Best
viewed at 1024 x 768 or greater screen resolution,
16 bit color or better.
All content & photographs copyrighted, all
rights reserved.
 |
Nikon
D2H Some
consider the D2H to be the best all-around
Digital SLR ever made because of its
outstanding build quality &
professional class features. Others
consider it underpowered because of its
relatively small 4.1 megapixel sensor.
I think
both viewpoints are good reasons to
like the D2H. |
|
Underpowered? Not necessarily .... the 4.1 megapixel sensor actually could be considered to be a strong point because of its smaller, easier to manage image file sizes. Practically speaking, the smaller file sizes are faster & easier to work with. The D2H's 4.1 megapixel sensor produces uncompressed Raw format files averaging 6 megabytes, compressed Raw format files in the mid-3 megabyte range, and three quality settings of large or medium sized Jpegs. All with significantly smaller file sizes than their 5, 6, and 8 megapixel camera counterparts. Smaller files mean more pictures on a memory card, more storage on a computer hard drive, and faster archiving to CD-ROM or DVD. The smaller files also mean faster transfers from memory cards and faster file-open times in image processing software. The practical factor wouldn't mean anything to me if the picture quality suffered, but it doesn't. For web use and for prints up to 12 x 18, I find the D2H's picture quality equal or better than any other camera on the market. Favorite features & options
|
- "Function" Button. On the front of the camera below the depth of field preview button. Easy to find & push by feel (without looking), can be assigned a wide variety of possible tasks. I assigned mine to spot meter whenever I push it. 8 frames per second in the Continuous High Speed (CH) mode. Excellent for high speed sports or wildlife shooting. If that's too fast, there's a user-adjustable Continuous Low Speed (CL) frame rate of 1 to 7 frames per second.
- 27 frame Raw shooting buffer (40 frames for straight Jpegs).
- Long battery life and an accurate battery gauge, showing the actual percentage of remaining charge if you like. Takes the guesswork out of estimated battery life.
- Auto ISO. Especially good for wildlife or sports photography where lighting is limited and shutter speed is critical. For example, with the camera set on Shutter Priority at 1/250th of a second and Auto ISO based on ISO 200, the ISO will automatically increase itself as needed all the way up to ISO 1600 after the Aperture maxes out to ensure accurate exposure.
- Rich, vibrant, highly saturated pictures are the D2H's strong suit, with smoother tonal ranges and cleaner color graduations than those I've experienced from other cameras. Strongly saturated pictures make for beautiful prints, and D2H pictures are even better in print than on a computer screen. Definitely impressive compared to prints from other cameras.
- The LCD screen is larger than those on earlier Nikon Digital SLRs. I love to 'chimp' my pictures (a frequently used term many digital shooters use for LCD image reviewing), and the larger, brighter LCD screen seemed like a good upgrade. It is, but at the default settings the LDC is inherently over bright and slightly soft. If you reduce the LCD brightness setting to -2 and turn up the in-camera sharpening setting to Medium High or High (I like High), you'll get a pretty accurate view of what you've captured.
- Superb build quality. Many consider the D2H body to be the best in the world.
Sample pictures
No
Turning Back
Queen
of the Hill
While
I was sleeping
Deer
Crossing
Cows
in the Creek
.jpg)
Click
to enlarge: 1024 x 678 pixels, 420
KB
High ISO: The
D2H's fast shutter & focus response caught the
cars at the precise moment they hit the throttle.
Nikon 70-200mm VR f/2.8 G zoom lens, Shutter
Priority @ 1/200th, Auto ISO set by the camera at
ISO 1600, lens VR set on 'Active' to steady the
camera and prepare for the panning motion &
thundering vibration from the exhaust blast. The
camera's continuous low shooting frame rate was
preset to 6 frames per second. Compressed NEF (Raw)
format picture processed with Nikon Capture 4
software.
.jpg)
Click
to enlarge: 1024 x 678 pixels, 345
KB
1.5 seconds and
10 frames later, the cars are already traveling
over 100 mph as I panned with the action. The Auto
ISO automatically reduced by the camera to ISO 1400
because of the increased amount of available light
generated by the bright exhaust plumes. Compressed
NEF (Raw) format picture processed with Nikon
Capture 4 software.
A cowgirl stops a goat from turning back as she
herds it down the loadout lane at the Lometa, Texas
livestock auction. .jpg)
Click
to enlarge: 1200 x 795 pixels, 522
KB
Nikon 12-24mm
ultra wide zoom lens, Aperture Priority @ f/8,
shutter 1/500th, ISO 200, uncompressed NEF (Raw)
format picture processed with Nikon Capture 4
software.
Shortly after we unloaded a batch of Texas Hill
Country sandstone, the goats claimed it as theirs
and playfully fought over who was going to be the
'Queen of the Hill'..jpg)
Click
to enlarge: 1024 x 678 pixels, 310
KB
ISO 200, Nikkor
17-55 mm f/2.8 DX/G lens, Aperture Priority @ f/8,
compressed NEF (Raw) format picture processed with
Nikon Capture 4 software.
I went to sleep
with my tripod mounted D2H pre-aimed at a wild game
feeder about 150 yards away. I left the unattended
camera on all night with the built-in
Intervalometer set to automatically start shooting
one picture every 30 seconds beginning at 7 AM in
the morning. When I got up at 8:15 AM, there were
150 shots on the camera. Would there be any good
wildlife pictures?.jpg)
Click
to enlarge: 1024 x 678 pixels, 306
KB
Set on Shutter
Priority with Auto ISO based at ISO 200, the camera
woke itself right on time, adjusted itself to ISO
1600 in the dim early morning light, and
automatically shifted the ISO downward shot by shot
as the morning light increased. (ISO 1400 for this
particular picture.) Nikon D2H photo, Auto ISO,
Shutter Priority set @ 1/100. Lens: Nikon 70-200mm
VR f/2.8 G zoom lens coupled with a Nikkor TC-20EII
teleconverter. VR turned off (as specified while
using a tripod). Compressed NEF (Raw) format
picture processed with Nikon Capture 4
software.
I screeched to
a stop, grabbed my camera, jumped out & hastily
made this long telephoto shot. Thank goodness for
the VR feature (image stabilization) on my lens,
otherwise it would have been blurred for
sure.
Shutter Priority @
1/400th, ISO 200, Nikon 70-200 VR f/2.8 lens @
200mm + Nikon TC17E II teleconverter (340mm total
zoom).
Click
to enlarge: 1200 x 795 pixels
I just couldn't pass up this classic looking
snapshot I saw as I was driving across a bridge in
the Texas Hill Country.
Programmed Auto
Exposure, ISO 200, Nikon 17-55 f/2.8 G
lens.
Click
to enlarge: 1200 x 1812 pixels, 601
KB
Recommended Nikon D2H setup, software, and workflow
My Preferred Camera Settings
Image
Quality Combination Raw
(NEF) plus large (L) sized fine quality jpegs.
Large/Fine Jpegs
shot with Normal Sharpening and Low Tone are easy
to post process. I run them through Photoshop with
my simple Midtone Layer Sharpening Action and love
the results. The NEF files are
digital 'negatives', critical core corrections and
adjustments to white balance, exposure, sharpening,
tone, color space, and much more can easily be done
after the fact on your computer using compatible
Raw software such as Adobe Photoshop, Nikon Capture
4, and others. If my Jpegs are 'off', I correct the
corresponding NEF files in Nikon Capture 4 and save
them as high quality Jpegs within Capture 4 to
overwrite the original Jpeg pictures. Raw
Compression On one hand, many
feel that the disk & memory card space saving
attributes of using compressed files outweigh the
slight highlight clipping & ever-so-slight loss
of quality that occasionally occurs. Compressed
NEFs take up only about half the space of
uncompressed NEFs and (unlike earlier Nikon DSLRs)
write to the D2H's memory card with blazing fast
speeds. On the other hand,
others feel that you probably need all the help you
can get to ensure the best possible picture quality
because you're only shooting with a 4.1 Megapixel
sensor. The bottom
line: If disk &
memory card space is a problem, choose ON. If
maximum quality is your goal, choose
OFF. White
Balance Auto +1. The +1
setting cools off the slightly warm
(brownish-yellow) look and makes everything look
fresher. Image
Sharpening Normal. Normal
in-camera sharpening corrects the basic
blurring/softening effect of the camera's
combination LBCAST low-pass filter & cover
glass without oversharpening the picture. Normal
sharpening produces a clean but slightly soft
picture. For keeper pictures I then add my
Photoshop Midtone Layer Sharpening Action to the
picture to produce sharp / top quality
pictures. Tone Compensation
(Contrast) Low. Low produces
maximum highlight & shadow details. Increase
the tone (contrast) after viewing the picture if
you really think you need to ... I rarely
do. Color
Space I
(sRGB). Hue +3. Eliminates the
slight magenta or red cast and gives more natural
skin tones. Exposure
Compensation None. LCD
Brightness -1. The standard
brightness setting is too bright, giving an
inaccurate visual rendition of exposure on the
camera's LCD screen. I like mine set on -1, I think
it gives the best preview of the true
exposure. Custom Setting
b1 Auto ISO 'On".
On. Auto ISO will not
work effectively in Programmed Auto Exposure or
Aperture Priority shooting. It is designed to be
used for Shutter Priority or Manual Exposure
modes. Here's how Auto ISO
works: Note: Auto ISO does
not work in High 1 (ISO 3200) or High 2 (ISO 6400)
settings. Auto ISO is
WONDERFUL for sports & wildlife shooting where
shutter speed is critical. Example - set your ISO
at 200, set Shutter Priority at 1/250th, and the
camera will hold the 1/250th shutter speed constant
in varying lighting conditions by first regulating
the Aperture (as is the case anytime you shoot
Shutter Priority), then by adjusting the ISO to a
higher setting if there's not enough
light. Custom Setting
d1 Set Continuous Low
Speed Shutter @ 4 fps. A good choice as an option
to compliment the Continuous High Speed setting of
8 fps. Custom Setting
d5 File Number
Sequence "On". Acts as an odometer for the total
number of pictures you've taken with your camera
and prevents the possibility of overwriting an
existing picture in your computer files that might
have the same file number. Custom Setting
e1 Flash Synch Speed
1/250 (FP auto). This setting will enable Nikon
SB-800AF Speedlight to synch all the way up to the
D2H's maximum 1/8000 shutter speed. Custom Setting f
5 (Command Dials) -
I love this one. Once you're inside Custom
Setting f 5, go to "Menus & Playback" and
choose "On". This enables menu selections and image
playback to the Command and Sub Command dials in
addition to the Multi-Selector rocker switch.
Using the Command & Sub Command dials is
especially fast & easy while scrolling through
the pictures you've taken. Now you can just roll
the main Command Dial to scroll through the
pictures, and roll the Sub Command Dial to view the
histogram, highlights, & shooting
data.
Auto ISO
Preselect your desired shutter speed.
In darker scenes, if a wide open aperture still
calls for more light, the Auto ISO system will
automatically adjust the ISO upward between 200
& 1600 until the increased sensitivity just
breaks the correct exposure threshold.
If the pictures are underexposed at ISO 1600,
the shutter speed will need to be reduced.
(Check your histograms for exposure.)
In brighter scenes, the ISO will remain at 200
and the exposure will be regulated by the
aperture.
Shooting Auto ISO / Shutter Priority gives you
up to 11 (eleven) full stops of useful automatic
dynamic exposure range at a single preset
shutter speed on an f/2.8 lens (f/22, f/16,
f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8, ISO 200, ISO 400,
ISO 800, and ISO 1600).*
*Assuming a
maximum useful aperture of f/22. I don't like to
shoot tighter than f/22 because of image quality
issues.
Set your Preset ISO to 640. Select your desired
shutter and aperture settings on your subject
matter using the built-in light meter in your
viewfinder as a guide. The Auto ISO system will
regulate exposure in changing lighting
conditions by automatically adjusting the ISO
upward and downward between 200 & 1600 to
maintain correct exposure. This will give you 1
& 1/2 (one and one half) full stops of
variable exposure compensation on either side of
ISO 640. (On the bottom side ISO 640 to ISO 400
= 1/2 stop, ISO 400 to ISO 200 = 1 stop. On the
top side ISO 640 to ISO 800 = 1/2 stop, ISO 800
to ISO 1600 = 1 stop.)
Continuous Shutter Speed
File Number Sequence
Flash Synch Speed
Command Dial Options
Recommended Software
Nikon Capture (version 4 or newer), Adobe Photoshop (versions 7 or CS), and ThumbsPlus or equivalent cataloging software are the best software investments you can make if you're serious about getting top quality pictures from any Nikon Digital SLR, including the D2H. I've tried & used them all, in my opinion these are the best way to go. Don't bother with Nikon's free Nikon View or Nikon PictureProject software packages, they're slow, cumbersome, and frustrating.
Jpeg Preview Workflow
I recommend creating a separate folder to park the in-camera Jpegs in. The Jpegs are perfect for fast on-screen previews & slide shows on your computer. Review the Jpegs in ThumbsPlus or equivalent software to choose the keepers from the culls. I like to run a slide show for a few continuous loops to get the feel for what I like & don't like. Use the Jpeg folder as a working album to easily find & reference the NEFs you want to use if you need to do some Raw post-processing.
Simple Raw Conversion Workflow
- Open the keeper NEFs in
Nikon Capture 4 software.
- Confirm that Sharpening
is set to Normal.
- Confirm that Tone set at
Low.
- Adjust Exposure
Compensation up or down if necessary.
- Adjust White Balance if
necessary.
- Click on the Photoshop
Icon in the Quick Tools, a copy of the picture will be
sent to and automatically opened up in Adobe Photoshop as
an untitled Tiff file.
- Download & use my
free Midtone Layer Sharpening Action (works on either PC
or Mac, for
Photoshop 5 / 6 / 7*
or for
Photoshop CS & CS2
*) , then do additional work as needed or desired (crop,
clone, healing brush, special effects, etc.), then save
and/or print.
Photoshop Elements users: Sorry, these Actions won't work in Photoshop Elements. The core of the action is based on a modified blending layer, Elements doesn't understand or recognize the modifications.
Flash Photography
- The Nikon SB-600AF or
SB-800AF speedlights are the only flash units that can
take advantage of all of the D2H's advanced flash
photography technologies.
- If you choose an SB-800AF Speedlight, use the piggyback battery holder. The included piggyback battery holder gives you a total of 5 AA batteries for dramatically faster flash recycling times.
Lens Release Button Warning !!
Be careful with the D2H's BIG lens release button. Many (including me) have experienced accidental lens loosening or catastrophic lens releases while shooting in the field. Sometimes, when you least expect it, you'll accidentally nudge the camera's lens release button and your lens will slowly and unexpectedly loosen, possibly even fall off the camera. (!!!)
Be sure to check your lens from time to time to be certain it's securely locked to the camera body.