Nikon D-1

by R.L. Bloom
(Orrtanna, PA)

My first experience with digital was using an original Nikon D-1. It was a conversion to digital for a newspaper where I shot as a freelancer.

I was shooting with my personal Nikon F-5 film camera at the time. So even though the D-1 was digital it was a step down from the F-5.

The D-1 was slow, the battery was horrible - you could not get an eight hour shift out of it (barely 36 images) and it was expensive and did not like damp weather.

It died after getting damp at a sporting event. Adios to a piece of expensive JUNK!

I guess Nikon had to start somewhere.

I now use D-100's. They are a great camera for the price and are very durable and priced right. It is no longer available unfortunately!


Clearly you were a pioneer of digital photography. It's true, those early digital SLRs were awful - it's amazing anyone bothered.

But we're glad folks like yourself did bother; because if you hadn't the manufacturers would have stopped production there and then.

Because people were using these cameras (warts and all!) it created a market, which led to the developments we have seen over the years.

So a collective 'thank you' for being brave enough to use an early digital SLR!

Darrell.