Nikon D1HAll the color and image-quality enhancements from the D1x, but 2.7 megapixels and 5 frames/second, and 1,000 lower price!<<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & FlashReview First Posted: 11/16/2001 |
Exposure
The D1h offers the same (exceptional) range of exposure control and multiple options I liked so much on original D1 and the subsequent D1x. First of all, the D1h gives you a choice between Program AE, Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority exposure modes with shutter speeds from 1/16,000 to 30 seconds available, as well as a Bulb setting for longer exposures. A very nice touch is that, while in Program AE mode, you can rotate the Command dial to select different combinations of aperture and shutter speed settings than those normally chosen by the autoexposure system. (That is, if the automatic program would have chosen 1/125-second and f/5.6, you could instead direct the camera to use 1/60 at f/8 or 1/30 at f/11, to get greater depth of field.) This is a very handy option for those times when you need some measure of increased control, but still want the camera to do most of the work for you.
An interesting feature when using Manual exposure mode is the electronic analog exposure display visible in both the optical viewfinder and the top-panel data readout. This shows the amount an image will be over- or underexposed, based on the settings you have selected, and helps you find the best exposure for the subject. I also liked the Command Lock feature (activated through the Command Lock option of the Shooting menu) which locks the shutter speed and/or aperture setting so that it is not accidentally changed when using the Command dial for another purpose. (If you set either the shutter speed or aperture before activating the Command Lock function, a "lock" icon will appear next to the corresponding setting in both the viewfinder and data readout displays, and that setting can't be changed until you change the Command Lock option.) You can also assign the Command Lock function to the Function button.
ISO can be set to a range of values from 200 to 1,600 via the ISO button on the back panel, and to values of 3,200 or 6,400 by using the "ISO Boost" option on the Custom Settings menu (option 20). White balance can be set to Auto (useful from 4,200K to 7,000K), Incandescent (set to about 3,000K), Fluorescent (4,200K), Direct Sunlight (5,200K), Flash (5,400K), Overcast (6,000K), Shade(8,000K), and Preset (which allows you to manually adjust the white value by using a white card or object as a reference point). All white balance settings can be adjusted from -3 to +3 units on an arbitrary scale by turning the Subcommand dial (on the front of the hand grip) while holding down the White Balance button (with the exception of the Preset option, which is not adjustable). Higher values correspond to a decrease in the camera's white point, in degrees Kelvin (meaning the images become "cooler" in appearance). This is a very nice feature, as I often wish I could use one of a camera's standard white-balance settings, though just a bit warmer or cooler. To be sure, some experimentation would be required to familiarize yourself with the impact of these "tweaked" white balance settings, but having them available is a definite plus. The table below shows approximate white point temperatures in degrees Kelvin for the various adjustments in each of the major white balance settings.
| Camera Display--> | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Direct Sunlight | 5600 | 5400 | 5300 | 5200 | 5000 | 4900 | 4800 |
| Shade | 9200 | 8800 | 8400 | 8000 | 7500 | 7100 | 6700 |
| Overcast | 6600 | 6400 | 6200 | 6000 | 5800 | 5600 | 5400 |
| Incandescent | 3250 | 3150 | 3100 | 3000 | 2900 | 2800 | 2700 |
| Fluorescent | 7200 | 6500 | 5000 | 4200 | 3700 | 3000 | 2700 |
| Flash | 6000 | 5800 | 5600 | 5400 | 5200 | 5000 | 4800 |
A note to the Nikon engineers: I'd like to see a fine-tuning adjustment capability added to the Custom white balance option as well. I've often found that I'd like to adjust a camera's custom white balance setting a little, and a fine-tuning option like the D1h provides for its other settings would be an excellent way to accomplish this. (I've sometimes resorted to carrying slightly different "colors" of white paper to adjust manual white balances to my liking. An on-camera control would be infinitely easier.)
Three metering options are available on the D1h: 3D Color Matrix, Center-Weighted, and Spot. The 3D Color Matrix setting uses a 1,005-pixel CCD sensor (separate from the main image sensor) to meter exposure based on several areas in the frame (useful when brightly colored or very dark subjects occupy a significant portion of the frame). This is the same 3D Color Matrix metering system used on the Nikon F5 and the previous D1 and D1x models. Center-Weighted metering measures light from the entire frame but places the greatest emphasis on a circular area in the center (which you can determine the size of via the Custom Settings menu option 14). Spot metering is pretty self-explanatory, taking a reading from the dead center of the image (best when using the AE Lock function). The D1h has a nifty trick with spot focus though. With D-type lenses, and in the proper focus-area mode, the spot metering actually centers on the focus area selected, giving you the option for off-center spot metering!
Exposure compensation on the D1h is adjustable from -5 to +5 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments, and is controllable in all exposure modes. The Auto Bracketing feature takes three shots of the same subject with varying exposure values determined by either the photographer in Manual mode or by the camera in all other modes. Exposure settings for bracketing can vary from -2 to +2 EV (values are added to the already chosen exposure compensation value), with step sizes of one-third, one-half, or one EV unit, and the bracketing biased toward either underexposure, overexposure, or centered around the main exposure value.
On a more mundane level, the D1h has a self-timer feature that allows you to set the time interval anywhere from two to 20 seconds, activated by fully pressing the Shutter button.
Another interesting feature is the Anti-Mirror-Shock Mode, which delays the exposure until after the mirror shock has subsided and is available through the Custom Settings Menu (option 5). (Obviously meant for times when the camera is on a tripod.) The default setting allows for the image to be exposed as soon as the shutter is released. By activating this function, the image isn't captured until a fraction of a second after the shutter is released, giving time for vibrations from the mirror actuation to damp out before the shutter is opened. Also through the Custom Settings menu, you can adjust the image Sharpness, Tone Compensation (Contrast), and Hue. I was impressed with the Tone Compensation option’s Custom setting, which allows you to download a custom tone curve from your computer. (If no curve is downloaded, the Custom setting defaults to the Normal setting.) The Hue adjustment offers arbitrary adjustments from zero to six, with "three" being the default setting. Raising the Hue setting above three results in a stronger yellow cast in the image, causing reds to become orange. Alternatively, lowering the Hue setting below three introduces a blue cast, which consequently changes red to purple. The D1h also features a Color Mode option in the Custom Settings menu, which allows you to capture images in sRGB or Adobe RGB color. A Color option under the Image Quality setting of the Shooting menu offers a black and white monochrome setting.
When reviewing images on the LCD monitor, you can pull up a histogram and a highlight function to give you a complete readout on the exposure. This is a useful tool to examine your exposure in the camera instead of waiting to download images and then deciding to reshoot.
Continuous Shooting Mode
The D1h offers a Continuous Shooting mode that shoots up to approximately five frames per second (as many as 40 consecutive shots), depending on the amount of image information and available CompactFlash space. Once the 40 frame limit is reached, the camera is unable to record any more photographs until at least one of the images is transferred from the buffer memory to the memory card. As the photos are being transferred, the number of available consecutive photographs is displayed in the viewfinder and on the status display panel when the Shutter button is halfway pressed. Through the Custom Settings menu, you can select frame rates of one, two, three, four, or five frames per second. You can also change the maximum number of exposures, from one to 40.
Amazing Flash Unit!
Like most professional SLRs, the D1h doesn't carry a built-in flash of its own, but rather is designed to work with external strobe systems, or "Speedlights," as Nikon is fond of calling them. When I tested the original D1 and the recent D1x, I was fortunate to have a SB-28DX speedlight to play with, but this wasn't the case with the D1h. Given that the D1h's exposure system is the same as that on the D1x, there really wasn't any reason to re-test the SB-28DX with it: To learn more about this capable flash unit, read my review of the D1x.
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