Nikon is a Japanese company specializing in optics and imaging. Nikon F100 - 1999 Nikon F3AF - 1983 Nikon F4. Accessories and Serial Numbers of 'every' Nikkor.

Nikon D100 Text and photos by Jarle Aasland My first brand new DSLR camera. I was not alone. The D100 was first announced on February 21, 2002, just before the opening of the PMA (Photo Marketing Association Annual Show) in Orlando. Being Nikon's first consumer priced Digital SLR camera, it attracted a lot of attention from the photographic community. It became immediately clear that Nikon had designed a very attractive and, relatively speaking, affordable camera. Priced at $1999 (in the US - I paid a lot more), the D100 became the second six megapixel DSLR to break the $2000 barrier, following the Canon EOS D60.

With its six megapixel (3008x2000) sensor, the D100 (later supplemented by the D70) was Nikon's highest resolution camera until the 12.4 megapixel flagship model D2X was announced in September 2004. The D100 was available until the summer of 2005, or so, when it was silently discontinued. There's plenty of technical information and D100 reviews online, so I won't repeat data that can be easily found elsewhere.

I've provided a few links below. Family resemblance The camera body had much in common with the Nikon F80 (N80), but Nikon typically preferred to mention it in the same breath as the F100. This caused a bit of controversy among some people, as if it really mattered. One reviewer wrote: «Forget about the D100 model number and the pathetic attempt at associating it with the very fine Nikon F100 film camera.» Being a completely new digital camera, smaller than Nikon's previous pro bodies, the inside of the D100 had to be designed from scratch.

Tsutomu Wakabayashi, Nikon's chief designer and development leader for the D100, provides some interesting insight in a «Behind the scenes» article on Nikon's own web site. Interestingly, Mr. Wakabayashi was also the development leader for the F80 (N80). A coincidence?

Still, according to the article, the D100 was designed from scratch. Being asked if the D100 is supposed to be 'a digital F100', Mr. Wakabayashi replies: «I guess you might say that. The D1 series contains Nikon's top-of-the-line digital cameras.

So those cameras are at a premium price, and they have big, substantial bodies. Some people shy away from them.

On the other hand, the F100 is a compact, lightweight version of the high-performance F5. In that respect, the relationship between the D1 and D100 is similar to that of the F5 and F100.» Anyway, it's easy to see the family resemblance with Mr. Wakabayashi's F80 (N80), and I think most people will agree that the D100 is closer to the F80 than the F100. Revolution The D100 was undobtedly a revolutionary camera, bringing a high resolution DSLR camera within reach for ordinary people, i.e.

Amateurs and professionals with limited budgets. In their PMA 2002 show report, dpreview.com wrote: «This year we saw Nikon and Canon go head to head with affordable six megapixel Digital SLR's, this created a lot of buzz among visitors and will undoubtedly be the catalyst for many existing 'system owners' (people who own either companies lenses) to get into digital photography.» And later, in Phil Askey's D100 review from July 2002: «So here we are, in 2002 with no less than four new high resolution digital SLR's, the first three of which are now making their way into end users hands. The most amazing thing is that we're looking at six megapixel digital SLR's at or around the US$2,000 mark. Pretty stunning when you consider Kodak were selling six megapixel D-SLR's for $16,000 as recently as August 2000.» Digital photography had come a long way. My epson portal download free. In just a few years, digital DSLRs started replacing 35mm film cameras. On January 11, 2006, Nikon announced it would stop making most of its film camera products: «Nikon Corporation has made the decision to focus management resources on digital cameras in place of film cameras.

This decision will allow Nikon to continue to develop products that match the demands of an increasingly competitive market place.» I digress, but you get the point: The D100 was an important camera. Replacing my Nikon Coolpix 990 with a D100 was a dream come true. The D100, seen here with a 50mm lens, was Nikon's first consumer priced DSLR. © 2007 Jarle Aasland/NikonWeb.com. A new World Back in 2002 I was still shooting film with my old trusted F4, and having digital fun with a Coolpix 990. The 3.3 megapixel top of the line Coolpix was a decent camera, but it was no SLR. I knew it was only a matter of time before Nikon would release it's first consumer DSLR, and had decided to buy one long before the D100 was announced.