Feedback: New Nikon 1 System: V1 & J1 Cameras, plus Lenses

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Alright photo geeks. Indeed, Nikon just announced their new line of compact cameras, the “1” series. Two bodies — the V1 and the J1 — along with four lenses: a 10mm f/2.8, 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6, 30-110mm f/3.8-f/5, and 10-100mm f/4.5-5.5 “power zoom” lens.

Here’s some highlighted specs on the beefier V1 in case you haven’t heard:

_12mp, CMOS sensor
_1080HD video (30, 60i frame rates…can get 60p at 720HD)
_RAW file + jpg (5 fps)
_SD card
_ISO 100 – 3200, 6400 hi
_$899.95 retail price

Confession: Its no secret that I dig little cameras, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these!, but please note I HAVE NOT touched one of these cameras, nor been briefed in detail about them.

So.. We (I ?) knew this was coming, but rather than me spouting off about having played with the system (I can’t), or telling you what your feelings about this system should be (I won’t), I’m turning the tables on you.

What’s your take? Love, hate, indifferent? Insights?

[Just a hunch, but your comments on this post – glowing or otherwise – might help inform Nikon about what your thinking.]

Link to so more info here via B&H.

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138 replies on:
Feedback: New Nikon 1 System: V1 & J1 Cameras, plus Lenses

  1. It’s as expensive as some DSLR’s and has a sensor with a 2.7x crop factor. We all know image quality is directly related to sensor/film size. I appreciate the small camera size but I think I’d pick the S100 at half the cost!

  2. My first camera was the Lumix G1. I loved it. The feel, the compact size, the 14-45mm lens felt great. The things that bugged me were the quality of the lenses available, the stability issues, the speed, and the ISO capacity. I upgraded to a Canon 60D afterwards and have really learned the difference better lenses and a sturdier body makes to an image. I’m really glad Nikon was deterred by the flaws in the 4/3 Panasonic range, and gave this system a go. They’ve started with a bang, and from what I can see this camera will blow the Lumix range right out of the water. I predict Canon will come along with something slightly better, and after the second generation of these cameras we’ll see a massive improvement in camera manufacturing across the spectrum.

  3. I don’t mind having this camera as a 2nd camera for events. The plus is this camera will adapt F-mount lens. I only wish they would put a larger sensor on there.

  4. I’m as big a Nikon fanboy as you’ll find, but I think they dropped the ball on this one. They came to the party too late, and the date they brought just puked in the punchbowl.

    The sensor size is way too small to be a serious contender against PanOlympus and Sony, and the camera just feels FLIMSY. I’ve played with the J1 and it feels way too plasticky and fragile. My GF1 takes a beating daily, bouncing around in my bag, getting used in all sorts of conditions, and it still keeps ticking happily along. The J1 feels like one tiny tumble and it’s curtains. Hopefully the V1 will be built from sterner stuff, but I’m not holding my breath.

    The way I summed it up to a colleague, whereas the PanOlympus m43s feel like a step down from entry-level dSLRs (in terms of price, quality, and utility), these feel like a tiny step up from P&S compacts. They’re MILCs built for the iPod crowd (sleek and slick and plastic) rather than serious m43 competitors.

    This wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, if not for the fact that they’re priced WAY too high for what they are. Unless Nikon lops a few hundred off of each price tag, I can’t see why anyone would want to get this instead of the latest GF, EP, or NEX.

    1. Oh, and p.s.? The popup flash on the J1 looks like E.T.’s head–a tiny rectangle on a long, flimsy piece of plastic. Kudos for getting the flash further away from the sensor, but it’s just BEGGING to snap off at some point. Even pushing it back into the body feels like you’re about to break it.

    2. I still think there’s a space for rugged, professional build mirrorless cameras with manual controls to please pros and advanced amateura (specially because the latest GFs from panasonic clearly are targeting mass market with all those touchscreen features). Nikon and Canon could invest heavily there, but apparently Nikon didn’t…

      1. Oh there’s definitely a place for exactly that type of camera. And I do love my GF1 something fierce. Nikon just apparently decided to go for the party crowd with this camera. Because really, that’s the only place I can see these getting use.

      2. YES.

        Build that shit like a brick shit house and I’m all over it. Think rangefinder only practical.

    3. This camera IS NOT targeted at you. So how would you know that the price is TOO HIGH???

      Also why would an iPhone user want a Nikon 1. You can upload photos/videos to FaceSpace from an iPhone … you can’t do that with the new Nikon.

  5. It’s a pretty interesting set of capabilities in a fairly ugly package. I’m interested in it because it’s light weight. As a landscape photographer I’m always looking for ways to reduce what I carry on a long backpacking trip.

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