DPReview TV: A look back at the Canon 1D and Nikon D1H 

What a fun video! As a younger photographer I enjoyed learning about older cameras!

Please more of those videos ;) it really helps to enjoy our current gear and realizes how how even old camera can take great pictures.

Kind of missing Jordans take on the video capabilities... :-D

Those colors still look good, hard to beat CCDs in that area.

I still use the 1Ds classic with a 50mm 1.4 USM. Image quality is still superb. Maybe a challenge with old school full frame digital cameras will be in sight.

that ending though haha, awesome

I’ve got a Nikon D1X which I still use. I bought it second hand and had the rear LCD replaced by Nikon. It works fine at approx. 5MP and there are plenty of lenses to chose from. I guess it was a little more advanced than the D1H. So side by side with the D5 I do get quite a lot of comments....especially ‘why?’ I do it. My quick answer is: Nikon’s are all built like a tank and can take a real beating without giving up. My camera is battered, bruised and a real grafter’s tool but has never disappointed. Yes, it is only 5MP but it’s ok for images which only go online or I needn’t print larger than 8x10in.

I still have my D1X, it can use most of my lenses too. My D1X still takes great photos and has a 1/16,000 top shutter speed.

I would love to see more of these "Look Back" videos. I recently acquired both a Nikon D1h and a D1x. They are both surprisingly still quite capable. I love early high end digital technology. More like this one please!!!

This video needs 100% more of "that being said".

This episode was so retromantic - the cameras, the music and the two guys taking these sweet photos of each other and the city ;)

Looking forward to Jordan's review of 20yr old video equipment☺

I moved from the Nikon D600 to the Fuji XT-1, Sony A7R2 and now use an A7R4 for my professional work. For my personal photography I use a Sigma SD Quattro H, Sigma Dp2 Merrill and a Sigma DP3 Merrill. Given my penchant for "unicorn" cameras, a friend suggested I get a Canon 1d Classic to experience some incredible CCD colors. I was skeptical of the 4MP resolution coming from the A7R4. Even the Merrill and SD Quattro H are pretty high resolution cameras. Since I started shooting with the 1D my eyes have been opened to what pretty much everyone in photography talks about which is the "Canon Color". Absolutely loving my time with this legend. Let me know if you would like to see some of the images I've shot with the Canon 1d and I'll share the files with you. This is easy enough because a RAW file is barely 3 Megabytes! :)

I loved your unsung camera series, glad to see you keep going on

Idk what it is about you but i just love your video reviews and whatever you come out with. I came over to dpreviews and only watch this channel now.

Yes! More retrospectives! I always enjoyed this subject and Barney was a great addition to this.

incredible, how well these old machines performe.

Crazy how fast time flies and technology advances. I’ve still got my Nikon D200, still a great camera. I’ve had it since 2010 and it was already 5 years old then!

Congrats Chris, Barney and Jordan; this was an excellent video. It's nice to step off the technical merry-go-round once in a while to see just how far we've travelled. The shots that you got out of this shoot were great (particularly liked that portrait of Chris against the red and blue wall!). It was mentioned in the DPReview comment thread, but it'd be cool to add these two cameras to the studio comparison scene!

Guys, I still have my 1D!

Love the video, guys! Always good to remember how fortunate we are with the current crop of cameras.

Wow this was a great look back at this cameras. Love seeing how the tech has changed over the years. Also very true statement by Chris at the end haha

At 3:00, the sensor used by Canon in 1D is not even Canon's. It is a CCD imager from Panasonic.

I don’t get it... the D1H can handle any nikon lens you mount on it. Must be a firmware issue.

I learned a lot from this video. Before you leave the house make sure your lenses are compatible with your camera, your batteries are charged, and you’re familiar with the camera’s menu system. And stop complaining! Oh, and that we have cameras today that are absolutely fantastic!

Old gear, especially old digital gear, is so fun. I'd love to see you guys put out some more of these, especially about cameras that are 6-10 years old that you can get for pretty cheap now. That's my favourite stuff!

I love this kind of content where for a change, it isn't about the latest gear.

Awesome I love Seattle! I love my modern cameras but I just got a Canon 1D II N and I’m quite enjoying snapping photos with it

Loved this. Had a similar nostalgic memory trip recently when I looked at my brand new Z 6 next to my first DSLR, the D40x. What a difference in technology 12 years makes but the basic handling is still very "Nikon" familiar. Those older CCD sensors had gorgeous colors.

Very fun video, its always nice to look back on older tech. My 1st dslr was the 350D from canon, but my 1st digital camera was a HP photosmart 435the size of a chunky mars bar, 3.1mp, no manual controls, but coming from a canon av-1 35mm film camera, the digital allowed me to experiment in the lightroom, which i had never done until 2001, but it was so much fun to instantly see the images, share them, edit and print them. We now take digital photography for granted so much, and to see how far we have come in 20 years is a bigger leap than any time period during film, the only really big innovation was autofocus and maybe ISO detection, but that was really it, but the digital are has given us so much more in such short space of time, and yet we still want more!

What an excellent pairing of Chris Nichols and Barney Britton! I always enjoy these 'retro' series of reviews, Chris's F4 review (under another guise) was directly responsible for me buying one! Barney, came from the stable of Amatuer Photographer (a weekly, UK based, photographic magazine), his tenure of technical writing in the mid 2000's were always excellent, and a worthwhile read. I look forward to seeing this pair doing more of the same and, to see both these guys future reviews of new equipment - in front of the camera. Photographic Nirvana - Well Done!

Thoroughly enjoyed this video and fabulous content guys 👍👍 When you think how much we moan these days about the technology being offered, single card slots on Nikon z as an example, it makes you realise that we have now is fantastic. I would love to see more like this 😀

I decided to pick up a D1X as a “cheap camera challenge” type camera and I honestly can say the files coming out of it are stunning for such an old camera with a lot of drawbacks. Autofocus yeah it’s not the most reliable but it does the job, some lenses you can’t use with it, memory cards kind of not the easiest to find, and it has a weird quirk once you get to 24 images where it has to waste a few frames then start capturing them again similar to putting in a new roll. But the benefits of this camera are pretty insane as well. Stunning colours, 1/16,000s shutter speed which blows my mind, and best of all has gotten me out of my habit of looking at the back screen and relying more on my knowledge. It has been one of the best and worst cameras I’ve ever used

nice idea to look back at iconic cameras

So cool! I have just got out my Nikon D200 from the Pelican case last night, coincidentally 😁

Awesome, guys! I've really enjoyed the show. Greetings from Brazil.

I'm just starting to collect vintage Nikon Pro cameras. All the quirks are what make using these vintage cameras so much fun, and these can be bought really cheap and used for photo projects. Sometimes you have to learn to have fun with your photography. Collecting these old cameras is one way to do it.

Thanks - great video. Still have a fondness of my early digital cameras from 3 to 7 mp. The thing that got me into digital was when I borrowed a Kodak DC215 - 1mp with a fixed focus 2x zoom lens that was never in focus for infinity!!!! Still, it demonstrated the potential of digital. The DC215 was released in the latter part of 1999. Cannot believe - 20 years ago. I bought my own digital camera a couple of years later.

Fun vid! I like the colors of Chris in the "properly" exposed shot. I still shoot my similar vintage Olympus E-10 because I like CCD for some stuff.

I still have my Pentax K100D, love it and still use it. I love the shutter sound!

Great video and perspectives, even the music is pretty good. I have an issue nevertheless:The only lens that works? It will better to say that if the modern lenses only the E lenses don’t work.all the G and D lenses work.

Was a really fun watch!

Great segment, keep these videos coming :)

Great job, look forward to more !

Thanks for sharing. I just picked up a D1H with a 200mm lens. I wanted some old school fun in learning the techniques. Just a hobby but your pic results give me hope.

3:14 "My battery is dead!" This sounds like every mirrorless user in 2018/19 Full disclosure: I am now shooting mostly w/ a Fuji X-T2 while my D700 and lenses gather dust. I checked the battery on the Nikon after 6 months of storage: still 800 shots left. Checked XT-2 after an afternoon of shooting. One bar left on battery.

Great video guys!

Congrats DPReview on your successful 20th year :) I still have my Canon 1ds Mark II & my dad uses it . Just using the after market batteries. It does lock up the shutter sometimes :) But the 16MP photographs are really nice :)

The photos mostly looked great at 1080p that I watched the video in. Interesting stuff. I didn't get into DSLRs until 2005 with the Pentax *ist DS. The DPreview article on the camera was a big reason I bought it over the original Canon Rebel. Great work guys (both past and present). I want to eventually make a video on my second digital camera that I still have (a 2mp Canon Digital Elph S200 digicam), but I'd probably have the same battery issue you guys were experiencing with your cameras. It will be fun to try at some point regardless.

I enjoyed the appropriate dig at our healthcare system.

Grear retro episode - I`m looking forward to more of them. And at some point in time the cameras will also have video features so I guess Jordan has some nice videos to show in 144p ;)

Makes me appreciate my Nikon D7100 even more!

Cameras are old, but the talent of photographers remains... Pics are superb!

Wholly wonderful video!

Using these cameras taught me a lot about photography than any smart phone ever could.

Large sensor, large optics, always good. How are the sensors before anti-bad pixel treatment though?

I still use a Canon 1DsMKII for head shots in my studio to this day. The camera has paid for itself many times over, but that initial $8k outlay in 2004 was a tough pill to swallow! Fun video, guys!

I shot sports with both of those cameras. I favored the Nikon at the time. I was really happy with the 1D Mark II and still have it on a shelf alongside my old Canon F1, a true beast of a film camera.

Thanks for your insight! Looking into an M50 as my first canon

my first digital camera was a canon 1d. had it for a long time. ive been eyeing the 1dsiii to backup my a7iii.

Did you use the music from Manos: The Hands of Fate? That sax sounded familiar.

I really enjoyed this video. As a newspaper photojournalist is the early 2000’s I had two issued Nikon D1H cameras. I loved, and hated them. They were tough, rugged, dependable cameras with a super high flash sync!!!! The battery life was horrible though, and if you fudged the exposure your image was nearly worthless. The center focus point was the only reliable one, and I developed a habit (that is still have) of focusing and recomposing as if it were a rangefinder. One interesting thing about the original Nikon batteries (while on assignment and deadline) that when they went dead you could squeeze about 10-20 more shots out of them by pulling the battery out and slamming it back in a few times **not recommended **. As decent as the D1H was, I kept a Nikon FM2N as a backup though.

Excellent video guys. Please take up the 1Ds on your bench since it is the first full frame Canon dslr, I have one and I love all of it's 11mp.

I know a professional who used a D1H right up until 2017. Eventually having to buy a new camera (D800) simply because his D1H finally died on him. Used it for far too long and was well worth upgrading before he actually upgraded. However he is the reason I purchased one and I can tell you right now not having all of the modern features on it really gives me a sense of “I have to do this right in camera or else”. And yes after using his new camera he’s glad the D1H finally died

Fine job guys!

Can you review some old Sony Digital Mavica cameras? Both in floppy disk and cd formats.

I had one of those compact Fuji Finepix cameras on the table in the beginning!

Good fun! Great idea.

"I wanna get this shot, but I have to get higher, I'll just turn on the live view...🤦‍♂️ oh yeah..." lol! That has to be the main updated feature that I know *I* take for granted in camera bodies today.

In 2013 i bought an 1d2 and i sold it in 2015 because i did not use it that much, but when i look to the shots that i took with that 8mpix monster... man they look great and it is such a fantastic sensor, i never used the original 1d but that 1d4 pictures ... it is hard to believe that it only are 8mpix!

I have all these cameras most people dont have a clue how amazing they still are today.

I really enjoyed that. I actually had both of those cameras back in the day. I was shooting semi-pro and I was struggling with my D1H locking up while “chimping” so I decided to switch to Canon after using a borrowed 20D and being so impressed. I bought the 1D because I wanted a pro-body and it took a long time to get used to how bad the colors were in that camera. I basically replaced it with a 20D for that reason a year later. You could have posted those photos without saying which camera and I would have guessed every one correctly. The D1H images are so much more enjoyable to look at. Canon got everything right with image quality with the original 5D but it was a dreadful camera to actually use, same as the 5D MKll. Thankfully the 5D MKlll finally got it all correct. My favorite camera I ever had was the 1Ds mklll. If I could do it all over I would have stuck with Nikon for their beautiful color and just not have had the perfect Camera until the D3. Oh well. Great nostalgia

Now we need a Jordan-only video to get the right balance 😉 Great video guys

what camera should i use to take a professional profile picture for a online website .

I know it'll be hard to find, but you guys NEED to get your hands on a Contax N Digital. You'll be one of the only people online to do a modern in depth review of the camera.

I think these cameras are truly impressive. Watching this video on a smartphone the quality really wasn't lacking at all. Is there any other piece of digital gear you can still use 20years later?! Maybe old Nintendos but that's it.

Cool video guys.

Will there be any day in the future where you guys review Film stocks or film cameras? Analog is as beautiful as Digital! :)

I finally found a good deal on a 1D ($100 for one in very nice shape) and jumped on it and wow, It's still a very usable camera in 2020. Granted my daily shooters are all pretty old (1Ds Mark II and 5Dc) but it's surprisingly responsive and usable for a camera as old as it is. One quirk I found is that it completely refuses to autofocus with the aftermarket lenses I have (most of the Tamron G2 zoom line). Must be a firmware thing. One thing I find absolutely amazing is the 1/16000th sec max shutter speed using an electronic shutter. That sounds like something you'd expect of a camera today and this was in 2001. Also with that comes crazy flash sync speeds. A very impressive camera and one I will cherish and use for as long as I can keep it working!

I've still kept my 1dmk3 and 5D original both still excellent cameras they still look like new. Probably not worth much these days but I'm keeping hold of them. the 1dmk3 is only 10mp but the images are superb good enough for most situations. It's a shame Canon has been left behind in recent years I'm looking to get either the Sony A9 to replace my Canon 7Dmk2 or the Nikon D850 to replace the D7100 it's a tough choice. I've been a frequent follower of dpreview from the beginning when you started thanks for all the reviews and discussions it's been a great hobby.

A very important omission about the Canon 1D of 2001 with 4.15 MP is the mechanical shutter. The mechanical shutter of the Canon 1D, the first Canon digital SLR, could shoot at 1/16.000th sec. So fast fast mechanical shutter speed doesn't exist even today. In the past Minolta had film cameras with 1/12.000th sec mechanical shutters but that didn't continued with digital SLR cameras. Probably the 1/16.000th sec mechanical shutter wasn't reliable for thousands of photos. Also it is mentioned that the digital Contax N digital of 2000, the first full frame digital SLR camera, had a native ISO 25. 14 years later Nikon introduced a camera with ISO 64 which could be expanded to ISO 32 not even close to ISO 25. However the quality of the Contax digital sensor was very inferior to film but wasn't a surprise for that era.

That was fun. Keep thinking about firing up my d70 or 100. I'll be darned. It's raining up there.

What that Canon 1D is really lacking is a Touch Bar

I just LOVE old digital cameras

I owned both of these cameras along with a Nikon D1x. The files at higher ISO looked more pleasing on the D1h than the 1D, but the 1D was a better camera overall. I liked and enjoyed all three.

There's a dose of nostalgia..! Takes me back to 2000, buying a D1h at Focus On Imaging (now The Photography Show in the UK), on behalf of a colleague, costing £3000, so rare was it at the time, the sales assistant offered to walk back to my car with me as security! My newspaper then bought a couple of D1h bodies, while we were happily shooting colour neg with F5s. Wary of this digital step into the future, we didn't unbox them for a month or so. When one day the film processor machine broke down, I decided to get out the D1h cameras, charge up the batteries, and go digital. One small step for a man...as it were. The camera was worth more than my company car, so slinging £3k over my shoulder was alarming. A colleague managed to delete all the images from his first job (the phone call went.." this camera is s***! No pictures!! All gone! Looked at them on the screen, now all gone! S***!". Me "you've deleted them. Don't touch 'format' in the menu..."). Covering football matches was one battery per half of the game, and I never went over 1600iso. Skin tones were a bit magenta, but image quality was fine, after all we had no other DSLRs to compare with then, and push processed film as as 'noisy' as high iso D1h files. We had 32mb cards, so I spent £120 (special offer price..) on a 128mb CF card. I still have it, to this day the most expensive memory card I've ever bought. Second most expensive has been a 32Gb UHS-II Sd card bought last year... £28! Then came the D2h, and then the D3 (I loved that D3...). I left the paper in 2013, a couple of D1h bodies were abandoned in the bottom drawer of the gear cabinet, the F5 was my back up/back up body right until I left the paper. And 20 years on, I'm still a keen reader of DPreview and Barney's old AP mag...

Still use my 1d mk iii as back up.... Great camera.

May I request do some film cameras? Preferably 120 films

best episode ever

Can dpreview review go pro 7 vs dji osmo pocket?

I have a 1Ds2 that I still use occasionally. It works like new.

I just played around with D30 :D I will never complain about focusing on my OM-D again :D

D1H and D1X are both good cameras even today the images are useable just the EN-4 batteries are getting hard to find, great video.

Most professional photographers started to switch to digital SLR technology at around 2005. At around 2000 dSLR cameras were used by professional photographers mostly for sending their digital photos reasonably fast through internet. They could send their digital photos with laptops and the modems of their mobile phones from nearly everywhere. During early 2000 many mobiles phones could be connected to laptops and send emails with attachments at a GPRS speed of around 42.8 kibit/s. That speed looks very slow but the resolution of cameras was low and jpg photos were usually at around 150-400 Kbytes. Similar to the size of most Instagram and Facebook photos today. So for five photos of 400 Kbytes each, 10-20minutes were needed via a mobile phone and a laptop. Something phenomenal then that made digital SLR very popular in photo journalism. The quality of digital photos from early dSLR cameras was by far inferior to digitally scanned films. However the development of a film and the additional time for proper scanning with professional scanners require at least one hour if you were close to a photo lab. Something rarely possible.

How about normal size prints, how do they compare to something like a F4 or F5, is the printed image better or worst? ( in terms of image quality)

This was actually very cool… Nice pictures, particularly from the Nikon guy

what Billingham bag ist he using ?

I own a 1ds, it is very high quality even compared to current cameras.

Anyone know the name of the jacket Chis is wearing?

OK. Math. If DPReview was founded in December 1998 (see around 0:24) then 2019 is the 21st year, not the 20th. An anniversary is celebrated following the completion not the start of the year. 20th Anniversary would be in December 2018 (last month). The anniversary date +1 day is the start of the 21st year.