I worked with the D1, D1x and the D2x. Yes with the f2.8 Zoom lenses and the 12-24DX lens. The D1X was a gamechanger. It’s a great camera! A workhorse! Never failed. You always knew the endresult. I used it a lot for portraits in the studio. I changed later to the Fuji S3pro with an amazing skin tone. What a difference! The workflow of Nikon was always great. Fuji was terrible. The Fuji was several times at the service. This Fuji was an amateur camera with a superb sensor. Nikon was always stable. After Fuji I went back to Nikon D2X. This was a step in pixels. Sometimes I had the feeling the D1X was still better in colors (and raw).
I bought an F5 back during the 90's and held on to it through the early digital era, because the D1, D1X, D2X etc just didn't match what I could get from fuji Velvia inside the F5. It was the release of the D3X that really tempted me, but I went for the Canon EOS5 Mark II, due to its HD video capabilities and decent stills. It was the D800 that later tempted me back to Nikon for most my stills professional work, and this incredible DSLR is still being used daily in 2O23...because apart from speed, it's image quality still matches that of the latest Z9. If for nostalgia sake I was willing to buy one of the early cameras, I would bypass the D1, D1X, D200, D700 etc, and go for the F5.
Thanks so much for the reply :-) I totally agree HOWEVER …. My Nikon D200…. For what ever reason , has this warm pop look that just kills me with the vibes ! It’s so good. The F5 is a bit of a horse also
I agree with this, I still have an F100, F5 and EOS 3 for shooting film. Ironically, unlike these earlier digital SLRs, the last of the flagship film cameras did not become obsolete over time, new film is still being produced, they can use readily available lithium AA batteries. I've had a a D1X, D200 and D2X, and I've sold all of them. Objectively my Sony RX100 III has a sensor that outperforms all the DSLRs from that era. The 1DX especially is limited by the NiMH batteries, as is anything that used them. I love the build and controls of those cameras, and all of them were amazing in their time. Definitely still fun to get out and shoot with stuff like that just to see what you get. However for the most part, when I'm going out to shoot, the important part is the result, the camera is just a tool and I'll take the best tool. I'd be doing myself a disservice if I saw something great and my result was limited by the camera when I have a better one available, which these days is either the D850 or the 1DX. I shot with these things when they were new, the D2X especially I have a soft spot for, and took a lot of my favorite photos on it, but I wouldn't buy one again, or recommend one to anyone starting now if they want the best result.
I have a Nikon D700,300,200,100...Canon 5DMKII, 40D....Sony A700, A850,A77. I love all the DSLR from this era. They produce all great pics with good lenses.
several things : - the release price in the US of the D1X was $5000. It's still expensive as fuck but it's not $10k. Canon priced their EOS 1D at 8.5k which was at the time considerable more expensive than the Nikons tho - the camera displays 5.something megapixels, however it's a bit weird how this sensor builds the image. If you look about it, the D1, D1H and D1X all share the same 10MP CCD chip, but the sensitivity and noise levels were not up to Nikon's expectations so they did pixel binning in an array of 4 pixels (2x2) turning that 10MP sensor into a 2.7MP sensor in both the D1 and D1H. They didn't have another sensor on hand so to get more resolution out of this they modified the pixel binning, going from a 4 pixel array (2x2) to a 2 pixel array (2x1), one on top another, effectively doubling the resolution of the image, but not the way we think: since pixels are not squared, it's not like comparing a 2.5 and 5MP sensors each with square pixels. Here, the vertical resolution is identical to the resolution of the D1 and D1H, but the horizontal resolution is doubled, making it look pretty funny once you get the ISO up as the noise artifacts are rectangular and not squared. - the continuous shooting on the D1 and D1X are indeed 3 frames per second. The D1H was able to do 5. I cannot speak about the D1 and D1H, but I know the D1X has a buffer of 12 shots (which is about 4 second of shooting. Dunno if that's card related or not, at least that's what mine displays and shoots). You can see that on the top display when you half press the shutter, just on top of the shots already on the card. As a point of reference, the Nikon F5 film camera (which the D1 series is largely based off) could do 8 frames per second (with a buffer as long as your film roll). The Canon EOS 1D released the same year (2001) was also able to do 8fps. For the battery, there is several solutions: there is a few tutorials on the internet on how to convert the EN-4 battery to accept 18650 format lithium batteries. Use two of them, you'll get just over the 7.4V rating that is required for teh camera to fire the shutter, and it will last you as long as a modern battery. The only downside could also be an advantage : it's a full DIY project, you'll need at least $60 of parts and equipment to do it, including a soldering iron and charger for the 18650 batteries. But hey that can be fun and negate the need of the MH-16 quick charger. I have found another solution, though I don't know if it's available in the US (I got it from a German website, have no clue if it's sold elsewhere): you can find a battery replacement for the EN-4 powerpack with lithium-ion cells instead of the older Ni-MH ones, made by VHBW. It costs about 30 bucks, and if you want to chage it, you'll need the MH-16 so it's definitely something that you wanna do if you already have it. I got lucky, I got my D1X with a charger and a battery for about 70€ on MPB EU so that was a no brainer for me. Only little hassle with it, the cap to secure it to the camera body is just plastic, it does not have the weather sealing like the original does. It's only a matter of 3 screws to swap out of you have an otiginal battery with the original cap on it. Charged it once and mine has been going strong for more than a month now just got the "half battery" indicator but the camera still shoots no problem. I'd say it would last as long as the battery in my D2H no problem. Talking about the D2H, that's a good alternative also, with modern batteries that you can still buy, and more modern card support, can put adapted SD cards and CF cards up to 16GB no problem Nice video !
This is the content we need for these cameras ! Thank you so so much for the post ! I hope people will read and review prior to investing but honestly , I’ve had so much success with mine and just enjoy making memories with them. I wish the charge would last a little longer :-(
@@unbroken1010 I was correcting some errors, added context and added some info for the battery problem situation. You have a very weird definition of what's a whine my friend.
For reasons I still can't fathom, I recently bought _both_ a D1X _and_ a Canon 1D Classic. Both came with batteries and chargers, so I think finding a kit is the way to go IF you can source new-ish clone batteries. I also have a D200, a D700, a 5D classic, and and 1D MkII. (My main camera currently is a Fuji GFX 100S, but I do love the look of these older DSLRs, especially the CCD ones.) The main issue with the very oldest cameras is battery availability. Not sure where you found EN4s for $40, but most of the ones I see are nearer $100, and there's no guarantee that they work. (Older batteries are almost guaranteed _not_ too.) The newer EN4 clones are very hard to come by, though I have one coming from China. It was easier to find a new clone battery for the 1D, and they're readily available for the D200, which is a fantastic bargain for anyone looking to get a really good quality CCD camera. The 1D shoots 8fps which was staggering for the time. Cheers!
I have sold almost all of my older CCD cameras including the D1X but kept the D2HS AND D700. The battery choices are absolutely great and the cameras cover my love for sport and portrait photography without breaking the bank or causing a headache! I am however …. In the market for the 5D ;-)
Interesting camera. From around the same era I had a Minolta 7D and I still have an Olympus E-10 which I still use. It has a very unique look to the photos and best of all it runs on AA batteries.
@@robbellphoto For sure. Mine is kind of rough. The glass protecting the LCD is cracked and it suffers from the "black first frame" issue that apparently is a sign of failing electronics. Basically the first shot is solid black and you need to power cycle the camera to get it to work correctly. It takes some beautiful photos for a camera that old though. I also think Minolta was one of the only companies aside from Pentax with in body image stabilization with a DSLR.
@@certs743 I think we should just cast them in clear epoxy and use them for nostalgic decorations… that way we won’t be disappointed when they finally shoot their last shot lol
@@robbellphoto I can understand that feeling. Then again I have an Olympus E-10 from 2001 still working strong and the only issue with it is the rubber grip is getting sticky. I think part of why it seems to be in such good shape is because with the fixed zoom lens dirt, moisture and other crud can't get at the sensor. In fact apparently that was the logic behind a fixed lens prosumer DSLR from Olympus at the time. The sensors were so expensive at the time they figured interchangeable lenses would just subject the valuable electronics to the elements and user error.
The D1x was a fortune back then. After buying a few AF-S f/2.8 pro zooms you were $8k+ in the hole. Then it was another $699 for a 1gb CF card. Factor inflation that's a lot more today. I'm glad i upgraded from ccd years ago. =) Still have my D80 from back in the day which is the most modern Nikon with a CCD sony sensor and has a focus motor for al the old D series lenses.
when I started shooting with DSLR's that I started with the Fuji S2Pro, as it was a 6 pixel that shoots RAW, and then following the Fuji S3Pro to the S5Pro, in which all of the models can used AA Rechargeable Batteries as I love my Fuji's then I got the Fuji Mirrorless XE1 & XPro1, and for lenses I was using my Nikon Nikkor Manual Lenses via Fuji X-mount to Nikon F mount Adapter - Then I did get to keep it in the Nikon Name the Nikon D2Xs, and last my Baby Nikon D3 in which I got it for a Song. So who needs the Mirrorless Nikon's in which they are going to be made in Thailand? All my Camera gear from Nikon Film Gear to the Manual and AF Nikkors line to Fuji to Nikon Digital - stamp "MADE IN JAPAN"... I rather get quality control from Japan than a 3rd party. Now I am using Carl Zeiss Jena lenses mounted on my Nikon Gear via adapters.
Wow. It sounds like you do not compromise on quality ! I love the new tech and support the progress for sure …. But the CZ lens quality and vibes are unmistakably incredible . Just wish the lens were less than 1 million dollars each ;-)
Have had mine for about a year and half. Went all in and spent $200 + ( have all proper accessories ) . Still, havent been able to snap a photo on it 😅. Card error an all my cards even formatted to Fat16 on an old PC. No go The adventure continues. 😂
@@robbellphoto Even tried one of the recommended ones from the manual. All sizes. Turns on , lights up, AF works just no back panel screen + card error flashes . All good. Will keep trying.
Great question ! So when you list on eBay , if you list as working or used and their is an issue , effectively you can get a refund. If you list as parts or repair , you buy understanding they MAY not work…. So it’s a gamble but you pay less for sure. No repair needed just a good clean and service / new battery and we’re good. I do this a lot. It works more than not ;-)
