Tried the Nikon V1

[adrian_lam1]

<p>Had the opportunity to try out the Nikon V1 today. Here are my thoughts: The camera has a wonderful feel about it, particularly the weight in your hands. EVF is quite responsive and not too pixelated. Good news! It is very natural to use the EVF if you are accustomed to optical viewfinders. Main mode dial is small. Choosing modes (P,A,S,M) may not be too cumbersome. One odd thing: when adjusting the exposure compensation, the screen does not provide a live preview. Once you have made the change, the screen image will show the effects of your selection. If you are not happy with your selection, you'll need to get back to the exposure compensation mode again. Too bad. The Coolpix P7000 already had live preview during exposure compensation. </p>

[Ian Rance]

<p>I really liked the focus system - wherever you aim it it focuses without tocuhing any buttons. The lens mount is like a miniature F-mount too.</p>

[david_houstle1]

<p>I'm curious how quiet the V1 is. Leica quiet? How did it sound, or not?</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>You can set the V1 up so that it emits no audible sound when the picture is taken, as far as I can tell. You press F to activate the electronic shutter and turn off the mechanical one, then you go to the sound settings to turn everything off. You can then take pictures and at least I cannot hear anything when the picture is taken. The autofocus is also very quiet. Leica M obviously is very loud in comparison.</p>

<p>But if you're thinking of using it for indoor photography in quiet ceremonies or quiet parts of concerts, then there is the issue of no fast lenses being available as of yet (of course, if you can get the adapter you can use AF-S Nikkors but I don't know how much sound they'd emit due to the aperture). Also the image quality while it seems very nice at ISO 100 it does deteriorate when you increase ISO.</p>

<p>I can see myself using a camera like this for its inobtrusive quality when photographing people in close proximity. The camera I tried is all black which is great. However, the V1 would not be my choice for indoor photography, at least not until fast dedicated lenses (I mean <em>really</em> fast) become available.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>The NEX-3, NEX-5, NEX-7 have much larger sensor, and perhaps would be more appropriate for indoor use ?<br>

Perhaps both camera types are pocket size, if used with a small lens. There is an adapter for Nikon lenses for NEX cameras, as well as for the Nikon 1, if longer tele lenses with greater reach are needed.<br>

See picture from NEX-3 in links in:<br>

<a href="../sony-minolta-slr-system-forum/00ZW2m?unified_p=1">http://www.photo.net/sony-minolta-slr-system-forum/00ZW2m?unified_p=1</a></p>

 

[ilkka_nissila]

<p><em>The NEX-3, NEX-5, NEX-7 have much larger sensor, and perhaps would be more appropriate for indoor use ?</em></p>

<p>But their lenses are close to DSLR size and can be quite expensive. E.g. 24/1.8 Zeiss costs about $1000. 63 x 66mm dimensions. The 12mm Zuiko for MFT is 43mm x 56mm and costs about 800€. These are quite expensive lenses for a second system camera that you use when you must have a small camera. Panasonic's 14mm f/2.5 costs about 400 if purchased separately. The 10mm Nikkor is a bit less expensive (270?) and certainly very compact.</p>

<p><em>There is an adapter for Nikon lenses for NEX cameras, as well as for the Nikon 1, if longer tele lenses with greater reach are needed.</em></p>

<p>True, but only the Nikon FT-1 adapter (for V1 and J1) supports autofocus and VR with F mount Nikkors. The NEX adapters as well as MFT adapters for Nikon F mount lenses support only manual operation. While manual focus has its place e.g. for macro, for what I would do with a CSC is people photography and I'd certainly require AF.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>The Nikon One system is designed to be small and for consumers. I would expect future lenses will mostly be affordable. If you want excellent high-ISO capability and a lot of controls that are conveniently laid out for serious photographers, you should look into an FX DSLR or at least a high-end DX DSLR, or perhaps a Sony NEX. The Nikon One system is not for that objective.</p>

<p>That is why I think the initial pricing for the V1 ($899 with a slow 10-30mm zoom) and J1 ($649 with zoom) are on the high side for consumers.</p>

[mjferron]

<p>"The Nikon One system is designed to be small and for consumers"</p>

<p>We are all consumers. I purchased the V1 and it has to be one of the most likable cameras I've ever owned this side of a Leica M. Serious looking flat black and solid as a brick. Best metering I've ever experienced along with rocket fast AF, dead silence and fine IQ. No you are not going to buy it for your main wedding or sports camera, No it's not going to shoot high ISO's with a D3 but if you walk streets camera in hand as I often do and don't print posters than the V1 might be the best damn digital on the planet. So called consumers are happy as hell with their iphones and are not going to pay $900 for body and lens. This camera was made for me. Thank you Nikon.</p>

[judith_evans]

I am really liking the V1. Had it for about a week and very pleased with what I have produced so far. Way better than any

compact, and much more responsive. Also own a D700, but I have to say I am really pleased with this. Video is fantastic

too. Need to try out in a few more situations. After all the negative I had read in some places it was a gamble to get it.

[michaelmiller]

<p>I indulged myself and bought a Nikon V1. I have to admit though, that I wasn't completely sure if this system would be the right choice for me. Especially the small CX sensor and the responsiveness of the camera worried me a little. There are many reviews about the V1, and many of them are not overly positive. The sensor is too small, with strong winds the hot shoe cover falls off, metering is slow, the camera is too big, switching between LCD and EVF is slow, there’s a serious lack of controls, autofocus in low light is slow and erratic and the camera looks like a freaking Tetris or Lego block. Enough, to scare the hell out of most potential buyers.</p>

<p>So, does the Nikon 1 V1 actually suck? Personally, I don’t think so. There are not many buttons and dials on the camera and unfortunately some frequently used settings like ISO can only be changed in the menu system. However, in practice, this isn’t such a big problem for me. The functions of the four way controller, buttons and menu are laid out quite smart, so I can get to a specific setting fast enough in any shooting mode. Also, I try to adapt to the camera that I use, I think that helps too of course.</p>

<p>There’s not much to hold on to when grabbing the camera, but the thickness of the camera makes it reasonably easy to hold. However, a more substantial grip would have been more comfortable. Overall I like the build quality and design of the Nikon 1 and it’s tiny lenses. I especially like the matte finish of the black version. It looks and feels good.</p>

<p>The mechanic shutter operates very quietly (I love the sound it makes) and the electronic one makes no noise at all. I think it's very nice that both are incorporated. The mechanic shutter makes a shutter sync of 1/250s possible and the electronic one makes you a highspeed ninja. Nice!</p>

<p>The screen and EVF are excellent and although you can’t switch manually between the two, the screen can be turned off completely by pressing the Display button repeatedly. Works fine for me. Unfortunately, the EVF proximity sensor can’t be turned off. When you hold the camera close to your body or an object, the camera will likely switch to the EVF. This can be a little annoying. Also, when you set the camera to auto ISO, it will only display that you’ve activated the auto ISO, but not the setting it chose for you. That’s awkward. And of course RGB histograms would have been nice.</p>

<p>The matrix metering is somewhat slow to adjust to a new situation, especially when there’s a big difference with the previous situation. Much like a video camera. For the correct exposure you’ll have to wait (sometimes a few seconds) for the meter to adjust. Slightly annoying maybe, but not a deal breaker for me.</p>

<p>The CX sensor is small, but I think Nikon managed to squeeze the maximum image quality out of it. Sharpness and contrast are great and the difference with a compact camera can really be seen. Also, Nikon managed to keep noise to a minimum at higher ISO settings. This may sound strange, but I rather like the tight grain this sensor produces. It adds some character to a photograph I think. I don’t know if ten megapixels is enough. For me, it is, but if you like to crop your images, print them bigger then A2 or if you need maximum resolution, it probably is not going to work for you. Dynamic range is smaller then it’s larger sensor counterparts, but if you shoot RAW, there’s some extra information available in post processing. However, I think it’s best to prevent blown out highlights, unless it’s intended. For what it is, I think this camera delivers good image quality.</p>

<p>I think the Nikon V1 system is fun to use. It feels right, it’s low profile (unless you choose a funky colour), the lenses are small but good and it’s fun to take it with you and snap away.</p>