9 replies to this topic

[Dallas]

What is your opinion of the Nikon D1X? Please keep your comments related to your experiences with the camera. This page will be indexed on our Nikons page.

[jstuedle]

I've owned and used the D1X since about July 2002. I now own 3. (one needs it's shutter replaced) I resisted upgrading to the D2X when it came out, and have no regrets. The D1X is still very serviceable and does a great job for most of what I need them for. I have used them for studio portrait work, live concerts and bands, wildlife, location animal/child/senior portraits, PJ, and about anything a freelance photog can come up with. At higher ISO (800 is max.) it is noisy, but no more so than ASA 800 film IMO. Dialing in + 1/3 stop EV reduces noise by a large amount, but then the effective ISO is 640. The little overexposure really does make a difference though. Overall the D1X is a great, rugged camera and will do a great job, if you take into account it is 5 year old technology. Than can feel like the stone age in digital photography, but at todays used prices it is a great value.

[billkoe]

I still use my D1x for editorial and advertising clients. I find the images at high ISO (800 or 1600) have very little noise. 

Outstanding image quality is a given as long as I stay away from AWB, shoot RAW and tweak in LR, NX or Photoshop. I also have to keep buying batteries.

[smhese]

The Nikon D1x is part of my kit since two years. Since than I am very satisfied with the resolution of this camera. Compared with the D200 its still a good option mainly because of the 10MP option and good autofocus. Other pros are: very good sealing (rain is definitely no problem) and handling is great. Image quality is wonderful at ISO125 but degrades quickly if you use higher iso settings. Main drawbacks of the D1x: battery performance and high iso noise. You just don't want to use anything higher than iso 200. Maybe ISO400 with noise reduction software. If you nail the exposure iso 400 can be ok.  IR performance is very good imo!

With large lenses the D1x feels just right and creates is robust kit. Not so great for action shooters - frame rate and buffer not state of the art anymore.

For the price paid these days second hand it could be a good deal neverless (depends on condition).

SH

[PatrickO]

I have just bought one on a whim and found it to be a very useful camera indeed. Build quality is excellent and the image quality is equal to my D200 and D70. Here is an image taken on Saturday...



I also did a comparison between the D200, D70, Fuji S5 and the D1x. All images with the same lens (180mm f2.8 - very sharp), the weather was quite variable though so there will be colour variation from that too. The images are a cropped from original - about 10% of original or smaller.

Nikon D1x...


Nikon D70...


Fuji S5...


Nikon D200...

[billkoe]

Image quality is wonderful at ISO125 but degrades quickly if you use higher iso settings. Main drawbacks of the D1x: battery performance and high iso noise. You just don't want to use anything higher than iso 200. Maybe ISO400 with noise reduction software. If you nail the exposure iso 400 can be ok. 

SH

I honestly have had just the opposite experience after 4 years of shooting with the D1x. I feel very comfortable shooting up to 1600 ISO for some clients' low light needs. I have always felt that the large pixel pitch of this camera's sensor was a great ally in the quest for quality images in low light. I have to make pretty sure that I don't under expose enough to require lightening dark areas. My D300 is better at this but the D1x still holds its own. Yep...the battery stinks but every couple of years I get a couple at the Battery Barn and I'm back in business. I also stay WAY away from the AWB. 

[stdon]

Lately I have been seeing a resurgence in the popularity of the D1X, almost to the point of cult status. That said though I am going to try a different body (D3) I'm really not in a hurry. Mine has been from 110f in the Summer to -10F in a blizzard and has worked all day without a hiccup. I haven't found the need for EC and trusting the meter I've had no issues. I shoot RAW only so the WB isn't an issue either. Forget the LCD, shoot it like you know how and trust your instincts and it will do the job.
A3 prints are stunning and I wouldn't be concerned to print bigger. 
I too get my batteries from BatteryBarn and have no issues. I also have an external battery pack that powers it and a Nissen 4000GW.
Exposing properly I have have very good results at 800 and 1600 ISO at the rink shooting figure skating and theater/dance outside concerts at night. It does Off Road GP Scrambles, CERT exercises and about everything else I can throw at it.
After trying both a D1X and a D200 I deliberately chose the D1X and haven't had one regret.

[billkoe]

I am using NX to process old D1x images. Very nice indeed.

[Rick Waldroup]

i bought one several years ago as a backup to my D2H.  I wound up using it as my eveyday camera.  I just liked the way the images looked, better than my D2H.  Whenever I had a job to do, however, I usually used my D2H because of it's speed.  But I used the D1x for most of my personal work.  Great camera.

[Fish_Shooter]

I still have mine because I have the underwater housing, which is worth more.  I use it as secondary set-up. So if I have the 14 on the housed D2X, the D1X will have a fisheye. On several occasions the more successful shots were the ones done with the D1X. The Achilles heal is the damned battery.  8)