Nikon D1HAll the color and image-quality enhancements from the D1x, but 2.7 megapixels and 5 frames/second, and 1,000 lower price!<<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & InterfaceReview First Posted: 11/16/2001 |
Image
Storage and Interface
The D1h uses CompactFlash memory cards for image storage, accommodating Type
I and II sizes, as well as the IBM Microdrive. The D1h does not come with a
memory card, so plan on purchasing one (or several) separately. As with the
original D1 and D1x, I was pleased to find the CompactFlash slot very accessible,
letting me quickly change the card while the camera was mounted on a tripod.
The D1h utilizes a folder arrangement that allows users to organize images in
the camera and a sequential frame counter option to avoid problems with overwriting
files when copying them to the computer.
Captured images can be individually write-protected through the Playback settings
menu. Write-protected files are only immune to accidental deletion, not card
reformatting. Images are saved only at the 2,000 x 1,312-pixel resolution size.
(No smaller image sizes are provided for.) File formats include several levels
of compressed JPEG files as well as RGB TIFF, YCbCr TIFF, and RAW data modes.
RGB TIFF is the familiar uncompressed TIFF format that can be read by most any
imaging program. The YCbCr TIFF is also an uncompressed mode, dealing with data
more closely to the format in which it comes from the CCD. While still uncompressed,
it is a more compact data format. The "raw" file format stores the
data exactly as it comes from the CCD array, either compressed or uncompressed.
Since the "raw" format is proprietary though, it can only be processed
by Nikon's "Nikon Capture" software, Mike Chaney's Qimage
Pro program, or Eric Hyman's Bibble.
The compressed RAW format is a "lossless" compression, making it difficult
to determine the actual amount of compression being used, since the actual amount
of compression will depend heavily on the characteristics of each image. Nikon
estimates that compression is 50 or 60 percent over the standard, uncompressed
RAW format.
Below are the approximate number of images and their compression ratios for
a 96 MB CompactFlash card. (The largest size sold directly by Nikon. Third-party
cards are now available as large as 1 gigabyte for either solid-state memory
or the IBM MicroDrive.)
| Resolution/Quality vs Image Capacity |
|
||
|
|
File Size |
Compression |
|
| HI
RAW data (Uncompressed) |
|
|
|
| HI
RAW data (Compressed) |
(Variable) |
(Variable) |
(Variable) |
| HI YCbCr TIFF |
|
|
|
| HI RGB TIFF |
|
|
|
| Fine Quality |
|
|
|
| Normal Quality |
|
|
|
| Basic Quality |
|
|
|
One
of the first things any new digicam owner will need is a larger memory card
for their camera: The cards shipped with the units by the manufacturers should
really be considered only "starter" cards, you'll definitely want a higher
capacity card immediately. - Probably at least a 32 megabyte card for a 1.3
or 2 megapixel camera, 64 megabytes or more for a 3, 4, or 5 megapixel one.
(The nice thing about memory cards is you'll be able to use whatever you buy
now with your next camera too, whenever you upgrade.) To help you shop for
a good deal on memory cards that fit the Nikon D1H, we've put together a little
memory locater, with links to our price-comparison engine: Just click on the
"Memory Wizard" button above to go to the Nikon memory finder, select your
camera model , and click the shopping cart icon next to the card size you're
interested in. You'll see a list of matching entries from the price-comparison
database. Pick a vendor & order away! (Pretty cool, huh?)
Reader Comments! --> Visit our discussion forum for the Nikon D1H!
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