Nikon D100 DSLR Camera Body {6.1MP}

Nikon D100: The APS-C CCD Body That Brought Nikon Glass to Digital

The D100 paired a 6-megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with the full Nikon F mount, giving film shooters a straightforward path into digital without abandoning their lens collection. That 1.5x focal length multiplier meant a 50mm suddenly framed like a short telephoto, a detail portrait and event shooters coming from Nikon film bodies figured out fast.

Exposure control is fully manual-friendly: aperture priority, shutter priority, and a shutter range from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec cover everything from static long exposures to daylight action. The pentaprism optical viewfinder delivers 95% coverage, and ISO runs 200-1600, giving enough latitude for available-light interiors without leaving the native range. A pop-up flash with 11m range and a hot-shoe for wireless external flash units round out the lighting toolkit for anyone shooting weddings or documentary work where supplemental light matters.

Storage runs on CompactFlash Type I or II cards, and RAW capture is supported alongside Fine, Normal, and Basic JPEG quality levels, giving photographers the choice between processing latitude and card economy. The 1.8-inch, 118,000-dot LCD is basic by later standards, but it was built for reviewing exposure and composition, not chimping detail.

For photographers building a digital body around existing Nikon F glass, the D100 remains a mechanically sound, historically significant way to do it.

Who It's For

Photographers with a bag of Nikon F-mount lenses looking to shoot digital without switching systems will find the D100's native F mount and 1.5x crop factor a direct bridge from film habits to digital workflow. Landscape and travel shooters benefit from the RAW capture option and 3:2 image ratio for full compositional control in post. Event and documentary photographers gain flexibility from the hot-shoe-mounted wireless external flash support and shutter priority mode for tracking a range of lighting situations. Anyone studying the early history of digital SLR design will appreciate a body built around a 6.0-megapixel APS-C CCD sensor from the era when Nikon first made digital capture practical for working photographers.

Key Features

• 6.0MP APS-C CCD sensor with 1.5x focal length multiplier
• Full Nikon F mount for film-era lens compatibility
• Shutter speed range from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec
• ISO 200-1600 native range
• Aperture priority and shutter priority modes
• Optical pentaprism viewfinder with 95% coverage
• RAW and JPEG capture with three quality levels
• 3.0 fps burst rate on CompactFlash Type I or II cards

FAQ

What's the sensor in the D100?

A 6-megapixel APS-C CCD with a 1.5x focal length multiplier, made by Sony. The active pixels are 3000 x 2000, and it shoots in a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Can I use my Nikon F-mount lenses on the D100?

Yes, the D100 has a full Nikon F mount, so any F-mount lens from your film body will work. The 1.5x crop factor means your effective focal length stretches, so a 50mm becomes equivalent to 75mm.

What are the exposure controls like?

Full manual control with aperture priority and shutter priority modes. Shutter speed ranges from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec, and ISO runs 200-1600, enough for available-light work without leaving the native range.

How does the viewfinder compare to film SLRs?

It's an optical pentaprism with 95% coverage and 0.8x magnification, so it feels familiar if you've shot Nikon film bodies. Not as bright as a professional F5, but solid for composition and focus.

What file formats does the D100 support?

RAW capture plus JPEG in three quality levels: Fine, Normal, and Basic. You can choose between processing latitude with RAW or save card space with JPEG.

What cards does it use and how fast can it shoot?

CompactFlash Type I or II cards. Burst rate is 3 fps, which was respectable for 2002. RAW files are substantial, so card capacity matters for long shoots.

Is there built-in flash and wireless sync?

Yes, a pop-up flash with 11m range, plus a hot-shoe for external flash units. The camera supports wireless external flash, so you can trigger off-camera lights for wedding and documentary work.