Nikon's
newest digital SLR, the D100, has its roots in the F80/N80 film
SLR (as is the case for FujiFilm's S2
Pro), but aside from the upper part of the camera, the design of the
D100 modifies the F80/N80 body so much that only a few features are common.
As with its 2 closest competitors — Fuji's S2 and Canon's
D60 — the D100 is a 6 megapixel camera, offering advanced functions
and a wide compatibility with Nikon's autofocus lenses and SLR accessories.
A clear plastic screen cover is also provided to protect the LCD screen.
The cover clips at the top and bottom.
In
addition to the Main Command Dial on the upper right of the D100's
back, a secondary dial, called the Sub-Command Dial, is available
in the upper portion of the grip and directly below the shutter release.
By default, the Main Command Dial controls the shutter speeds while the
Sub-Command controls apertures; but this can be reversed if desired.
Below the AF-Assist light, and easily reached by the index finger, a Depth
of Field Preview button allows previewing the shot with the selected
aperture.
The shutter release — threaded for a cable release — has the
On-Off switch around it and 2 buttons nearby, one for flash modes
and the other for exposure compensation.
A large LCD display which lights up green at a press of the button to
its right, provides a quick overview of all the D100's settings, and also
serves to see changes made to image quality, ISO, white balance and focus
mode without having to use the back LCD screen.
The
Mode Dial, on the left of the camera's top, provides the basic
shooting modes:
Program
(with Program Shift)
Shutter
Priority,
Aperture
Priority,
Manual
Mode.
The
Mode Dial also provides positions for ISO, white balance, image quality
and focus mode which are changed by turning the Command Dial while observing
the indications on the display next to the shutter release.
The
Shooting Mode Dial Lock is directly beneath the Mode Dial. It
is used to select single shooting, continuous shooting or
self timer.
Bracketing and Flash Compensation are accessed by 2 buttons
near the Mode Dial, but on the back of the camera.
The Bracketing button can be set to do Exposure Bracketing, or
Flash Bracketing, or both, as an option in the Custom Settings.
Likewise, the Flash Compensation button is also used in conjunction
with the Main Command Dial. The same button also offers Formatting
as a secondary function, when used simultaneously with the light
button next to the top display.
The
Metering Selector of the D100 is to the right of the viewfinder,
and is unchanged from the F80/N80. Three modes are available:
Centre-weighted,
Matrix,
and
Spot;
and, the button at
its centre serves for Auto Exposure Lock, or Auto Focus Lock.
The
Multi Selector (a 4-direction button), is placed so the thumb
can reach it, and is used to select the focus point, navigate the D100's
menu, and display photo data when an image is under review on the LCD
screen. Beneath is a lock that can be set so as to prevent accidentally
changing the focus point.
The Delete button, the lowest control on this side of the camera, calls
up a dialog screen in Playback, and can be used to delete 1 image
at a time.
Five
buttons line the left side of the LCD screen. Starting at the top, they
are for:
Turning
on the screen.
Calling
up the menu.
Displaying
thumbnails or information about a photo.
Protecting
an image to prevent accidentally deleting it.
Magnifying
an image (up to 9X), or confirming some critical actions such as formatting
and deleting.
One
part of the D100 that is common with the Fujifilm S2, is the viewfinder.
The viewfinder, which originates with the F80/N80, provides on-demand
composition grids which flash red along with the focus point when
the shutter release is pressed halfway. The focusing screen makes use
of LEDs which are used to create a fine line grid and mark the focusing
zones. The battery powers the grid and the system is on continuously as
long as the battery is in the camera. Removing the battery makes the viewfinder
grow dim and fuzzy.
The viewfinder is sharp and has a precise diopter control.
Current
settings are shown in the viewfinder. Starting on the left, the D100's
shows: focus lock, metering, auto-exposure lock, shutter speed, aperture,
exposure scale, flash compensation and exposure compensation, remaining
frames and flash.
As
both the D100 and the S2 are based on the same SLR, in some aspects their
ergonomic designs are similar. For example, the placement of some of the
controls are broadly the same although their actual function may differ.
However, any resemblance stops on the back of the cameras, where the D100
presents a more complex, and less intuitive, design that is also less
moulded to the hand.
But, the
advantage reverses when it comes to size and weight. The S2 is taller
by about 1.5 cm (0.5 inch) and is slightly heavier because of its multiple
batteries.
Centre-weighted,
Matrix,
and
Spot;
