Nikon D1 Review & Sample Photos: Can a 2.6-megapixel DSLR from 1999 Hold its own Twenty Years Later?

[@jeffkernen1554]

I shot for a newspaper for 7 years with the D1 and had about 8,000 photos published from it in that time. Photos from that camera were also used for billboards and occasionally magazines. I still have the camera today. It's worn with the battle scars of assignment work, but it still works to this day. Flawlessly.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! These are absolutely incredibly well made cameras by an digital camera standard.

[@ericlarson6180]

Just got a D1. I totally agree with you. The Camera requires patience and skill but has much to teach one. It Has also reminded me of how far we’ve come with technology, and yet forget that those patient skills a photographer brings to the table are more important than all of the wizardry behind modern cameras

[@DavidHancock]

Nice and thank you! It's kind of incredible to see what's gotten better, and what's gotten worse. :D

[@lucianosimmons3003]

I inherited this camera for work and was missing a few parts. Was debating on putting this together and figuring it out and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. This is one of those niche video's that really does some good for the community. Ty! SO SO much!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@ronaldsand3000]

Actually the images look very impressive

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@MyHumanWreckage]

I guess I’m lucky with my D1X. The battery charges reliably and I can shoot more than 100 images. I’ve never exhausted the whole battery. It’s incredibly fun to use. The D1X challenges you when taking photos because of its limits.

[@DavidHancock]

That is lucky. I have three Watson batteries for this and none of them go beyond 120. And all were new. It's very frustrating swapping out three batteries before the CF card is full.

[@fepatton]

The use of these images for social media is a great point. A 50-100MP image is wasted on Instagram or FB, where so many of these end up. Yet IMO they are better than phone pictures which are so heavily processed by the device that I often find them artificial looking. I just picked up a D1X _and_ a Canon 1D. When I showed my son a couple of these roughly 5MP images, he was blown away by how sharp they were! He was expecting something blurry and pixelated. Great lenses make a huge difference of course, but these are fun cameras to play with. The E4 batteries aren’t available new anymore, unfortunately, so I guess I will be doing some rebuilding.

[@DavidHancock]

There are some good tutorials on how to convert the batteries to 18650 rechargeables, but I wasn't successful with mine when I tried.

[@trinitron384]

I love your take on this old beast. I feel like this should be how photographers should see older cameras; not with amusement or distaste, but with dignity for what it does, pros and cons respectively

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@nerys71]

I need some help with my Nikon D1. MY cam's are canon so I don't have any Nikon stuff. I grabbed a few cheap lenses but I can't seem to make it work properly. the 70-210mm works fine on my Finepix S2 but not so well on the D1 I also got a small "kit lens" 28-80 silver lens. but it seems its stuff at the smallest aperture. and I can't seem to change the aperture. its stuck at 11 or 14 so its REALLY DARK looking inside the viewfinder. Also it does not seem to auto focus at all. I press the shutter nothing but if I press the AF ON button it DOES auto focus.... ??? is it my lens not being compatible? lens not being good? (I don't have a normal nikon to test it on only the D1 and the S2)

[@DavidHancock]

Sounds like your have G lenses. There are some good Nikon lens compatibility tables online that will help you out.

[@imabigsandwich1292]

Imagine scanning film with this camera lol, very nice and informative video as always and happy 2021!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! :D

[@carslayer]

Great review as always. I was stoked to see so many of the sample shots taken with catadioptric lenses!!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! And good eye. They're all from the Nikon Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8. I'm aiming to have that lens review done next year, too.

[@royjcrump2329]

Thank you for your honesty and I believe love for the camera many blessings, Precious Moments in frame time....

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you, Roy! I did absolutely love the results this camera delivered and there are some aspects of it that still hold up today.

[@northof-62]

My 3 NiMHs all work well. I have the charger with the cable and plug. I use my D1 daily, almost. Writes very slowly to the card. But stacks in cont. mode and writes all as long as I don't turn it off before the light goes out.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! It's great to know these are still in use.

[@olafwDE]

David, this again is an outstanding script for a remarkable piece of gear. 60 (even the total of 310) bucks seems to be a reasonable value. PS: A million thanks for the sidebar, this part made my day! :-D

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you, Olaf! And on a related note, my A7S II video is going to make your year.

[@olafwDE]

@@DavidHancock Haha, kind of hard to imagine, but now I'm looking forward to watching it.

[@TexansForChrist]

Wow. Thanks for this review and for doing it with the artistry at the forefront

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@alexanderpopov4691]

Some good points and it is very true that one of the biggest motivation on buying old dslrs is cause it was out of the budget back when they were released:) It makes them so desirable as a kids dream come true. I do agree with you on low pixel camera bodies, color is usually way better at least to my eye. Thats the reason my modern mirrorless with many pixels and tones of features stays most of the time on a copystand while old bulky dslr lives in my bag;) and yes, an image from a CCD sensor looks always special, reminds me somehow a slide film estetic.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! This definitely provides very slide-like images. I just wish I could print them at 12X12. :D

[@angelfoto4795]

Actually, some of my fav shots were made with a beat up D1. The experience and pace was slower, specially in RAW and the camera feels well in the hand. For its low res the image are sharp but its noise is bad, specially because of the banding issues. But the color is amazing when you correct the RAW file (my file always are kinda green), is like my D2X, its color is different, more pastel than modern camera, even I tried to use its DCP profile in modern cameras and I'm unavailable to replicate it fully. The most ankward thing of the D1 OG is the odd position of the ISO button that changed in the next generation. Do you have experience with the D2H and its weird JFIT sensor?

[@DavidHancock]

I do. I have a D2H that I've shot off and on. The images are noisy as a daycare after the kids all eat candy. Suffice to say on the D2H, my current take is that it's a great interface improvement from the D1 and a huge step down in terms of image quality.

[@highlander200107]

I have a D1x and the D2x, and I agree, their image quality is VERY different from modern digital cameras, from the D3 onwards the colours are just so different from the early Nikon D’s.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! It could also be the CCD vs. CMOS images. I noticed that the Pentax *ist and K20D cameras I used a few times had better and warmer, colors, too. (I forgot this camera had a CCD until after I finished it.) But yeah, I'm torn as to if I sell this and the D1X after I finish the D1X videos or not.

[@DylanVidovich]

Just won an auction for a near immaculate Nikon D1 on eBay for $150. I don’t see them pop up very often, so I HAD to have one of these for the novelty and collector value!

[@DavidHancock]

Nice!

[@zephyrderg]

Fascinating. Thanks for the video!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@Riccardo_Mori]

Great video, great photos, and great commentary. There was a time when Nikon D1's on eBay could be found cheaply (I don't live in the US, so maybe I'm missing many deals from sellers who don't ship abroad), and I was a fool for not taking the opportunity. I'm on a path of rediscovery of older digital cameras, I absolutely love my Nikon D200, and have always been curious to go even further back and try the D1/D1H/D1X. Coming from film cameras, which I still shoot today, and being a slow-paced enthusiast photographer, I'm sure I have the necessary patience to make the most out of these older Nikons. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! These are a great deal of fun to shoot, and worth the experience if you can get one that works well.

[@WHHFDT]

I agree - the D200 is a wonderful camera to work with. I recently got a D1 and it is fascinating to see how many design elements of the D1 made it to the D200. They are clearly from the same family tree. The D200 is much easier to work with since it has good battery life, USB interface, faster computer hardware, and a full on-screen menu system for setting the camera up. The D1 still uses a numerically coded Custom Setting Menu similar to the F5 film camera it was based on. You need to bring a printed quick reference sheet along to use the D1 settings menu, which is displayed on the rear data LCD in calculator digits.

[@thebookins]

Looks like film, gotta love those old ccd sensors.

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, this camera was kind of magic.

[@1hourphoto]

I still shoot with a Nikon D70 every now and then, just got a new Nikon battery and a used 35mm f1.8 DX lens, can’t wait to go out and make some pictures!!!

[@DavidHancock]

Nice!

[@MMB.__]

Who might not love hearing the whisper of old times!

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

I recently got myself a D1X, and rigt away, none of my memory cards worked in te camera, neither my CF cards or my SD cards of less than a 1GB capacity in a CF to SD adapter. So I ordered some. Then I realised that the camera wasn't shooting at all, even with the option to shoot without a card enabled, so I charged the battery... and then I charged it again, and again and again until it was hot to the touch and that the camera finally indicated that it was "full" (whatever that means on a Ni-MH unit) Then just autofocusing the camera, going through the manues and taking test shots without a card to check if the thing was working properly were enough things to deplete the battery enough so that the shutter wouldn't release at all. Those two problems (battery and cards), plus the myriad of other problems (super high noise, anemic burst speed, very slow writing to the card, questionable ergonomics, etc) makes me think that the D1 series (I include the D1X and D1H, as those cameras are essentially the same : the D1X used a 2 pixel binning instead of 4, doubling the resolution and the D1H had a faster burst rate and a bigger buffer, but ultimately those are the same cameras in the end) is not really fit for real world use. It's a curiosity, something you'd take to shoot from time to time but in my opinion the hassle is not worth it. You might get a sturdy camera body, but with so many shortcomings that you'll end up cursing your camera again and again instead of actually learn something. In my opinion, you can go as old as you want for a camera, and the older the better if all you want is to learn photography, as the older a camera gets, the more simple it is and the more compromises it has when it comes to image quality which teaches you to craft a good digital exposure. That's why I think that if you're looking at the D1 or D1X/H to teach yourself photography, you're not looking in the right place. At the very least, get a more modern card support and a Lithium-Ion battery. The closest you can get to a D1 with those two features is the Nikon D2H. Forgotten by many after the D2X and then the D3 were released, the sensor is a low 4MP, and just like the D1, it punches above its weight class in terms of sharpness. Dynamic range is maybe a stop better but it's still horrendous by modern standards, and the noise above 400 ISO is not that pleasing at all. Autofocus has more points but is about the same when it comes to performance, the only big upgrade is the burst speeds that jumps to 8fps, not that it is that useful for this camera anyway. Experience is similar, and you have a good battery (which you can still find brand new replacements for today), and I can use my CF to SD adapter with some cheap SD cards in it without an issue. I'll never sell my D1X as I consider the D1 series as a relic of the begenning of digital photography. But if I want to use an old camera and slow down, I think I'll just save me some headache and use the D2H (oh and by the way, the Sony A7SIII has a similar 4 pixel array binning on its sensor turning a 48MP sensor into a 12MP one, if you ever want a pixel binned modern camera :)

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! I've used an A7S III but did not know that about the sensor. That explains why the images and video from it are simply stunning.

[@endoplasreh]

Great video. I had a friend who had one of these and was blown away at what she could photograph at the time with it. I still was using my Nikon N90 and could only dream of a D1. I saw a few photos in the examples that were shot with a Reflex lens. I just have to ask which lens it was. I have had the Nikkor 500mm N Reflex lens and also currently have the Nikkor 500mm C Reflex. I found that I have had better results with the C version of the lens. Could be that the copy of the N version I had was not very good. Those Reflex lenses also make you patient when taking photos and definitely not for action scenarios. Thanks

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! I can do better than just tell you which lens it was. Here's a whole video about the reflex lens in question. kzbin.info/www/bejne/honSdIGGapl6a5Y

[@ItsPinecone_911]

For only 2.6mp these images look amazing.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@ItsPinecone_911]

@@DavidHancock you're very welcome

[@Island-pool]

The d1 was an easy transition for us film shooters. Computers were also slow back then , compared to today .

[@DavidHancock]

Good points. Thank you!

[@Temenes]

I used to have a D1x, you could gain a lot of write speed by turning off the raw compression, provided you had a fast enough card of course.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@JohnNg5]

I have 2 D1x that I have used about 10 years ago as my main cameras. I moved up to the D2x until the shutter died, then to full frame Nikons, etc. Recently, I started shooting some MF film, which got me to dust out the D1x and wanting to use it again. Batteries are a problem. I use a A/C adapter to power it in the studio. I want to convert some old batteries to Li-on, but don't know where to begin. I hope you do a video on it. And if I figure a way to do the conversion, how do I charge the battery?

[@DavidHancock]

There is a way. I found a tutorial online for converting old D1-type batteries to use 18650. I've tried. So far I've failed. It's not hard but I'm terrible with electrical work. The odds of someone somehow managing to electrocute themselves following my directions for that would be very high. :D

[@JohnNg5]

@@DavidHancock I'm like you, not very good with electrical work. I guess I can experiment with an old battery.

[@oggoggamer9353]

i bought resently two D1 (one is working, but used, but one not working but in perfect condition), and also bought a D1H and D1X. The D1 is a very cool camera, which uses old tech from the film aera, and makes it digital. However, the later made cameras, as the D1H/X are much faster, and have a proper menu function. The D2-Series howere where a milestone in Nikon History, as they where built complete new as a digital camera, from ground up.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! The D1 cameras were very nice to shoot with.

[@JJ-yx7vq]

I was given a Nikon D1 but I’m not sure where I can get the charger

[@DavidHancock]

eBay

[@dct124]

This camera could benefit from a RhinoCam setup via stitching images. I think 8x images so 2.6mp x 8 = 20.8mp - 10% = 18.72mp after stitching. Then import into Topaz Ai + 600% (max) = 131mp Why anyone would do this 😄 no clue 😅 but it is possible. Factor in exposure bracketing and you'd have more than enough dynamic range.

[@SgtPnkks]

I ended up buying a Watson battery so I could use my d1x... Then eventually found a couple beat to hell d1 bodies cheap... One takes images fine but one of the top buttons doesn't work so I am locked in on the af mode and can't set the date/time so all my photos have the date in the exif set for over 20 years ago, the other all the buttons work but the images a bunch of lines going through them The d1x is so much faster and has better dynamic range along with the resolution bump... You can actually use raw without being slowed down by the glacial write speeds that make me use my d1 as a purely jpeg camera (though my fuji s2pro is even more laughably slow to write to the card... I've shot raw once or twice on that fuji and it takes like 20 seconds)

[@marvintpandroid2213]

I would love Nikon to bring back a 4 pixel bin system.

[@DavidHancock]

Definitely yes, at least as an option in the menus.

[@dct124]

Also IQ, 😅 the pixel pitch is 11.88pu that's insane big photosites. Some perspective. Pixel Pitch Nikon D3: 8.42 (-41.88% Nikon D1: 11.88 Nikon D200: 6.05 (-49%) A Z9 although it does have BSI, it's pixel pitch is 4.35pu. New sensor tech means the Z9 actually has a pixel pitch somewhere near the D200. Anyone know the formula for calculating BSI impact on pixel pitch? Is it be a doubling effect? I've heard 20%, have read double, but it was like a super low light magnifying camera. It's 4.2mp, shoots 16-bit 43fps with a 6.5pu x 6.5pu which is a pixel pitch of 13 Nikon has a really cool pixel calculator.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@DixonLu]

Awesome that you are willing to dance like no one is watching.👍

[@DavidHancock]

Oh I never expect people to watch my videos. :D

[@jasonhowells7758]

Love the vid, and have the same thoughts as you... I am not a fan of this Ai Or assisted photography. I still shoot sports with a single AF point and do the tracking myself as I find very pleasing knowing I got the shot.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! That's a great way to do sports work, too. I do the same thing. If I need to change a focus point, great, but I want the intended subject in focus not the background.

[@candidcanoncamera577]

One of the coolest things is that the sensor assembly can literally be changed out in like 5 minutes.

[@DavidHancock]

Oh nice. I didn't know that. Thank you!

[@marc-alexandrelaroche6632]

They don't manufactur the batteries for it, do they?

[@DavidHancock]

Watson did, but I'm not sure if they're still made. They were available new a year ago.

[@ericlarson6180]

Watson Batteries are still available. I bought one this week on Amazon for 39.95

[@dct124]

Definitely one of Nikon's camera's no one should ever buy moving forward beyond a collector's item. There's a few people who've hacked the battery 🔋🔋 But it's still a worthless camera body. So Nikon created some custom settings for the Df, D4, and D4s that can mimic all prior Nikon color profiles. Mainly built for the Df as it has slightly more muted colors. When it comes to noise, this really really really should be a thing of the past starting a few years ago. We have ai algorithms that can clean up these images. One of the main and best things going for the D1 is that it shoots super sharp images. It's definitely that sharpest of any Nikon and honestly any camera that I've seen not medium format. Ai needs super sharp files to work best.

[@carlosencarnacion9667]

I bought a used Pentax K20D recently and it it closer to using a film KX than my K-S2, which is fine. I only wish Pentax would have kept the aperture linkage to the lens, the aperture ring on the lenses, DOF button and made it as easy to use in manual as the KX was. I do crave a K-1 and is in my list. I also bought two used Sunpak 544 and a 3600 flash, but I am afraid to use them with my DSLRs. I will try with remote triggers from china.

[@RoastBeefSandwich]

The K20D is a brilliant camera, it's rendering is very film-like. I loved it.

[@dukenukem5768]

I have a Sunpak 4205G which is the 544 with a different name for some markets. It is safe for modern DSLRs because it has a trigger voltage only around 6v. I use it directly connected to my K-1. www.botzilla.com/photo/strobeVolts.html www.pentaxforums.com/accessoryreviews/sunpak-auto-4205g-thyristor-auto-544-in-some-markets.html

[@DavidHancock]

I agree. It's an endless frustration for me that the DSLRs don't play well with the SMC and SMC-M lenses.

[@carlosencarnacion9667]

Question is, Can I use the vintage Sunpak flashes directly on the K20D's synch port, AND, hotshoe? I believe I can not use them on my K-S2 directly, sans an interface adapter. Can not find a definite answer in Pentax Forums. Anyone knows? Sometimes, I, am an equipment snob and would like to showoff my Sunpak potato smashers with my K20D.

[@carlosencarnacion9667]

@@DavidHancock Ya know? I believe that if Pentax gives the ease and functionality of the Film KX metering on M-mode to their Flagship K-3 and K-1 mark III flagship bodies, the sales of these bodies should increase a lot, prices on vintage k-mount lenses would increase too, and, since you already have the bodies, sales of new Pentax lenses should increase too.

[@dct124]

Looks good up to 1600 imo. It would just need some light post correction which could be automated at import of LR and or an action run by PS. Now 3200 iso and beyond is complete trash, but could also be corrected very fast these days. Still wouldn't buy one, even for $1

[@MrMarkpoole]

My old digital cameras are a Minolta Dimage 7 I bought for $10 and a Sony Mavica that takes floppy discs my former neighbor gave me.

[@DavidHancock]

I used to sell those when they were new. Great cameras.

[@curvytalia]

The batteries are not that expensive for this camera I have this camera love it my battery lasts long before having to charge it luckily mine came with the charger it's the charger that's hard to find and expensive

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@MMB.__]

I think the point in owning this camera is for artistic usage.

[@DavidHancock]

Any more, probably yes. Still takes great photos.

[@MMB.__]

@@DavidHancock I' m about to get one, quite enthusiated about it. (I'm a D850 user)

[@migueljohnson432]

…and I love her 🥂

[@DavidHancock]

Nice!

[@floredrums8089]

Nikon D1 based Nikon F100 not F5 ( Kodak DCS 6xx & 7xx based Nikon F5)

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! The F100 is based on three F5, too.

[@WHHFDT]

The D1 is most certainly based on the F5. I have both cameras. (also have a DCS 620)

[@jeffreypetchharrison4363]

built to last leke shizun houzun .. jeff

[@DavidHancock]

These are fantastically well made cameras for sure.

[@srr1887]

Man. 1/16000? The first camera i have ever heard to have that nonsense, inhumane, blistering fast shutter

[@DavidHancock]

It's fast. There area few now that reach 1/24,000.

[@larrysmith6797]

Why is your avatar wearing a toupee?

[@DavidHancock]

It's a drawing from back when I had hair.