The
Nikon D2h -- My Comments
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Based
upon Nikon's announced specifications, here's my thoughts on the new
D2h.
The
proof is in the shooting, but until I've had a chance to use one,
here are my comments and thoughts about the camera Nikon announced
on my birthday. (Unfortunately, when I opened my presents, I didn't
find any boxes labeled "Nikon.")
| Specification |
Comment |
| Sensor
Size: 23.3 x 15.5mm; Type: Bayer RGB; Developer/Designer: Nikon |
No
real surprises here. This is the way the wind has been blowing
for some time. The innovative LBCAST (Lateral Buried Charge
Accumulator and Sensing Transistor) photosites show that Nikon
hasn't been sleeping when it comes to the fundamental technologies
of sensors. Nikon's statement is that they have CMOS-like
power consumption (approximately one-fifth the power used
by current CCDs). One other curious note: the sensor size has
changed slightly. I'm not sure if the actual imaging size is
the same or not as we don't know about the masking yet. |
| Sensor
resolution: 2464 x 1632 (4.1mp), 12-bit depth |
The
first surprise for many was the resolution. At 4 megapixels,
that's lower than what everyone's expectations were. I think
I'd like to have seen 6mps in this body, but that's an awful
lot of card storage to chew up at 8 fps, so perhaps Nikon's
decision here is correct. Certainly Nikon intends this camera
to be the follow-on sale to all the news and sports organizations
that adopted the D1 and D1h, and those folks were mostly happy
with 3mp. |
| ISO:
200 to 1600, 3200 and 6400 via boost |
This
is the more important specification than resolution. If noise
control and dynamic range are anything close to what Nikon is
promising here, they've got a winner. Clean ISO 800 is revolutionary
in a DSLR. Usable 3200 or 6400 is mind-boggling, especially
for the organizations that are most interested in this camera.
If the D2h delivers here, it's a winner, period. Still, I note
a lot of folk were disappointed that there wasn't more range.
Really? I'd rather have lower noise in the current ranges than
an extended range. I'm not sure technology is ready to deliver
us both of those things. |
| Image
formats: Full, Half. JPEG, TIFF; NEF, NEF with JPEG. |
Just
keeping up with the Jones's here. Unfortunately, with only one
card slot, NEF with JPEG reduces the number of images you're
going to take before changing cards. |
| Media
support: Type II slot, with FAT 32 and fast
write support |
Again,
no real surprises other than the fact that we didn't get a second
slot. We'll need that FAT32 support with this camera, and we'll
be wanting the upcoming 4GB Microdrive to stick in there. Write
acceleration (WA) is supported. Overall write speeds are said
to be imporved considerably (raw files write up to three times
faster, according to one source). |
| Shooting
Modes: single frame, continuous at 8 fps, self timer, intervalometer |
8
fps with a big buffer is one heck of a lot of storage space
being chewed up, even at 4mps. And it's very difficult to get
to 8 fps, let alone above it, and still keep autofocus and viewfinder
blackout performance at acceptable levels. There are some who
will be disappointed with being stuck at 8 fps, but I think
they really need to look at a motion picture or video camera.
8 fps is at the very edge of the mass market needs. That intervalometer
function is of more interest than most people think. |
| Buffer:
40 frames JPEG, 25 frames NEF |
Both
numbers are probably more than enough for most users. Still,
it would be nice to learn that this was upgradeable, like the
D1x turned out to be. |
| White
Balance: Uses direct sensor, Auto, current
controls, direct Kelvin setting (31 values),
multiple custom storage (5), click balancing, white balance
bracketing |
Nikon
appears to have been paying a lot of attention to details here.
I'm still not sure how accessible and accurate all our new white
balance abilities are, but on paper it sure looks good. (Sources
that claim the individual Kelvin steps and bracketing are separated
by equal K values are wrong: they are an equal perceptual color
change apart, a concept called MIRED. Thus, the numbers are
closer together in the low range, further apart in the high
range. E.g., 2500 to 2550 at the low end, 9100 to 10,000 at
the high end. Bracketing, likewise, in MIRED steps, not Kelvin
steps.) |
| LCD:
2.5" 211k dot, TFT with backlighting |
Bigger
pixels, that's about it. |
| Usable
Lenses: D, G, AI-P all functions possible; non-CPU all
but distance function possible |
Yep,
the F4 ability is back! What Nikon was thinking when they left
the matrix metering function off of the F5 for non-CPU lenses
(and then proceeded to make that "the standard"),
I don't know. But thank you, Nikon, for bringing it back. Well,
okay, let's get serious for a moment. Apparently you have to
set the focal length and aperture of the non-CPU lens in use
via the menu system. That's okay for most of us, but this is
not a system where you'll want to be constantly swapping manual
focus lenses onto the camera. |
| Viewfinder
coverage: 100% |
Yes!
Of course, is it really 100% and is it perfectly aligned with
the sensor? Only tests will tell us for sure, but I hate having
to "chimp" with the LCD to see if I'm cutting something
off, so I've been wanting 100% for some time (and yes, I usually
frame that tightly). |
| Viewfinder
information: everything in current cameras plus actual
AF sensor used, file format, WB settings, ISO |
Eyepoint
has been reduced slightly, which is a more significant issue
than all the rest of the stuff. Yes, it'll be nice to see all
the settings in the viewfinder, but there's still one signficant
one that's missing: battery status. Instead, we have to look
at the back LCD to see that. |
| Autofocus:
CAM2000 module, 11 sensors, 8 direction autofocus
pad |
I'm
looking pretty prescient here (though I predicted only 9 sensors).
Basically, we get extensions of the cross-hatched sensors into
the one-third points (as I asked for), plus two additional line
sensors across the long axis. Below the autofocus direction
pad is a N75-like autofocus area control, (though it really
probably should have ringed the pad, like the N75's control;
Nikon apparently wanted to retain the pad Lock arrangement,
but I can think of better ways to lock the pad than add yet
another control to the back of the camera). We get a couple
of "new" autofocus modes (Group Dynamic AF and the
N75's Closest Subject Priority Dynamic AF), but nothing earthshattering
other than beadth of sensors (still -1 to 19 EV, for example).
Groupl Dynamic AF allows you to pick between 3 and 5 sensors
and have them perform CSP autofocus. Still, Nikon appears to
have done their homework on this one, and I can hardly wait
to see how this handles complex focus situations. |
| Exposure
metering: 1005-pixel color matrix, center-weight, spot meter,
matrix metering (not color) with non CPU lenses |
The
surprise here is the return of the F4-like matrix metering with
non-CPU lenses (note that you have to be in Aperture-priority
or Manual exposure mode with most manual focus lenses). Not
necessarily anything exciting, but it does restore a function
we lost with the F5 and subsequent cameras. |
| Shutter:
30 to 1/8,000, bulb; Flash Sync: 1/250 |
This
is the F5's mechanical shutter refined a bit. What's going to
get talked about most is the 1/250 sync speed. That's a one
stop drop from what we had, and that's significant for some
shooters. Note, however, that if you use an SB-800, it will
automatically switch to high-speed flash sync (FP)
at shutter speeds above 1/250, and this flash mode is now TTL
on a D2h (it's been a manual flash mode on all previous flash/camera
combos that supported it). While you don't get a lot of range
out of high-speed flash sync, at least now you don't have to
stop and calculate exposure. |
Flash:
i-TTL,
D-TTL, A, and M flash control; flash color
info with SB-800, flash exposure compensation controlled by
the body. |
See
my comments on the flash in the column at the right. But i-TTL
is basically still a D-TTL system: it uses preflash information
only. Still, I expect this to be more accurate than before because
of the other changes that surround it. More importantly, we
have multi-flash TTL back. Of course, you have to buy new flash
units to do that, but at least it's back. Now please give us
back macro TTL, Nikon. |
| Connectors:
PC Sync, 10-pin remote, DC in, USB 2.0 |
Dropping
of Firewire for USB 2.0 is interesting. It'll be hard to say
whether that has any practical implication until we can start
worst-case testing the camera, but I'd be surprised if it did.
One point: you can't use wireless and tethered at the same time
(not that I can think of a reason you'd want to). |
| Power:
EN-EL4 (7.2v DC lithium battery
pack), MH-21 charger |
Lighter
(25%), Beefier (50% more mAh), and a camera that uses less power!
And, you get a more refined battery level indication. This is
the battery the D1 series needed. |
| Size/Weight:
6.2 x 5.9 x 3.4" (158 x 150 x 86mm); 2.4 lbs (1.1kg) |
Not
quite as tall as the existing D1h and slightly lower in weight
(even more so when you slide in the lighter battery). |
| Price:
US$3500 (list) |
Actually,
I think this is one of the most controversial of the specifications.
Personally, I'm a little disappointed that the pricing isn't
a tad more aggressive. Any price of less than US$3500 would
have been making a statement and severely challenging Canon.
The current price isn't pushing Canon as much as Nikon should
be. Still, the price is lower than most of us thought it would
be, considering Nikon's previous history. Also, note that Capture
4 is not included, and I think you'll want that. |
| Other
little details about the camera. |
Voice
annotation built in (excellent for the photojournalists this
camera targets, less useful for me personally). Custom settings
have been grouped, which should make it faster to get to the
one you want. The extra DOF-style button on the front of the
camera can be programmed to perform several functions. Front
and Rear command dials for the vertical grip (finally!). Shutter
lag (37ms) that is faster than anything on the market (80ms
viewfinder blackout is also state-of-the-art). Camera orientation
sensor, text data stored in EXIF header, exposure bracketing
extended to 9 frames, the DOF preview button activates modeling
flash on the SB-800! But the features I nominate for under-noticed
are the intervalometer and mirror lock (actually, a Canon-like
mirror up on first release, picture taken on second release). |
| What
we didn't get |
Did
we lose GPS? |
| What
we still have that you probably didn't notice in the press releases |
D100-like
image zoom; long exposure noise reduction; multiple bank select
for custom settings (plus now banks for shooting settings);
still has NTSC/PAL video output; still uses AH-6 AC adapter. |
| What
the heck does that extra button on the front of the camera do?
|
It's
programmable. Select one of the following: flash lock (with
SB-800 for CPU and non-CPU lenses); shutter and aperture one-step
setting; AE-L/AF-L (same as the back button!); prohibit flash
(stops flash from firing, even if its ON); bracket sequence
start (full bracket sequence taken); activate multipattern metering;
activate centerweighted metering; activate spot metering. |
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Last
Page Update: 7/22/03 (several times!)
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| Other
Announced Goodies |
Three
new lenses: the 10.5mm f/2.8G DX fisheye, the 17-55mm f/2.8G
AF-S DX zoom, and the return of the incredible 200-400mm f/4, with
VR and AF-S this time round.
I'm
ho-hum about the midrange zoom--I've never been a big fan of lenses
that don't get to the extremes, and this lens neither goes wide
enough nor long enough to get me excited. No depth of field markings
(yuck). The constant f/2.8 aperture and AF-S focusing are nice,
though. For all you folks looking for the DX replacement for the
28-70mm f/2.8, well, here's your lens, enjoy. I think I'll stick
with the 12-24mm, though.
The
10.5mm DX fisheye certainly interests me, as fisheye was the one
thing that the 1.5x change in the angle of view broke entirely.
Now we have at least the equivalent to the 16mm f/2.8 full-frame
fisheye. Thank you, Nikon. That was a good choice, and I'm sure
this will prove to be a popular lens with some. Ironically, the
10.5mm has depth of field marks.
The
200-400mm f/4 AF-S VR wasn't expected, but if it's anything close
to the old AI-S 200-400mm f/4 in performance, this would sell like
hotcakes at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, US$8300 is the current
list expectation (based upon the published Japanese list price and
the current conversion rate). I'm unsure why the price of this lens
is so high. 400mm (other than the very expensive 400mm f/2.8 AF-S)
has been a weak point in Nikon's optical range, with the 80-400mm
VR barely holding down the fort. Coupled with a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR,
the moderate telephoto is once again a strong point in the Nikkor
lineup.
I'm
a little bit confused on what Nikon thinks the photojournalist's
kit should look like now. The telephoto end is easy: the 70-200mm
f/2.8 AF-S VR and the 200-400mm f/4 AF-S VR. No problems there.
But what fills out the kit? The 17-55mm AF-S DX gives you a fast
aperture and AF-S, but no VR. The 24-120mm AF-S VR gives you AF-S
and VR, but a ridiculously slow aperture at most focal lengths.
Neither quite gets you to the wide angle you need. The 12-24mm f/4
DX isn't fast enough aperture-wise, nor does it extend far enough
into the mid-range to stand on its own (and, of course, it doesn't
have VR). As it stands right now, I'd have to carry four lenses
to fill out the entire shooting range (or three lenses and two TCs,
sacrificing optical performance and aperture at the telephoto end).
It seems to me that Nikon is still missing a critical lens in its
lineup: 14-45mm f/2.8 AF-S VR DX.
On
the other hand, there are some who will welcome the 17-55mm because
it allows them to combine two lenses they currently carry (the 17-35mm
and 28-70mm). I call "not so fast" on that one. If you're
carrying those two lenses around, the 70mm end of that second lens
is probably where you use it the most, and the 17-55mm isn't going
to help you there. So, not only I ho-hum about the mid-range zoom,
I think it wimps out at exactly the points where you want more.
The gap from 55 to 70mm is actually a critical one, in my opinion.
If you've been shooting with the 28-70mm zoom, browse through the
EXIF data for your shots; how many were taken above 55mm? I'm betting
a lot.
A
new flash: the SB-800DX. It may take a whole new book just
to explain how to best use this new flash. Essentially, Nikon has
built a wireless multi-flash TTL system with so many options that
control freaks will be in nirvana. Four wireless channels (I suspect
this flash will be so popular that four channels won't prove to
be enough at some events!) allow you to communicate with other flashes,
and those flashes can be assigned to as many as three different
groups. Each group (and the main flash) can be assigned a different
flash exposure compensation! Note that you have to use SB-800DXs
together--this new channel function doesn't work with older flashes.
The actual communication is done via pre-flash gymnastics (yes,
the master flash pre-flash is talking to the other flashes--it's
not infrared or radio-based). That's the good news. The bad news
is that the new i-TTL system still uses only the pre-flash to calculate
flash exposure (though this is now done by the 1005-pixel color
meter in the viewfinder, not by the 5-segment flash meter in the
mirror box).
We
do get some other useful tidbits: you can now adjust for flash distance
(essentially an easier manual flash mode) and the camera can correct
for slight differences in flash color due to distance. Flash output
can now be locked. The Autofocus Assist function has been widened
to allow all autofocus sensors to see the light, so to speak. We
now have a Distance Priority mode, which sounds like one of the
most useful of the new flash's features, actually.
Unfortunately,
the SB-800DX is the same power as the SB-80DX. While this isnt'
a big deal for normal flash use, because the D2h can only sync to
1/250, more people are going to be using the High-Speed Flash Sync
mode on the SB-800DX. And without boosting the GN of the flash,
you're going to find that subject distances are very limited beyond
1/500. Fortunately, the D2h runs high-speed flash sync in a TTL
mode! No more manual calculating just to use high-speed flash sync.
Curiously,
Nikon lists an SD-800 Quick Recycling Battery Pack to be supplied
with the flash, but no charger. Also note that if you use the SB-800DX
off camera, you'll need a new SC-29 cord to retain all features.
Wireless
WT-1: I'm
going to save most of my comments for the new wireless accessory
for when we can actually test it. Why? Well, this accessory is
all
about convenience and performance, and I don't get much of a sense
of either from the available information at the moment. Basically,
this is a 802.11b device that can transfer data up to 100 feet
(30m)
with the normal antenna, 500 feet (150m) with the Extended Range
Antenna. Transfer of images is by FTP. Security can be via WEP,
MacAddress, or ESS-ID. Depending upon model (WT-1 or WT-1A), you
have 13 or 11 frequencies to allow multiple users
to operate simultaneously
without
having
to worry about
interfering with one another. Big minus: the WT-1 draws its power
from the camera, and Nikon quotes drainage of "20%...during
normal usage". In other words, the wireless option draws
considerable battery power from the camera. Oh, and the wireless
configuration
can be put into a text file, stored on a CompactFlash card, and
read by the camera so that you don't have to sort through menus
to set it up every time.
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