D100 disappointing

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week, expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs were fine.)

Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp" is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist at far lower prices.

I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They acknowledge this in the manual.)

Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot. That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.

I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.

For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100 ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no difference. Amazing.)

I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

I have also returned the D100 today with it's overall poor performance and will be continue to use my F100 (far superior)

PEOPLE NEED TO ACCEPT THAT THE CAMERA IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD!!!!

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)
Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is
spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come
close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp"
is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam
that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when
trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is
prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting
than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that
consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist
at far lower prices.
I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and
medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the
AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see
the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side
of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock
focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed
in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They
acknowledge this in the manual.)
Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure
settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and
forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot.
That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.
I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the
shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get
a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking
on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.
For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality
digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much
better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I
returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot
with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100
ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I
asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave
combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less
than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable
on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no
difference. Amazing.)
I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced
with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by
tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in
Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon
is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the
D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much
compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next
generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film
is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

Click to expand...

What neg scanner are you using?
Would you recommend it?

very depressing news; I would like to know how many would give it a thumbs up vs thumbs down w/a comment on whether you are an amateur smei--pro or pro

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)
Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is
spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come
close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp"
is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam
that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when
trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is
prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting
than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that
consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist
at far lower prices.
I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and
medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the
AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see
the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side
of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock
focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed
in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They
acknowledge this in the manual.)
Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure
settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and
forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot.
That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.
I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the
shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get
a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking
on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.
For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality
digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much
better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I
returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot
with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100
ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I
asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave
combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less
than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable
on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no
difference. Amazing.)
I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced
with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by
tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in
Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon
is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the
D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much
compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next
generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film
is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

Click to expand...

Bob Potasky said:

What neg scanner are you using?
Would you recommend it?

Click to expand...

I use the Nikon Coolscan 2000, bought a couple years ago new for $1500. I see them now on Ebay in the range of $700. Although there's a newer model out, the 4000, with 4000 dpi rather than my 2700 dpi, I have not been moved to upgrade. The 2000 does a fantastic job, particularly when you kick in the electronic dust removal option. Prints on my 1270 up to 11 x 14 (the largest that printer will make) look fabulous. The software that comes with the scanner is also excellent ... allowing for many pre-scan sizing and histogram adjustments before you make your scan. There's debate about whether you're better off adjusting pre-scan or post-scan in photoshop. My experience has been the better the pre-scan, the better the final print, less artifacting.

Only other major difference to be considered between the 2000 and 4000 is the computer connection. 2000 requires a scsi card (which I believe was included with scanner, but if not, not very expensive.) 4000 will work with firewire, obviously a much faster connection if your computer takes firewire.

JimL

JimL said:

JimL said:

Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot. That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I agree here.

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)
Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is
spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come
close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp"
is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam
that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when
trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is
prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting
than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that
consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist
at far lower prices.
I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and
medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the
AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see
the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side
of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock
focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed
in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They
acknowledge this in the manual.)
Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure
settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and
forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot.
That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.
I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the
shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get
a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking
on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.
For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality
digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much
better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I
returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot
with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100
ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I
asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave
combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less
than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable
on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no
difference. Amazing.)
I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced
with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by
tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in
Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon
is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the
D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much
compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next
generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film
is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

Click to expand...

D100 is a definite "thumbs sideways."

It's a good backup unit.

Su M. said:

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)
Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is
spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come
close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp"
is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam
that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when
trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is
prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting
than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that
consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist
at far lower prices.
I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and
medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the
AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see
the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side
of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock
focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed
in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They
acknowledge this in the manual.)
Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure
settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and
forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot.
That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.
I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the
shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get
a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking
on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.
For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality
digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much
better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I
returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot
with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100
ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I
asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave
combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less
than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable
on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no
difference. Amazing.)
I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced
with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by
tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in
Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon
is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the
D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much
compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next
generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film
is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Interesting post. I'd be more likely to give it more credibility had 90% of it not been complaining about the assist beam which can be turned off easily.

Also IMO the white balance in auto mode on the D100 is likley different than the 990. You've been shooting with the 990 for a while, and IMO one can not expect the white balance to behave the same accross models.

I've also noticed that the consumer models are MUCH more tolerent as they are designed for users who may not understand anything. So it's likely that had you taken the time to learn the camera, you would have discovered that the white balance on the D100 is much superior, and more flexible than the 990. Usually flexibility comes with a price, more learing curve.

The banding is definately a reason to return the camera. But IMO not to dump it. The F100 is a fine camera, no doubt. But I've NEVER shot so much, or had as much fun as I did on vacation with a camera (D1x/E10) where I could change the ISO in a blink, and did not worry about the massive amount of shooting I was doing (which would have cost me an utter fortune in film and processing).

A digital SLR (even my E10) far outweights any minor complaints that you should have vs. shooting that 990. I just can not STAND shooting with a camera where I have no idea if the image is even in focus!

I've shot with the D100, the 990, own a D1x, and an E10. Digital is here (which is why I'm on this forum). The 990 is a big step down from the E10, and IMO the E10 is a step down from the D100. The D1x is in a class by itself as a pro level camera with 5mpix output, and pro shooting features.

Have fun with the film and that aging 990. I think you have a bit of a wait until Nikon makes a better camera than the D100 for the money, or lowers the price of the D1x or whatever comes next.

Ron

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)

Click to expand...

--- most of the other stuff is an over simplification and the first thing I did was turn of that dorky, seriously dorky AF assistant white beam - about three seconds it lasted on my camera.

Obviously if you have a flaky CCD clock – as evident by the banding – that alone would be enough to cause a lot more image problems – the D100 has banding ever so slightly below the surface and it can manifest itself in some situations – in nearly all such banding a firmware to reset the various clocks to synchronicity is a relatively small fix. The D100 does need a firmware – I’m sure Nikon are working on one.

I’ve used mine now for one week exactly – this evening I visited the RFA Argus aviation helicopter carrier where our Lord Mayor, Admiral of the Fleet in Cork Harbour was guest off honour at a reception with the ship’s captain. In a low and piercing sun on the flight deck I photographed the dignitaries in front of the Lynx helicopters using the D100 & SB80DX and the D1x & SB28Dx – all on P D-TTL matrix – guess what files I sent to print?

Now consider the scene – low strong light, hard shadows and an almost backlight subject against a grey superstructure and grey helicopters. Well I sent the best files – those from the D100.

Hi Jim,

Take a look at this, 'Chasseur d'Images' published a test between the D60, D100 and S2 today and also compared the images to a scanned slide (XY15 Agfa scanner):

http://www.photim.net/Infos/Info-DPI.htm

With very kind regards,

Dirk

http://www.pbase.com/dievee

Looks to me like a very sloppy comparision. Not much effort to maintain consistent exposure and focus. The film scan looks particularly bad - much worse than what I'm sure is possible in the hands of a skilled operator.

• DL

Dirk Vermeirre said:

Hi Jim,

Take a look at this, 'Chasseur d'Images' published a test between
the D60, D100 and S2 today and also compared the images to a
scanned slide (XY15 Agfa scanner):

http://www.photim.net/Infos/Info-DPI.htm

With very kind regards,

Dirk

http://www.pbase.com/dievee

Click to expand...

You don't seem to mind correcting your negative scans, but you don't want to correct your digital scans. All I can say, is I get beautiful portraits, landscapes, animal, architectural and art images with my D100 using NEF files. Most require 2-3 minutes of very basic tweaking in Nikon Capture 3 and Photoshop 7. It takes me on average 10-15 minutes with my Coolscan 4000ED and Vivid Details Test Strip to get a scan of a negative right. Sometimes I can't save the negative for my life--mostly Kodak Portra 160. I can do scan slides more quickly, maybe 5 minutes for most, but managing D100 images is more fun and quicker.

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)
Auto color balance not nearly as accurate as my 990, which is
spot-on in just about every environment. The D100 didn't even come
close in broad daylight. In dimly lit areas. the "AF assist lamp"
is, for me, unacceptable. Not infrared, but a white light beam
that shoots out like a small, cheap flashlight. Worthless when
trying to take high ISO photos in dark environments where flash is
prohibited. (The beam of AF assist light is even more distracting
than a fast burst of flash.) Absurd when you consider that
consumer grade cameras (like the Olympus 4040) have infrared assist
at far lower prices.
I use two great Nikon lenses with my F100, the silent wave wide and
medium zooms. Used on the D100, the barrels get in the way of the
AF assist beam. Frustrating to look through the viewfinder and see
the sector you've designated for focus is dark, but the other side
of the frame is lit by the assist beam, so the camera can't lock
focus. The pop-up flash can only be used with these lenses zoomed
in a bit. Otherwise, you get a shadow from the lens barrel. (They
acknowledge this in the manual.)
Too many controls on one dial. White balance, ISO, and exposure
settings all on one. Turn the dial to adjust white balance and
forget to turn the dial back to A,S, or P? Camera won't shoot.
That plastic dial is going to wear out fast.
I still can't believe Nikon hasn't figured a way to hold the
shutter-mirror back without AC power for sensor cleaning if you get
a dust spot. This has been a problem since the D1. Nerve-wracking
on important exterior shoots requiring frequent lens changing.
For me, it's back to scanning my film negatives for high quality
digital imaging. (I used a D1x on rental once and liked it much
better than the D100, just too expensive to buy. FYI, when I
returned the rental D1x, I showed the clerks two 8x10's, one shot
with the D1x, the other with the 990. Both shot fine jpeg, 100
ISO, both identically framed, both printed on an Epson 1270. I
asked them to pick the photo shot with the $7000 D1x silent wave
combination. They picked the one shot with the Nikon 990, now less
than $500. I'm sure the difference would have been more noticeable
on a larger print, or at a higher ISO, but with well-lit 8x10's, no
difference. Amazing.)
I obviously realize that all of the above problems I experienced
with the D100 (except the banding) could be "lived with" by
tweaking settings, using an external flash, manipulating in
Photoshop and just "getting used to it." I also realize that Nikon
is positioning the D100 not as a "pro camera" replacement for the
D1x, but as a "serious amateur" compromise. Well, there's too much
compromise for me. At this point, I'd rather wait for the next
generation and continue to trust my never-disappointing F100. Film
is not dead ... not for me yet anyway.

Click to expand...

--
Francisco

re-evaluate all fourty-thousand images I took with the D100 for banding.

It's a shame because until I read this, I thought my images were pretty good.

What a let down :> (

Does this mean I should recall the pictures I sold and disappoint the people who where happy with them?
--
http://www.pbase.com/mngatorguy

LOL!
Good job!
Regards,
Brent

The D100 really shouldn't be bad, but having used one for a long time and now having a D70s for a while, I can say I prefer the D70s. Auto White Balance works great, the built-in flash is decent; photos with the SB800 are very good. The camera is just plain fun and easy to use; and a ton of very good photographers have posted many tons of very good photos from D70(s) all over the Web. Someone here said that the D70(s) is going to be a legend, and I'm inclined to agree. It's not the perfect camera (some people don't like the viewfinder - but after living with a Coolpix the view finder should be acceptable; and by the way, I'm a fan of the Coolpix line - the 5700 view finder is primitive, but in good light with a stationary subject you can take a beautiful photo). Anyway, I think anyone who can operate an F100 should find the D70s to be a very enjoyable camera.

Alternatively, the D200 might be for you; it has a beautiful user interface (I think maybe among the very best of any Nikon body ever.) And it has plenty of proponents here (one nice thing about the D200 is that it won't be hard to get someone to respond to any thread you post). But back to the D70s: for about the same $ or less than a D100, it's a great camera.

the date that he posted that!
Jose

not sure what you pay for a d100 these days, but do you feel that at that price level a d100 is a sensible choice?? it is fairly dated now. why not a d70 used, or a new d70s? even a d50 might hold its own for you.

what i am asking i guess is how did you choose a d100 with all the other choices out there?

again i never had a d100. i have a d70 and a d200 so i dont personally know that camera, but i never considered it as an option in the last 2 years.

--
http://www.pbase.com/mngatorguy

JimL said:

First the good news. I received my pre-ordered D100 last week,
expecting to be thrilled at moving beyond my Nikon 990 into the
digital SLR world.
Now the bad news. I shipped the D100 back for a refund yesterday.
Biggest problem .... banding on images shot in TIFF mode (Jpegs
were fine.)

Click to expand...

.. couldn't let this post pass w/o comment, although I can't comment on your banding problem. However, I don't have a clue what in the world you would want a tiff file for, when you can shoot RAW? I can understand some people shooting jpegs under some conditions, but tiff offers no advantages and many disatvantages ..

.. for the rest of your "problems", reading the manual would help. I've been using my D100 for over two years, and I find it to be a remarkably capable camera - I will admit that I am still learning how to still exploit its capabilities. Hey, if you turn the dial to reset ISO, and forget to turn it back to whatever mode you want to use, be happy it won't let you shoot ..

Apparently your D100 went back to the store, but in no way did you give that camera a fair trial. Regardless of what DSLR camera you might subsequently buy, you need to learn how to use it. The D100 out of the box is 'set' to expose to the left to preserve highlights. Levels/Curve adjustments can easily move the histogram to the right to get the most out of your picture, or you can load up custom curves to "improve' out of camera results. With RAW and/or custom settings you can easily get your camera to provide amazing results, but the camera is a pretty powerful machine - it takes a while to learn how to use it relative to the type of shooting you do .. as somebody else noted, with complexity comes a steeper learning curve - but it is a curve worth climbing.

.. I'd suggest turning down the 'impulsivity' regardless of what your next camera may be, and take some time to learn how to exploit it's capabilities ..