The Nikon D1
June 1999
A 2.7-megapixel digital SLR built by Nikon itself for under $6,000, much less than earlier models. It moved news photography to digital.
How it began
Earlier digital SLRs were Kodak conversions of film cameras and cost $15,000 or more. In 1999 Nikon launched its own design, the D1, at about $5,500.
How it works
Its CCD sensor measured 23.7×15.6 mm, close to the APS film frame, so lenses gave a narrower view than on 35mm: a crop factor of 1.5. It could shoot four and a half frames per second, fast enough for sport.
Why it mattered
News agencies switched in large numbers, and within a few years film had almost gone from newsrooms. Its sensor size, which Nikon called DX, became the APS-C standard.
Limits and what replaced it
Its 2.7 megapixels were enough for newspapers but not for large prints. Its successors, and full-frame cameras, overtook it within a few years.
Today
Its DX sensor size became APS-C, the most common interchangeable-lens format.