I recently have stepped up to the digital camera challenge. I have long been an avid film camera user. I had the chance to use a Nikon D100. To say the least I was very impressed. It was so easy to use after shooting with my F5 that it was almost funny. The controls are much the same and I felt very much at home with it. The matrix metering is just plain dead on like my F5. The focus just as fast. It shoots 2.3 frames per second. But oh my god the pictures...they just knocked my socks off! They were crisp and beautiful. The one thing you have to get used to is the instant response. Let's face it. With film cameras you take the shot, hope you got it right and take it to the photo lab. You almost always get some bad shots back. With the D100 you skip all of the travel time, waiting and wondering. It also costs almost nothing to shoot with. Think of it as free photography! No more worries about how much it will cost for another roll of film or having more than one camera loaded with a different ISO or kind of film! Yes it's freedom to explore , learn and experience photography. You can dump the bad photo's learn and move on! Has it changed the way I shoot? You bet it has! I shoot many more photographs than before!
It has to be noted that Nikon has taken a conservative route on exposure. The images are almost always underexposed. The good point is it's very saturated and easy to fix in the Nikon View 6 program. It takes a little more time but it's worth it.
Many users I've talked to have used the exposure comp. of .3 to even 3.3 to adjust this. After using the camera more I've discovered that the shots are perfectly exposed at -2 cloudy and using spot metering. Every one of my shots has come out perfectly exposed.
The matrix metering is outstanding and the focus fast. In low light it struggles just a little. If it's that bad use manual focus!. Yes you can go to manual, it's okay!
Everything else in menus and set up are easy. Just use the direction button on the back to change things in the menu. I have chosen to use Fine and large so I can res. down later. I use jpeg color I or II for people pictures and III for real saturated scenics. Raw is outstanding though. I shut off the focus assist light. Use the grid, put the sharpening on normal, white balance on auto, no compensation, contrast on normal, use fine and large, and shoot normally at 200 iso.
The Nikon View 6.0 software is easy to install and easier to use. Plug in your camera or card into a mass storage transfer device and it walks you right through the process. It load very fast especially if you shoot at the small setting.
I got my mass storage transfer device with my 256mb card. I get 76 shots at Fine and Large. Download is fast with the 24x flash card.
The battery has given me about 400 shots with a lot of flash and reviewing my shots!. I have no doubt it will go much longer if I didn't fiddle around with it so much. I just do that because I'm experimenting still.
Nikon does not have an eyecup for the D100. But here's a secret....The eye cup from the Canon AE series cameras fit perfect!! yes perfect. Now all you have to do is find one. I don't believe they make that eye cup anymore. Take notice Nikon you need to make any eye cup for all of your cameras!
This camera is so easy to set up and use. It gives outstanding results. If you follow my suggestions and shoot with it for a day or two you'll never go back to film!
I paid $1499.00 at Wolf camera for mine.
You can get all of the specs at Nikon USA if you want to know more details. I just want to give my humble opinion here. This camera is great!
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1499.00 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Solid Enough for a Professional
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