Shawn M Tomlinson

Going Pro for $200: Revisiting the Nikon D1 Shawn M Tomlinson

You've heard about the wonders of the professional digital single-lens reflex cameras, how they handle, how they feel in your hands. You've looked at Internet reviews and sample images. You've oooed and ahhhed at every curve, button and dial on the pro DSLRs. Let's face it: you've drooled. So have I. But those prices. Yikes. Never did you think as a photographer enthusiast or wedding photographer or weekend photographer that a pro DSLR - a Canon 1Dx, a Nikon D3x or a Nikon D4s - was within reach. In fact, you can put your hands on a professional DSLR body and a lens for around $200 if you really want to know what all the fuss is about. No, I'm not talking about a Nikon D4s that, ah, "fell off a truck" somewhere. I'm talking about the very first, ground-up DSLR for the professional market. The Nikon D1. Many may scoff, but there are good reasons to acquire this pro DSLR that once cost $6,000 when it was new in 1999. The first reason is you can get one now for around $100.