Nikon D1 Series

[Don Hoey]

To keep other threads clean I thought I should start a new one for the benefit of Joe and others that might be interested.

D1 2.6mp timeline June 1999
D1H 2.6mp timeline Feb 2001
D1X 5.3mp timeline Feb 2001

Links to some alternate to DPR reviews
D1 - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D1/D1A.HTM
D1H - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D1H/D1HA.HTM
D1X - http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D1X/D1XA.HTM

Other than megapixels a significant difference is colour space. D1 colourspace - NTSC (1953) and D1H and D1X - sRGB and Adobe 1998

There is not as much net info on the D1 as the D1H or X. I guess thats down to the rise of the net during that period. The Overall conclusion in these reviews and others sums things up well, in that a lot of the bugs in the D1 had been sorted for the D1H and D1X.

I will continue to look for same scene comparison shots, but the megapixel difference between the D1 and D1X will show up in the recording of fine detail.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Still searching for elusive comparison shots but there are 3 on Bjørn Rørsletts review 1/2 way down. Click on the thumbnail for larger version.
http://www.naturfotograf.com/index2.html You need to go to Reviews on the left pane then find ' Into the Night with Nikon D1X: First Impressions '.

Also a link to a comparison review by Thom Hogan. http://www.bythom.com/d1.htm

Don

[Joe]

Thanks Don,
Some great info for those who can't quite afford to buy into the D2 series
cheers
joe

[Don Hoey]

I am posting any pics links as I find them so here is the first from Steves Digicams. http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_...x_samples.html

I have downloaded the RAW file for a look.

It would be interesting to know how Foxy thinks they compare to his Hs. That is probably the closest current camera on the forum of similar megapixels, all be it a totally different sensor.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Just too many tabs up now, so I will post this before I loose it.

Some info on the strange layout of the D1X sensor. http://www.lonestardigital.com/techcorner.htm
Part the way down is a link to a pic taken by Bjorn Rorslett of a D1 sensor that does help explain. Further down a link to Nikon technology.

Don

[Don Hoey]

Steves digicams main page http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html has links to reviews and sample images from D1, D1H, and D1X. Click DSLR tab on the reviews screen.

Unfortunately although there are some of similar scenes different quality lenses were used which clouds direct comparison. Having spent time looking through, my opinion is that the D1H leads over the D1, and the D1X naturally leads over the D1H in terms of resolution.

Saving a D1X image as 10mp has big effects on file size.
Standard Nef 3008 x 1960 is 7.9mb resulting in a 33.97mb Tiff
Larger Nef 4016 x 2616 is 10.5mb resulting in a 60.23mb Tiff

I did the uprez in NC4.4.02 and compared it with a CS upsize to the same dimensions. I feel NC did a better job so there is something in Nikons algorithams.

Once again different quality lenses in use, but I will stick with the assesment that I made years ago comparing images at native resolution. The D1X is ahead of the D100 by a nose. Just could not afford the D1X at the time.

Don

[Canis Vulpes]

Originally Posted by Don Hoey

I did the uprez in NC4.4.02 and compared it with a CS upsize to the same dimensions. I feel NC did a better job so there is something in Nikons algorithams.

Don

The resizing algorithms are probably very similar but if upsizing using any RAW converter such as NX or NC from Nikon a change in dimension is applied before demosaicing. Photoshop can only upsize after NX has applied a demosiac filter to the original bayer data.

If I require a large image I always crop and size in NX before saving as TIFF, I suppose that we should downsize for the web in NX too but I allow photoshop to do this as I like to remove dust spots and perform other editting on a large image so any errors can be compressed and along with the image.

I can feel another comparison coming on!

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Stephen Fox

I can feel another comparison coming on!

Stephen,

The D1X is I feel one of a kind and knowing that of the D1 series I would end up favouring the D1X over D1, D1H and D100 is why I thought I would give it a thread in its own right.

I have dug out a DIX brochure and that shows the effective pixels at 4024 horizontal and 1324 vertical. One might from that expect a panoramic image. However if I look to recording pixels then that is stated as 3008 horizontal and 1960 vertical. So we have stage one trickery here that cannot be compared to a standard sensor as we normally know it. Stage 2 trickery is that NC4.4 or NX recognise the D1X sensor alone in allowing a default save option for the larger file.

Comparing the sensors horizontal and vertical resolution with other cameras shows that this particular one is well different.

D2X - 4288 x 2848
D1X - 4024 x 1324
D100- 3008 x 2000

So horizontal resolution is nearly on a par with the D2X, well above the D100, yet vertical resolution is below the D100.

Hence my search for info on the D1X sensor as posted yesterday.

Don