pfb:

I have to agree with you about the non intuitive nature of digital camera interfaces, they're a pain in the ass! In similar vein whilst I love my F90 ( N90 on your side of the pond), it doesn't hold a candle to the F4 IMHO. The F4 is just a perfect blend of the old and new technology, having a conventional shutter dial and not overburdened with numerous silly 'modes'. I love the weight of it too, being quite heavy, it's a help when you're really pushing it with hand held longish exposure times.

Re. the 1.6X multiplier, I'm in such a quandary.. I really don't like the idea of my Nikon 24mm wide angle becoming a 38.4mm!

Re. AA battery usage, you really need to get a set of rechargable NimH batteries and charger. They're not expensive and you'll be amazed at the improvement.

 

KinchS2K:

I agree with you, I can't believe they haven't tackled this issue of change in focal length. Given the speed of progress in technology these days, I can well imagine forking out big bucks for a D1X, and then Nikon launch a new model a month later with the problem cracked!

 

I've already aclimated to the multiplier problem. It's actually 1.5X.
As for the menus, It only took a few minutes to learn the functions on the back panel. The rest was just like any other SLR. I was really suprized the learning curve was so short. I too expected it to be difficult.
One of my favorite benefits is the data overhead. All the details of every shot are stored along with the image. I constantly learn from my history.
And the histogram is a distinct advantage also. When faced with a difficult composition/exposure, you just fire off a shot and look at the histogram to see where your highs and lows fall. Or fire off a bunch of shots. Bracketing exposures no longer burns film.