Nikon D2H Preview

At DPReview:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/nikond2h/page4.asp

The 802.11b attachment looks interesting! I would love it if I could just shoot pictures and have a notebook computer somewhere, receiving images.

Of course, who knows if that would work underwater...

I took an 802.11b AP on my trip aboard the Undersea Hunter. The signal wouldn't make it 20 feet up the stairs. Metal hulls of ships rule out WiFi.

An aluminum housing will block a WiFi signal. Water certainly will as well. This feature is more for a wireless "tethered" application although it might be useful for sports coverage, too. I don't think Nikon made it for us! The speed would be similar to USB1.1.

Yeah. I was just thinking of putzing around the house during a party or something and snapping away. I could leave the projector on slideshow and have all of the photos being taken cycled through automatically.

I guess the more exciting announcements have been the new wide-angle lenses. I'm going to have to get this 1Ds housed to compete! hehehe.

We all know it's coming...

I think you need to use the 100 macro with a 2x and your 1Ds, then go to Bali and shoot the pygmies.

Yep, it looks like it can be set up to FTP the files directly to whatever file you set up on your computer. So you could do that Eric...

Interesting!.

In regards to being "in a metal box." There cannot be any electric field in a metal box - one of the "rules" of electromagnetism... so this might work in a Lexan housing, but not aluminum. Again - interesting! Advantage here goes to Ike and Sea and Sea...

Cheers

James

I think the problematic "metal box" is the boat.

But anyway, it's 4MP, and 8 frames-per-second. Like the Canon 1D. Not for us, really...

I especially liked this bit...

"The D2H features an intelligent new white balance system that accurately measures and calculates color temperature and white balance settings for complex conditions and thereby supports the highest total image quality. It achieves this by employing Triple Sensor metering, and determines values from three different sources: a "third eye" incident meter located on the prism of the camera measures environmental light, Nikon's exclusive 1,005 pixel RGB color meter sensor continuously measures reflected light from the viewed image, and the DX image sensor measures color temperature in real-time during the actual exposure. Advanced algorithms process the perfect white balance setting for any given scene, using analysis of values from each of the three sources. The D2H's white balance system has a wide color range of 2,500K to 10,000K, and is able to detect and compensate for artificial light flicker".

Knocks card carrying on the head!!!

I'm interested by the fact they are keeping the chip pixels to 4 ish.

I get dizzy when I read that paragraph.

The 1Ds has a similar external WB sensor, which works MUCH better than the D60/10d's WB sensor does. I'm interested to see sample photos from the D2H, though. As usual, people are freaking out about the new announcement on forums like DPReview. Typical short-sightedness!

True, I was also surprised by the flash sinc speed being so low for such a HS spec.!

I'm  interested by the fact they are keeping the chip pixels to 4 ish.

I've seen two-page magazine spreads with 4MP source, than they are just fine. Upping the resolution (and all of the lightning-fast processing associated with it) will probably make the camera more interesting -- from a purchasing point of view -- to not-so-many people, while pushing the price up significantly. That's my guess for why 4MP is enough. Journalists just don't need more, right? That is, until it gets cheaper.

I think the WiFi battery grip will work on future Nikon cameras through the USB2.0 port. So hope for a D2x w/ a lot more pixels...:-)

Cheers

James

I think the WiFi battery grip will work on future Nikon cameras through the USB2.0 port.  So hope for a D2x w/ a lot more pixels...:-)

I think 802.11b is not so useful when you start getting to higher resolution cameras. Shoving a 8MB RAW image over the pipe will take at least 16 seconds -- assuming that the camera can send data asynchronously and has a good signal. It will take 5x longer if you turn on fancy encryption modes.

It's going to have to be 802.11g, I think. But that shouldn't be so hard.

What would be more interesting is to have it automatically send a 640x480 version of the image over bluetooth to a cell phone, for e-mailing. But I guess my phone already has a camera in it, so that would be overkill.

True, I was also surprised by the flash sinc speed being so low for such a HS spec.!

This camera is using the F5's mechanical shutter (in a new and improved 21st century incarnation, but basically the same mechanism), unlike the D1h/x which use "electronic" shuttering/activation of the CCD. Consequently, the flash sync speed is limited by the shutter (again) , just like in the bad old days. I imagine this probably due to the use of the LBCAST sensor rather than CCD. Or then again I may be totally wrong, wouldn't be the first time today. :freak:

Nikon was smart to put the 80211 into a removable grip instead of burying it in the camera. That way they can change standards as the bandwidth goes up.

I think a 4 megapixel jpeg with mild compression is about 200 k - that wouldn't be horrid to tranmit over 802.11g would it? We're not talkin' 8 fps though of course...:-)

Cheers

James

The WiFi thing sure has received favorable attention. I agree that they really need to do 11a or 11g instead.

I like the WB, too. I suppose it's smart enough to figure when there's a filter attached now. Still I think it won't be up to the underwater challenge.

It has some other cool features like the big screen and the digital-specific VF data. I was thinking how cool it would be to fire 8 fps on a hammerhead dive. Finally a use for those huge Hartenburger strobes! I doubt there'd be one left in the ocean after that.

The thing that irks me though - is that it's taken Nikon 2 years to make a camera that is competitive w/ the Canon 1D.

Oof! I can't believe I just said that....sigh.

Cheers

James

Reading the specs side by side I thought exactly the same thing. It's got a bigger buffer though! It's cheaper, too. I'm more interested in the D1x and D100 follow-ons. Think they'll get Nikon sensors, too?

Yes, I think the D2x will get a Nikon sensor. If the Nikon sensor is cheaper, then the D100 followon will get it too. Otherwise the D100 followup will get a Sony sensor.

I just want something w/ this Cam2000 sensor!

Cheers

James

The thing that irks me though - is that it's taken Nikon 2 years to make a camera that is competitive w/ the Canon 1D.

 

Oof! I can't believe I just said that....sigh.

 

Cheers

James

James - until we've seen samples from this camera why do you suggest it is only as good as the 1D. If the dynamic range is anywhere near as good as it is rumored to be it'll blow away the 1D. What would a press photographer need with more MP anyway?

If you get a chance to try a 1D you'll understand Kasey.

Even when the D2h comes out, the 1D may still be the speed king, in focusing it may be better, in fps, it's the same. It also has a faster x-sync speed and a 1.3 sensor crop, vs the DX factor on the Nikon. Ask Eric what he thinks...:-) He's gotten a chance to use Adam's 1D.

BTW, we can start calling sensors that Nikon uses (1.5x crop) DX sensors now...since they do already...heh.

I really do hope the Nikon sensor has higher dynamic range. We'll just have to wait and see.

Cheers

James