Nikon D100 Review

Nikon D100 Review

The D100 enters that new segment of the digital camera market which was created when Canon released the EOS-D30. It's the middle ground between the high end $1,000 prosumer digital cameras and professional D-SLR's. This years PMA saw the announcement of no less than four new D-SLR's all aimed at that $2,000-$3,000 segment. It's still pretty amazing to think that you can now pick up a six megapixel D-SLR for around $2,000.

Since this article was first published as a preview Canon, Fujifilm and Nikon have announced their pricing. The Canon EOS-D60 full kit weighs in at $2,199, the Fujifilm S2 Pro at $2,399 and the Nikon D100 at $1,999.

The D100 has a six megapixel sensor, a body loosely based on the F80 (although Nikon are keen to note that it shares only some of its components with that camera), a Nikon F mount and a set of features which make it an extremely attractive and capable proposition.

Nikon D100 Major Features

This list, supplied by Nikon Europe

• 6.1 effective megapixels rendering 3,008 x 2,000-pixel images
• Compact and lightweight (weighs approx. 700g/24.7 oz.)
• Low-noise CCD sensor
• 3D Digital Matrix Image Control for precise exposure control, adaptive auto white balance and optimal color accuracy
• High-performance built-in Speedlight with D-TTL flash control
• Three color modes offered for different workflow environments
• Five-Area Autofocus with Dynamic AF operation
• High-speed image processing provided by new one-chip system LSI
• Top shutter speed of 1/4,000 sec. and flash sync speed up to 1/180 sec.
• Plug-and-play USB 1.1 interface for quick computer connection
• On-Demand Grid Lines can be displayable in viewfinder
• Custom Settings can be selectable in the LCD monitor
• Compatible with CompactFlash™ cards Type I and Type II including 512 MB / 1 GB IBM MicroDrive™
• Nikon View 5.1 software (supplied) enables easy transfer and viewing of images on your computer also includes rudimentary RAW file manipulation and conversion
• Optional Nikon Capture 3 software for excellent image management and remote operation
• Optional Multi Function Battery Pack MB-D100 accepts six 1.5V LR6 (AA-size alkaline) batteries or one or two Li-Ion batteries for extended shooting capability. Features voice memo recording/playback function, vertical shutter release button, Command and Sub Command Dials, AF start button and a 10-pin remote terminal

Whose sensor is it anyway?

About a week before Nikon revealed the D100, Sony announced an APS sized six megapixel sensor. Putting two and two together (and considering the specs are identical) it's been fairly easy to ascertain that Nikon is using Sony's six megapixel sensor in the D100. In the picture on the right (from Sony's press release) you can see the size of the six megapixel CCD compared to a standard consumer digital camera 1/1.8" CCD.

In that announcement Sony revealed the specifications of this particular CCD:

Optical Format	1.8" / diagonal 28.4 mm (APS sized)
Aspect Ratio	3:2
Colour filters	Primary GRGB (Bayer Mosaic)
Transfer method	Interline frame readout (requires mechanical shutter)
Total number of pixels	3110 x 2030 (6.31 million)
Number of effective pixels	3032 x 2016 (6.11 million)
Active pixels	3000 x 2000 (6 million square pixels)
Active imager area	23.4 x 15.6 mm
Unit cell size	7.8µm x 7.8µm
Optical black	Horizontal: Front 20 pixels, Rear 50 pixels Vertical: Front 4 pixels, Rear 2 pixels
Saturation signal	900 mV
Smear	-80 dB
Frame rate	3.06 fps (single channel mode) 5.09 fps (dual channel mode)