Thom Hogan's Complete Guide
to the Nikon D1, D1h, & D1x
Now in the 3nd Edition, with 80 more pages!

Buy it now:
North America
International*

This eBook is the definitive
D1 instruction guide.

This eBook helps you master the use of any Nikon D1 model, with a full description of the camera features and lots of useful tips and background information. This is the work that should have been the manual. This 3rd Edition contains almost 130 pages of material that wasn't in the original! A must-read for any D1 user.

• Nikon metering and autofocus modes explained in plain English! Wonder what the matrix metering pattern looks like and how it works? Can't figure out Dynamic autofocus, Release Priority, Focus Priority, Closest Focus Priority, and a host of other terms used to describe features of the focusing system? Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D1 explains these terms and accompanying techniques in the same simple, no-nonsense language that made his Nikon Field Guide a best seller.
• Learn new tricks! Did you know that you can fool the camera into taking pictures only when a subject gets to a predetermined distance? That you should condition your battery before using it the first time? Did you realize that the D1's default white balance settings are wrong part of the time, or that most indoor lighting is outside the range the Auto setting can deal with? The book fully explains these tips and many, many more that aren't even touched upon in the original Nikon manuals.
• A complete instruction manual and an introduction to relevant digital issues in one book! In the same number of pages as the Nikon D1x User's Manual, Thom Hogan's Complete Guide to the Nikon D1 manages to not only fully describe every feature of all three D1 models in clear, easy-to-understand language, but gives you rich, technical background for many of the critical issues that confront digital camera users.
• Includes laminated white balance field reference card and Depth of Field spreadsheet! You'll also receive Thom's laminated D1 white balance card for field use and an Excel spreadsheet that allows you to calculate depth of field and hyperfocal distance for any Nikon lens. But that's not everything! You'll also get Excel workbooks of macro, flash, and other calculators (know how to calculate the GN of multiple flashes or the effective GN when bouncing? You will if buy this book!).

Here's what readers of the eBook had to say:

"There's no question that my understanding of the D1 has improved considerably." --Steve Sawtelle

"An excellent book!" --David DaCosta

"The depth of the material is fantastic. This book is a no-brainer [purchase] for anyone that has, or is thinking about buying, a D1." --Jim Cheal

"...those of you who haven't gotten a copy yet [should] stop wasting your time. This [book] is a must have." --Joe Hoddinott, unsolicited post on dpreview.com.
[more comments]
[independent review by Paul Caldwell on Outback Photo]

330 pages, eBook (Macintosh and Windows CD-ROM supplied; uses Acrobat Reader).
North American orders: $29.95 plus $3.95 shipping.
International orders*: $29.95 plus $7.95 shipping.
Published by byThom Press. This eBook is mailed to you in CD-ROM form (Priority Mail in the US, airmail outside the US), and is in Adobe Acrobat 4.0 format (I'd love to provide a downloadable version, but it's not practical at this time; besides, it's hard to email laminated reference cards!). The eBook is cross referenced with full bookmarks for the complete Table of Contents. You may print a copy of the eBook for your own personal use, or add your own comments and annotations.

This eBook is only available from this Web site.

North American orders (US/Canada, sent Priority Mail in US):
International orders* (sent airmail):

Alternative Ordering Method:
I currently accept checks and money orders in US dollars from US citizens ($33.90), bank drafts in US dollars from International customers (US$37.90). These should be made out to Thom Hogan and sent to:

  Thom Hogan
  bythom.com
  PO Box 811
  Emmaus, PA 18049

Please note that when I'm out teaching workshops, I have no way to check for orders sent this way, so in some cases there can be a two-week delay. I'm teaching fewer workshops in 2003, so this will be less of a problem than usual, though.

When you order by mail, please include your full shipping address, the eBook you're ordering, and an email address (I use it to send order confirmations).

Want to know what I got wrong (not much)? Click on this link: Complete Guide to the Nikon D1, D1h, & D1x Corrections

Want Even More D1 Information? Check out my quarterly newsletter: The D1 Report

Table of Contents:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3
NOTE ON THIS EBOOK EDITION 4
NOTE ON THE THIRD EDITION 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS 6
INTRODUCTION 10
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS BOOK 12
D1 BASICS 14
D1 CONTROLS 19
Front View 19
Top View 20
Back View 21
D1 DISPLAYS 23
Top LCD 23
Rear LCD 24
Color LCD 25
Viewfinder 27
THE D1'S CCD 29
35MM FILM OR DIGITAL? 37
POWER 39
Changing Batteries 41
Alternate Power Sources 41
Dealing with Dead Batteries 42
Internal Clock Battery 43
Battery Life 43
Battery Notes 45
IMAGE STORAGE 47
CompactFlash 48
Image Formats 58
DPOF 73
File Names and Folders 73
CAMERA SETUP 78
The Setup Menu 78
Date, Language and Time 79
Programming the FUNC Button 82
Monitor Settings 83
GPS Input 83
Image Quality 84
Viewfinder Adjustment 87
Resetting the Camera 88
Continuous Power 91
METERING AND EXPOSURE 93
Metering Modes 93
Options for Evaluating Exposure 98
Exposure Modes 99
ISO Sensitivity 102
Exposure Bracketing 106
Exposure Compensation 109
White Balance 111
LENSES AND FOCUSING 118
The Autofocus System 119
Manual Focus 123
Sharpening 123
SHOOTING CONTROLS 127
Shutter Releases 127
Motor Drive 129
Self Timer 133
Depth of Field Preview 134
D1h/D1x Shooting Menus 140
Error Messages 143
IMAGE REVIEW AND PLAYBACK 147
Image Review 147
Playback Mode 148
Deleting Images 151
Protecting Images 152
Hiding Images 153
Printing Images 153
Dealing with Folders 154
Slide shows 156
Television Playback 157
CONNECTING TO A COMPUTER 159
Connection Troubleshooting 160
CUSTOM SETTINGS 161
CSM #0 Custom Set in Use (Custom Setting Bank) 162
CSM #1 Image Display Status (Image Review) 162
CSM #2 Exposure Control Increment (EV Steps for Exposure Control) 164
CSM #3 Bracketing Order (Bracketing Order) 164
CSM #4 Autofocus Activation (AF Activation) 165
CSM #5 Mirror Vibration Minimization (Anti-mirror-shock mode) 166
CSM #6 Focus Area Selection Direction (Focus Area Select) 167
CSM #7 AE Lock Behavior (AE Lock) 168
CSM #8 Mirror Lockup (Mirror Lock-up for CCD Cleaning) 169
CSM #9 Closest Subject Priority Focus in Single-Servo Autofocus Mode (Dynamic AF, Single Servo) 170
CSM #10 Closest Subject Priority Focus in Continuous-Servo Autofocus Mode (Dynamic AF, Continuous Servo) 170
CSM #11 Exposure Bracketing Method (AE/Flash Bracketing) 171
CSM #12 Aperture Control Dial (Assign Command Dial) 172
CSM #13 Exposure Compensation Control (Easy Exposure Compensation) 173
CSM #14 Center-weighted Metering Area Size (Center Weight Area) 174
CSM #15 Meter/Camera Active Time (Auto Meter-Off Delay) 175
CSM #16 Self Timer Delay Setting (Self-Timer Delay) 176
CSM #17 Top and Back LCD Illumination (LCD Illumination) 177
CSM #18 Color LCD Active Time (Monitor Off Delay) 177
CSM #19 Maximum Aperture Setting (Aperture Control during Zoom) 178
CSM #20 D1 Self-Timer Lamp Status 179
CSM #20 D1h/D1x ISO Step Value 180
CSM #21 AE-Lock Button Use (AE-L/AF-L Button) 180
CSM #22 Aperture Selection Method (Aperture Setting) 181
CSM #23 Sharpening Level (Image Sharpening) 182
CSM #24 Tone Compensation 183
CSM #25 Maximum Frame Advance Rate (C-Mode Shooting Speed) 185
CSM #26 Buffered Shots in Continuous Mode (C-Mode Max Shots) 186
CSM #27 Color LCD Display Attributes (Display Mode) 187
CSM #28 RAW Image Quality Availability (NEF RAW Image Save) 188
CSM #29 File Numbering Method (File Number Sequence) 189
CSM #30 Motor Drive Mode When Attached to a PC (PC Shooting Mode) 190
CSM #31 Sensitivity Boost (ISO Boost) 191
CSM #32 D1h/D1x Color Space Setting (Color Mode) 192
CSM #33 D1h/D1x Hue Adjustment 193
CSM #34 D1h/D1x Require Storage Media (Disable Shutter if no CF Card) 194
CSM #35 D1h/D1x Rear LCD Display (Rear Control Panel Display) 194
CSM #36 D1h/D1x Playback Magnification (Zoom-PB. during Image write) 195
USING A D1 IN THE FIELD 197
THE "ROUTINE" 197
General Settings You Make Once 197
Things to do Before You Head Out on a Shoot 197
Check Each Time You Turn the Camera ON 198
Settings You Change Rarely (and then only for a reason) 198
Settings You Change Often 199
Things to do After Each Shooting Session 199
KEEPING TRACK OF BATTERIES 200
USING THE LCD IN BRIGHT LIGHT 201
TEMPERATURE CONSIDERATIONS 201
FOCAL LENGTH LIMITATIONS 202
Using Fisheyes 206
MAINTAINING IMAGE QUALITY 207
How to Interpret Histograms 208
Dealing with JPEG 210
Custom Curves 211
sRGB Versus Adobe RGB 212
SPECIAL LIGHTING ISSUES 215
UV and Infrared 215
Shooting Under Fluorescent Lighting 217
USING FLASH 218
Digital Flash Differences 218
Hidden Flash "Gotchas" 218
Flash Modes 219
Setting Flash Options 223
Controlled, Repeatable Flash Results 225
Third Party Flash Units 227
Studio Flash 228
D-TTL CAPABLE SPEEDLIGHTS 228
SB-28/SB-28DX 228
SB-29/SB-29s 239
SB-50DX 242
SB-80DX 248
Flash Troubleshooting 259
OTHER FIELD SHOOTING ISSUES 261
Keeping the CCD Clean 261
Resetting the D1's Microprocessor 263
Camera Doesn't Write to Card 264
Tough Subjects 265
Humidity 265
White Balance Settings 266
WORKING WITH D1 IMAGES 268
D1 RELATED SOFTWARE 268
Nikon View 268
Nikon Capture 272
Photoshop NEF Filter 279
Using Cumulus 279
Bibble 297
QImage Pro 299
Which Program to Use? 300
Color Profiles 301
Manipulating Levels and Curves 304
Other Useful Software 309
PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS 311
SOFTWARE TROUBLESHOOTING 311
ACCESSORIES 313
GPS 315
SPECIFICATIONS 317
LENS COMPATIBILITY 320
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 323
INDEX 326