Nikon announces DL expert compacts with 1″ sensor
Nikon introduces the DL line of expert compact cameras, equipped with 1″ sensors, fast lenses, and tilting screens.
Nikon DL18-50
A promising lineup… never released
Unveiled with great enthusiasm in 2016, the Nikon DL18-50 and DL24-85 were part of an ambitious line of high-end compacts designed to rival the Sony RX100 and Canon G models of the same era. Nikon was betting on the image quality of the 1″ sensor, fast lenses, and a design aimed at discerning photographers.
But despite enticing specs and high expectations, these cameras never hit the market. Officially, Nikon announced in February 2017 the cancellation of the launch due to “unexpected technical challenges” and concerns over profitability. A rare decision in the industry, leaving photography enthusiasts with a sense of unfinished business.
The DL models have since become mythical cameras, objects of fascination among gear aficionados. They mark a strategic turning point for Nikon at a transitional time, when smartphones were gaining ground and the compact camera market was becoming increasingly uncertain.
Years later, these pages still attract interest—a sign that the Nikon DL cameras continue to inspire, for what they promised and what they could have become.
A high-end compact designed for creative freedom
The Nikon DL18-50 features an ultra-wide-angle zoom 18–50 mm (35mm/FX equivalent), with an aperture of f/1.8 at 18mm and f/2.8 at 50mm. The 1-inch CX-format sensor with 20.8 megapixels allows for images with very shallow depth of field. A built-in Perspective Control function enables distortion correction directly in-camera. Video is also well supported, with 4K/UHD recording at 30/25p.
Specifications
| Type | Compact digital camera |
| Effective pixels | 20.8 million (Image processing may reduce the number of effective pixels.) |
| Image sensor | 1.0-in type, 13.2 mm x 8.8 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon CX format), total pixels: approx. 23.27 million |
| Lens | NIKKOR lens with 2.8x optical zoom |
| Focal length | 6.7 to 18.5 mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 18-50 mm lens in 35 mm [135] format) |
| F-number | f/1.8 to 2.8 |
| Lens construction | 11 elements in 8 groups (2 ED lens elements) |
| Magnification | Up to 4 x (angle of view equivalent to that of approx. 200 mm lens in 35 mm [135] format) |
| Vibration reduction | Lens-shift (still images), Lens shift and electronic VR (movies) |
| Autofocus | Hybrid autofocus (phase-detection/contrast-detect AF) |
| Focus range | [W]: Approx. 15 cm to infinity, [T]: Approx. 16 cm to infinity, Macro close-up mode: Approx. 2 cm to infinity (wide-angle position), or 16 cm to infinity (telephoto position) (All distances measured from center of front surface of lens) |
| AF-area mode | Auto-area (auto selection from 41 focus areas), single-point, subject tracking, face-priority function |
| Monitor | 7.5 cm (3-in.) diagonal; Approx. 1037k-dot, OLED touch screen with 5-level brightness adjustment |
| Storage media | SD, SDHC, SDXC |
| File system | DCF and Exif 2.3 compliant |
| Storage file formats | Still images: JPEG, RAW (NEF) (Nikon’s own format); Movies: MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo) |
| Image size (pixels) | L 5568 × 3712; 20.6 M M 4176 × 2784; 11.6 M S 2784 × 1856; 5.1 M 16:9 5568 × 3136; 17.4 M 1:1 3712 × 3712; 13.8 M |
| ISO sensitivity | ISO 160 to 6400, ISO 6400 (NR), 12800, 12800 (NR) (available when using P, S, A, M, or U mode) |
| Exposure metering | Matrix, center-weighted, spot |
| Exposure control | Programmed auto exposure with flexible program, shutter-priority auto, aperture-priority auto, manual, exposure bracketing Exposure compensation (Still images: -3.0 to +3.0 EV in steps of 1/3 EV, +3.0 to +5.0 EV/-5.0 to -3.0 EV in steps of 1 EV, Movies: -3.0 to +3.0 EV in steps of 1/3 EV) |
| Shutter type | Mechanical and CMOS electronic shutter |
| Shutter speed | 1/16000 to 30 s, Mechanical shutter: 1/2000 to 30 s, Electronic shutter: 1/16000 to 30 s, Time shooting: Maximum 120 s (when m mode is set.) |
| Aperture | Electromagnetic 7-blade iris diaphragm |
| Aperture range | 20 steps of 1/3 EV (W) (A, M mode) |
| Self-timer | Can be selected from 10 s and 2 s |
| USB | Micro-USB connector, Do not use any USB cable other than the included UC-E21 USB Cable.), Hi-Speed USB Supports Direct Print (PictBridge) |
| HDMI output | HDMI micro connector (Type D) |
| Audio input | Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter; plug-in power supported) |
| Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) standards | IEEE 802.11b/g (standard wireless LAN protocol) |
| Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) operating frequency | 2412 to 2462 MHz (1 to 11 channels) |
| Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) security | Open system, WPA2-PSK |
| Bluetooth standards | Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1 |
| Supported languages | Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (European and Brazilian), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese |
| Charging time | Approx. 2 h 30 min (when using Charging AC Adapter EH-73P and when no charge remains) |
| Battery life | Approx. 260 shots when using EN-EL24 |
| Actual battery life for movie recording | Approx. 45 min when using EN-EL24 |
| Tripod socket | 1/4 (ISO 1222) |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | Approx. 106 x 63 x 57.5 mm (excluding projections) |
| Weight | Approx. 359 g (including battery and memory card) |
| Operating environment – temperature | 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) |
| Operating environment – humidity | 85% or less (no condensation) |
Source: Nikon DL18-50
Nikon DL24-85
The DL24-85, for its part, is equipped with a NIKKOR 24–85 mm f/1.8–2.8 lens and a Super Macro function.
Source: Nikon DL24-85
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