The Mirrorless Nikon Arrives

<p>So now the worst kept secret for a long time is here, who is interested enough to buy one? Is it what you had wanted or hoped for?</p>

<p><a href="http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/acil/index.htm">The Nikon page.</a></p>

<p>Attached is Nikon USA's press release.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/1109/11092120nikonlaunch.asp">Bodies</a>, <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/1109/11092115nikonlenses.asp">Lenses</a>, and <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9716229576/why-make-a-small-sensor-mirrorless-camera">Why 2.7x crop sensor</a>. Now we'll wait for some hands-on reviews and actual image quality evaluations. Not sold on the V1 exterior design, particularly for a, "Ground up."</p>

 

<p>Hmmm. They've obviously put a lot of work into this, and the new AF strategy is interesting. But I'm just not sure I could actually <em>use</em> a camera with those ergonomics. Will be really interesting to see some field tests and comments from the hands-on folks.</p>

<p>Nikon Japan's new articles:</p>

<ul>

<li>On the cameras: <a href="http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_digital_01.htm">http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_digital_01.htm</a></li>

<li>Lenses: <a href="http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_lens_02.htm">http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_lens_02.htm</a></li>

<li>Accessories: there is a new flash and new GPS unit: <a href="http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_acc_03.htm">http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/0921_acc_03.htm</a></li>

</ul>

 

<p>I too would like to see some demo of how to use the interface. It seems like you have too FEW options. If you have all the interchangeable lens, there must be more than a point and click set of controls.</p>

<p>...and at $649, it better be more than that.</p>

 

<p>It seems that the new AP_C format sensor (like 2.7 crop factor?), is even smaller than the 4/3 cameras, yet provides ISO-3200 as standard. Even though perhaps it is not geared for PRO photographers, but rather for the "uncle Bob". It is expensive for the pocket size camera.<br>

As alway the truth is in the pudding... let's wait and see the real life usage and picture quality.<br>

It is good to have some variations.</p>

<p>The new sensor format is called <strong>CX</strong>, verses FX and DX. It is 13.2x8.8mm with a 2.7x "crop factor."</p>

<p>First impression - disappointingly ugly...</p>

<p>oh man... Finally some Nikon news and I must agree those cameras look horrible. I sure hope that the real things are much better looking than those photos show.</p>

<p>I just noticed also that the sensors are so much smaller than the competition... how disappointing. I've been considering the Sony NEX series with an F mount adapter, but had been waiting to see what Nikon would be releasing.. Now that I know, the Sony NEX is starting to look much more appealing.<br>

I'm interested to know what market are these cameras targeted towards?</p>

<p>Well, they may look horrible to you, but you are not their intended audience. It's the P&S upgrader crowd they are after and the P&S crowd will likely thing they look just fine.<br>

The V1 looks fine from the front to me, but the back is missing buttons and dials . . . .<br>

What's the next version of the camera going to be named? V2? J2? What do V and J stand for?</p>

<p>I am obliged to examine the small 1-Series Nikons, but I'll also be looking at the NEX-7. The Nikons do <em>look</em> stupid.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>The Nikons do <em>look</em> stupid.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Hehehehee;)</p>

 

<p>Why the tiny sensor? And the design is no better than my rather nondescript Samsung NX-100 that has an APS-C sensor. I guess bodies will progress from here and it's nice to know my old Nikkor lenses will retain their value but a 2.7x factor is not very flexible. We'll see how it shakes out in reviews and I'll check them out at PhotoPlus next month but I don't feel compelled to run out an pre order one.</p>

<p>I'm still hoping for the next iteration of the Fuji X100 with interchangeable lenses.</p>

<p>Hummm, niche market for bird-photographers?.. Your 500mm f4 AF-S VR gains the 'reach' of a 1350mm f4!<br>

Makes 'small bird' shooting a possibility! Especially if the new AF is worthy...<br>

I personally don't really care if it looks UGLY, it's a camera not a fashion accessory...right? ;-)</p>

<p>I think they look... like normal compact cameras. What's all the fuzz about how they look anyway? I never considered my DSLRs pretty, but they work excellently for taking photos.</p>

<p>As far as can be judged from the pictures, at least the lenses are small. A NEX might be nice small, but put anything else on it but the pancake prime, and it looks like a huge lens with a small blob at the end of it. From sales it's clear not everybody agrees with me, but I think Sony got that part all wrong. Having only a small body and no small lenses to me seems to give no advantage over a DSLR, only disadvantages.<br />Let's wait for tests and to see them in stores, but if lenses are small and image quality and AF performance clearly better than compacts, then Nikon might have got it quite right.</p>

<p>Agree, let`s wait to see their performance. It they work, if there is any improvement over current standards, why to repudiate them?<br /> I hate small P&S digital cameras up to date. I wish the new system will be a real improvement over them. If so, great for all. If not, I`ll simply get stucked to the bigger DX/FX models, as usual.</p>

<p>Nice Format for unnoticed street photography.<br>

Fast, realy Fast AF, 60fps filming, does not sound bad at all.<br>

When the APS-C sensor first was introduced, everybody was also saying : Why such a small sensor, its now a widely acepted format, so lets just wait and see what it is capable of, i'd say..<br>

A link to the My Nikon Lifefor these cams : <a href="http://mynikonlife.com.au/gear/nikon-1">http://mynikonlife.com.au/gear/nikon-1</a></p>

<p>I didn't think I was going to give this camera even a passing glance . . .</p>

<p>But, I think the Nikon V1 is a beautiful piece of industrial design. From the front, it has a no-nonsense, simplicity about it. Surprisingly, I kind of like its product concept as well. Plus, I think they've done a great job with the branding. And, when you describe its 2.7x crop sensor as a, "one-inch sensor," it doesn't sound nearly as bad (especially, considering that our $70,000 broadcast cameras at work only have 2/3" sensors).</p>

<p>Would I like it more if it had a DX-sized sensor? Hell yeah! But, since I'm not gonna pop for what I really want (a Fuji X100), and am very close to just saying the heck with it, and buying a Sony NEX-C3, with its "full-sized" APS-C sensor, I'm actually looking at this new Nikon mirrorless thing, and thinking . . . "hmmm."</p>

<p>Perhaps, if Nikon were to introduce a couple of fast primes (e.g., 12mm f/2.0), this could get interesting. Otherwise, I may just wander back to consumer-land and buy that Sony NEX instead.</p>

<p>Of course, it doesn't appear they're even offering how I'd want to buy the product:</p>

<p>Nikon V1 CX-format body + 1 Nikkor 10mm f/2.8 [27mm-equivalent]</p>

<p>So, then I'm back to the Sony NEX-C3:</p>

<p>Sony NEX-C3 APS-C format body + 16mm f/2.8 [24mm-equivalent]</p>

<p>Hmm. The primary benefit of a small sensor (other than cost, and given the price for this system I'm dubious that this was the main concern) is to get small lenses. Well, they're smallish, you might just get the pancake in a coat pocket more easily than the micro 4/3 equivalent, but on initial impressions I'm a bit dubious about the portability of the other lenses. Compacts with big lenses often fold down a lot, and that's a trick that the interchangable lens systems don't seem to have (the Olympus folding zoom only shrinks <i>a bit</i>). As for the F adaptor, a crop factor this great is, I think, pushing things too far.<br />

<br />

My worry is that they've priced it above the enthusiast compacts, but it doesn't have the controls that the enthusiast compacts have. One thin command dial and a magnification jog isn't up there with the proper dials of the P7100, G12 and S100, let alone the NEX-7. Unless they've "done a Samsung" and let you use the lens as a control dial, I can't see it appealing to people who want to spend this kind of money on a camera. I can't understand the fixation with physical shooting mode dials - my D700 does quite nicely with two dials and a mode <i>button</i>, and the same arrangement would make a big difference to my interest in one of the new cameras. I actually don't hate the looks, and I suspect the lack of controls is partly to improve the appearance.<br />

<br />

10MP is brave as well. They'd need it to get decent low-light performance with a sensor that size, but with the new Olympus systems being criticised for sticking to 12MP and the S100 gaining a couple of megapixels, it might be a hard sell. (Admittedly it's rare that I run into the 12MP limit on my D700, but it happens.)<br />

<br />

That leaves the autofocus system. Which is interesting - I remember hearing about the technology a while back - and the increased DoF from the small sensor may help it; otherwise I'll believe it keeps up with a 70-200 f/2.8 in low light conditions when I see it. (Some micro 4/3 systems claim "world's fastest autofocus" as well, and it turns out that this means "world's fastest in good light so long as you've left it in full-time autofocus mode".)<br />

<br />

Despite all that, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt until I see full reviews. Nikon obviously had to aim for a niche, but my feeling is they needed to be cheaper, more flexible, more portable or more capable. But I'd like to be wrong.<br />

<br />

And "motion snapshot"? With music? Really?</p>

They look ugly??

Why? They don't go with your design jeans??

<p>I like the PEN design so much better. Bigger sensor, and very important... manual focus ON THE LENS. As far as I can see, there is no manual focus on the lens with the Nikon.</p>

<p>And since you can get an adaptor to use your Nikkors on the m43 stuff... there is no "brand advantage" anyway.</p>

<p>But I'll try and reserve judgment for a review. I'm very much interested, maybe, in a camera like this, but I don't think at that price point.</p>

<p><em>you can get an adaptor to use your Nikkors on the m43 stuff... there is no "brand advantage" anyway.</em></p>

<p>Well if you want to use a third party "G" adapter the aperture control is not very precise. It's more like wide open - f/5.6 - f/22 ;-) If I may make a slight exaggeration. I suspect the Nikon version may work better. Also, at least Olympus makes an adapter which supports autofocus with Four Thirds lenses on MFT cameras; Nikon's adapter may also support AF with AF-S Nikkors. This you cannot get on MFT or NEX (using Nikkors that is).</p>

<p>The built-in electronic viewfinder is definitely a plus. The MFT versions are clumsy accessories that reduce the pocketability of the camera considerably. What MFT has is a broader lens lineup with fast primes ... and of course a slightly larger sensor. But the Nikon zooms seem a bit smaller (as they should be, with 2.7x crop) and this is a good thing for most users of this kind of a camera. With MFT and NEX the zooms are quite large compared to the camera size.</p>