Nikon D1H Comparison Review

The Nikon D1H is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was revealed to the public in February 2001 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 2.6 megapixel.

Is the Nikon D1H a good camera? The D1H has a Camera Elo of 1134. This rating puts the D1H below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the D1H also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Nikon D1H is more than 23 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2001.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Nikon D1H vis-à-vis a credit card. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon D1H alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D1H	157 mm	153 mm	85 mm	1100 g	1200	Y	Feb 2001	US$ 4 499	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D1	157 mm	153 mm	85 mm	1100 g	..	Y	Jun 1999	US$ 5 499	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D1X	157 mm	153 mm	85 mm	1100 g	1200	Y	Feb 2001	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D2H	158 mm	150 mm	86 mm	1070 g	2900	Y	Jul 2003	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D2X	158 mm	150 mm	86 mm	1252 g	3800	Y	Sep 2004	US$ 4 999	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D2Xs	158 mm	150 mm	86 mm	1252 g	3800	Y	Jun 2006	US$ 4 699	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3	160 mm	157 mm	88 mm	1300 g	4300	Y	Aug 2007	US$ 4 999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3S	160 mm	157 mm	88 mm	1240 g	4200	Y	Oct 2009	US$ 5 199	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D200	147 mm	113 mm	74 mm	920 g	400	Y	Nov 2005	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D300	147 mm	114 mm	74 mm	925 g	1000	Y	Aug 2007	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D300S	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	938 g	950	Y	Jul 2009	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon D1H was launched in the US market at a price of $4,499. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check D1H offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Nikon D1H features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon D1H among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D1H	APS-C	2.6	2000	1312	none	..	..	..	..
2.		Nikon D1	APS-C	2.6	2000	1312	none	..	..	..	..
3.		Nikon D1X	APS-C	5.9	3008	1960	none	..	..	..	..
4.		Nikon D2H	APS-C	4.0	2464	1632	none	18.9	10.0	352	40
5.		Nikon D2X	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	10.9	476	59
6.		Nikon D2Xs	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.2	10.9	489	59
7.		Nikon D3	Full Frame	12.1	4256	2832	none	23.5	12.2	2290	81
8.		Nikon D3S	Full Frame	12.1	4256	2832	720/24p	23.5	12.0	3253	82
9.		Nikon D200	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.5	583	64
10.		Nikon D300	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	12.0	679	67
11.		Nikon D300S	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	720/24p	22.5	12.2	787	70

It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the D1H does not provide the possibility to capture videos.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D1H has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 96% and a magnification of 0.53x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon D1H and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D1H	optical	Y	2.0 / 120	fixed	n	1/16000s	5.0/s	n	n
2.		Nikon D1	optical	Y	2.0 / 120	fixed	n	1/16000s	4.5/s	n	n
3.		Nikon D1X	optical	Y	2.0 / 120	fixed	n	1/16000s	3.0/s	n	n
4.		Nikon D2H	optical	Y	2.5 / 211	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
5.		Nikon D2X	optical	Y	2.5 / 235	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
6.		Nikon D2Xs	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
7.		Nikon D3	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
8.		Nikon D3S	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
9.		Nikon D200	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D300	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D300S	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One useful feature of the D1H is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D1H and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D1H	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
2.		Nikon D1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
3.		Nikon D1X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
4.		Nikon D2H	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D2X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D2Xs	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D3	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D3S	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D200	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D300	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Nikon D300S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Further information on the features and operation of the D1H can be found in the free online Nikon D1H Manual or on the Nikon support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D1H handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D1H	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2001	US$ 4 499	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D1	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Jun 1999	US$ 5 499	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D1X	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2001	US$ 5 999	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D2H	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Jul 2003	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D2X	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2004	US$ 4 999	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D2Xs	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jun 2006	US$ 4 699	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D3	..	..	..	+ +	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	US$ 4 999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D3S	5/5	..	..	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Oct 2009	US$ 5 199	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D200	..	+ +	..	+ +	o	..	Nov 2005	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D300	..	+ +	..	+ +	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D300S	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	US$ 1 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check D1H offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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