitude
Inacurate colours, some greens it struggles with.
Batteries need replacing to often
Dust on Chip
Software problems
Micro-drives get eaten along with images
Similar Products Used:
Phase one H20 Digital back
Customer Service:
Poor, get put in a long phone queue only to be answered by a sarcastic service engineer
Rating Reviewed by: G Ogilvie(Unregistered User)
(Professional)
Review Date September 9, 2003
Overall Rating 1 of 5
Value Rating 1 of 5
Used product for 6-10 years
Visitors rate this review 2.00 of 5,
8 votes
Review 3 of 27
Price Paid:
$3900.00
from B&H
Summary:
I have had my D1x for close to a year now. and now it is time to write a review. Switching from my bullet proof F5, I had great expectations from Nikon for the digital side, I believe now the best use for my D1x is as a door block or as a tent peg hammer. I will explain...When I first recieved it, it was very impressive in size and appearance, but alas, much can be said about good camouflage. TTL matrix metering was notably off (based on the right-on metering of the F5) rubber material on grip started to peel off, when SB80dx was used, never the same exposure twice in a row, and these were only a few flaws. Don't believe the hype on this camera, there are other manafacturers out there with as good or better for a lot less money. If Nikon built this as good as their F5, this review would have been glowing.
Strengths:
Solid built-feels like a camera
Can pound nails like a framing hammer.
Weaknesses:
Metering- round and round she goes where the meter stops, nobody knows(never consistent).
Overpriced
Overated
Similar Products Used:
Kodak 760
Nikon D1H
Customer Service:
If you are masochistic in nature, you will love the customer service. Just received an over $1000.00 repair estimate for alleged water damage for my D1x (sent in for metering problems)
Have had more problems with it since the first time I sent it in for the buffer upgrade. Sent in the second SB80dx I had purchased in the off chance the meter problem was in the flash unit, it wasn't and Nikon, in the same estimate said THIS was water damaged (neither body or flash has ever seen water). Is this Nikon's way of increasing thier bottom line?
Overall this is a great camera, with a solid, professional feel. Construction is excellent, with great material quality and heft. Except for the LCD on the back, the D1X is rugged and durable.
If you buy one, READ THE MANUAL, especially concerning the 30+ options settings in one part of the menu system (I don't have my camera with me for reference right now). My outdoor photos had a strong blue cast because I discovered the Hue/Saturation setting was set that way out of the factory. Once I set it to the neutral setting, the color cast went away.
Also, especially if you're using Photoshop, set the color space to Adobe RGB, not sRGB (the default). You'll get much better color.
I agree with the comments about poor flash performance. I have yet to take even a GOOD flash photo with the SB28DX without making massive exposure adjustments. This has been a major disappointment - even fill flash in sunlight looks terrible.
I'm happy with the D1X overall, but it takes a lot more work than my N90S to get great exposures in all conditions. I've gotten much better at Photoshop since buying this camera.
Strengths:
Rugged construction
Excellent ergonomics
Excellent autofocus performance
Excellent battery life
Weaknesses:
Poor flash performance
No useful software bundled with the camera - Photoshop is a must
LCD cover should be clear, not milky
CCD gets dusty very easily
Easy to lose the LCD cover and other protective caps, and expensive to replace them
Similar Products Used:
None
Customer Service:
Haven't used it, but Nikon's web sites are terrible. They look bad, load slowly, lack organization, and contain little useful information.
Rating Reviewed by: Tom Schwartz (Unregistered User)
(Professional)
Review Date October 18, 2002
Overall Rating 1 of 5
Value Rating 1 of 5
Used product for 1 to 3 months
Visitors rate this review 2.31 of 5,
16 votes
Review 5 of 27
Price Paid:
$0.00
Summary:
Very dissapointed with several things:
-The Nikon digital flash system: I shoot a lot of indoor sports, and using an 80-200 f/2.8 ED-S, especially at hockey games, the subject is never properly exposed, usually under, with the background overexposed. Now don't say I don't know how to use the equipment. I've been shooting Nikon for 24 years, and used a F5 before the D1x, and know how to set the camera up. I don't know what Canon uses, but a buddy of mine with a 1-D gets much better results using the same lens/equivalent flash. Called Nikon repeadetly, they said it was a settings problem, but when I explained what I was setting, they were baffled. I sent the whole thing in (body, lens, flash), still no improvement.
-Software problems: the software Nikon makes you purchase **Separately)** is totally useless. It's a poor interface. I'd suggest using photoshop.
-The 1.5 CCD factor. Other camera makers are putting out mag. factors of 1.3 and lower. Where's Nikon??? My wide angle shots just aren't the same, and I've been forced to get the 17-35, which still gives me 25.5mm minimum.
Strengths:
-Still solid F5-like construction
-Somewhat intuitive controls
Weaknesses:
-Flash Exposure
-Software
-1.5 CCD mag. factor
Similar Products Used:
Nikon D1-even WORSE
Canon 1D-(if Nikon doesn't improve, I might jump ship to what is (at this point) a superior digital system))
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