DigitalPro Shooter Volume 1, Issue 15, October 8th, 2002
Welcome to DPS1-15, a special issue on the Nikon updates to the D1 family.
Each day during Photokina the biggest news for D1 family owners was the lack of any news from Nikon. Not that we really need any more camera options right away, but it's always fun to speculate and with the flurry of 10+MP cameras being released it was natural to wonder if Nikon had something up their sleeve.
Instead, Nikon has released an update to Capture (Nikon Capture 3.5), an updated firmware version for the D1H, D1X and D100, and a memory buffer upgrade for the D1X that together are designed to do an admirable job of protecting the existing investments of D1 family owners.
Perhaps the most obvious feature change in Nikon Capture 3.5 is the addition of a 10+MP output mode. Third party products Bibble and Qimage have offered high resolution output modes for over a year, so this is not truly a new capability for D1X owners, but it is the first time Nikon has taken advantage of the large horizontal resolution (4024) of the D1X to 'upscale' the vertical resolution (initially 1324) to create an enhanced file of 4016x2616. The timing, coming only weeks after the announcement of the Canon 1Ds and Kodak's 14MP camera, is certainly not a coincidence. This mid-life kicker will hopefully keep D1X owners in the fold.
Whether the new mode will offer better images, or whether it has any advantages over the similar capability in third party products will need to be seen over time. The new version is designed to be much faster than NC3 on the Mac, which has been a source of frustration for Mac users up until now.
Capture 3.5 also offers an 'auto-vignetting' mode which corrects for light falloff around the edges of your images. But more importantly it is a major upgrade for Mac users, both in performance and in ability to work tethered with OS X. Tethered mode is also added for D100 users. The new tethering support requires installation of the firmware upgrade.
The new version also offers better support for 2nd monitors on Mac (but not Windows--finally Mac users get a Capture feature first:-), more options for color noise reduction, and other user interface improvements. Capture 3.5 is scheduled to ship in November and is free to current owners of Capture 3.0.
The new firmware cleans up some little glitches with the cameras. The EXIF colorspace tag will be set to 'uncalibrated' when shooting modes other than sRGB, and the camera will embed the Nikon branded Adobe RGB profile in images shot in Mode II. This will remove one hitch in color managed workflows for some users. New cameras have already started shipping with the new firmware, which is version 2.0 on the D100 and 1.1 on the D1H and D1X.
Of course, DigitalPro users have been able to tag their images with either Adobe RGB, sRGB or the custom profile of their choice, but for those who have been hassling with the profile tagging conflict with Photoshop this is a welcome upgrade. Note that only the Nikon branded Adobe RGB is supported. If you want your images tagged with a different or custom profile you'll need to use software such as DigitalPro or write a custom Photoshop action.
One small but welcome upgrade is a flashing battery indicator when the battery is dead. This should help prevent the situation where the camera takes partial or damaged images due to low battery charge. With the new firmware the camera will disable the shutter if the battery is too low when it is turned on.
Firmware upgrades will begin later this month, but you can send your camera in starting now. You can download the instructions. Other fixes include: Spanish added to the menus, easier to view LCD menu colors, 10%-30% faster write speed with new Lexar Cards, EXIF 2.2 (EXIFPrint) compatibility, better sound file naming for D100 audio files, support for Mac tethered shooting for the D100 when used with Capture 3.5 and compatibility with the new features in Capture 3.5.
The only bad news is that there is no upgrade for the firmware on the D1 Classic.
Nikon is also offering a memory upgrade for the D1X, starting in November, which will increase the buffer from 9 JPEG Large images to 21, or 6 NEFs to 14. This is a really nice touch and should make D1X users pleased that Nikon is looking after their investment.
There is no mention, however, of the D1X shooting any faster after the upgrade. So even with the larger buffer size on the D1X the D1H will remain the camera of choice for many who are shooting sports, wildlife or other types of action.
In the US Nikon USA is offering the memory upgrade exclusively through their digital repair facilities for $234 + shipping and handling of $12.50 + tax, beginning November 1st. You can get more details on how to get the upgrade. Since in addition to using it for scenics, my D1X is my backup for my D1H when shooting wildlife, and often has my flight lens mounted while I'm shooting off the tripod, this will be a welcome upgrade for me. I'm planning to send my D1X in for the new firmware & RAM when it is available.
Nothing earth-shaking, and I'm sure that there will be the usual griping that cameras need to be sent in for this upgrade, but all in all a nice 'touch-up' for the D1 product line. Nikon should be applauded for putting this much effort into protecting the investments of their existing users. It's easy to focus on the next great thing and not always so easy to make sure and provide value to your existing customers.
Hot topics in the forums include deciding between used versions of the true "pro" D-SLRs like the D1 and the newer and less expensive "prosumer" D-SLRs like the D100 and D60.
Make sure and visit us at: http://www.nikondigital.org/discuss/ubbthreads.php. Always free and always informative!
For quick editing, turn color management off. Images will display faster. You can turn it back on for color critical work.