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The Nikon 1 J1 is usually a stylish compact system camera featuring a 10-megapixel “CX” format sensor and the all-new Nikon 1 lens mount. Boasting continuous shooting speeds of up to 60 frames per second at full resolution, Full HD video capture, an ultra-fast hybrid auto-focus system, Smart Photo Selector as well as a unique Motion Snapshot Mode, the portable Nikon J1 now offers more conventional shooting modes like Programmed Auto, Aperture and Shutter Priority, as well as Metered Manual. Also fully briefed is often a built-in pop-up flash having a guide number of 5, a 3 inch rear display along with an electronic shutter. Charging $649.95 / 549.99 with a 10-30mm contact lens, $699.95 / 599.99 which has a 10mm pancake lens, or $799.95 / 699.99 in a double-lens kit while using 10-30mm and 30-110mm zoom lenses, the Nikon 1 J1 is scheduled to take sale later this month.

The Nikon 1 J1 is generally made from aluminium with magnesium alloy reinforced parts and is particularly therefore heavier than you would think based on its size alone, weighing 234g with the body only. Furthermore, it feels higher quality versus the official product shots maybe have you believe. Through an essentially grip-less design, the Nikon J1 is extremely much a two-handed affair that really needs one to retain the camera’s weight inside the left hand, clutching the lens, and use your right hand for balance and operating the controls. This is actually a very important thing mainly because it makes you focus on holding the camera properly, which experts claim goes a considerable ways towards avoiding shake-induced blur inside your photos.

The camera’s clean, minimalist front plate is dominated by the all-new Nikon 1 lens mount. Rather then as being a scaled-down version with the ancient F mount, it is a completely new design that gives 100% electronic communication between the attached lens and also the camera body, thanks to 12 contacts. The same as about the manufacturer’s F-mount SLR cameras, we have a white dot for quick lens alignment, while it has moved on the 2 o’clock position (when viewed front on) to the peak with the mount. The lenses themselves use a short silver ridge about the lens barrel, which needs to be in alignment with said dot to ensure that one to be able to attach the lens for the camera. Even though this might require a bit of getting used to, this task makes changing lenses quicker and much easier.

Without the need of lens attached, you can observe the sensor sitting right behind the plane in the bayonet mount. Like the mount itself, the sensor is completely new. Measuring 13.2×8.8mm this “CX” format imaging chip has double the amount surface area of the most popular imagers used in compact and bridge cameras just like the Fujifilm X10 and S100FS, only about half the vicinity of any standard Four Thirds sensor. In linear terms, a Four Thirds chip has a 1.36x longer diagonal versus the Nikon CX imager. Since Four Thirds features a 2x focal length multiplier, the CX “crop factor” works out to about 2.72, and therefore a 10mm lens has approximately precisely the same angle of view to be a 27.2mm lens upon an FX or 35mm film camera. The Nikon 1 Nikkor 10-30mm standard zoom is thus the same as a 27.2-81.6mm (or, practically speaking, 28-80mm) FX lens with regards to its angle-of-view range.

The other Nikon J1’s faceplate is virtually empty, featuring the lens release, a receiver to the optional ML-L3 infrared remote control, two narrow slits to the microphone either side from the lens, along with an AF assist/self-timer lamp. There is no grip in any way on the front from the Nikon 1 J1.

There are 2 means of powering for the Nikon 1 J1. You can either makes use of the on/off button sitting next to the shutter release or, should you have a collapsible-barrel standard zoom lens attached, you can simply press the unlocking button within the lens barrel and turn the zoom ring to unlock the lens, an action that triggers you to change on automatically. It is really an ingenious solution that you need to unlock the lens for shooting anyway. Start-up takes approximately another - nothing to write home about but nonetheless decent and entirely adequate.

It is possible to frame your shots while using the rear screen - there is no electronic viewfinder as about the V1 model, a key difference between the two. The LCD screen is really a three-inch, 460,000-dot display that features wide viewing angles, great definition and accurate colours but only so-so visibility in strong daylight. We missed the EVF when using the J1 alongside the V1, in bright sunlit conditions or when using the 30-110mm telezoom lens as holding the digital camera nearly eye-level helped to stabilise the lens and avoid camera shake.

The control layout is rather peculiar. The Nikon 1 J1 has a small, rear-mounted mode dial that lacks the majority of the shooting modes that happen to be usually found on similar dials - particularly P, A, S and M - though it has enough room to allow for them. These modes can be purchased about the J1 and you have to dive to the rather long-winded and never entirely logical menu to get them. The J1’s mode dial only has four settings, Photo, Video, Motion Snapshot and Smart Photo Selector. The four-way controller also has four functions mapped onto its Up, Right, Down and Left buttons; including AE/AF-Lock, exposure compensation, flash mode and self-timer, respectively. Of course this is not a bad range of functions, the truth that there is absolutely no ISO button will doubtlessly produce a large amount of photographers serious about buying the Nikon J1 for being unhappy.

There is a button about the rear labelled “F” but alas, this is simply not a programmable function button. In Photo mode, it means that you can quickly pick from the continuous shooting modes, whilst in Video mode it permits you to toggle between regular and slow-motion recording. The two main more vital controls about the back of the camera, together with a scroll wheel about the four-way pad and a rocker switch marked using a loupe icon. The scroll wheel is employed to create the shutter speed in Manual and Shutter Priority modes (once you’ve found them inside menu, that’s), as the rocker switch controls the aperture. The key reason why it’s got a loupe icon next to it can be that it control is used to zoom in with an image to check on for critical focus in Playback mode. Last of all, you will find four small buttons around the navigation pad, flush up against the rear panel of the camera, including Display Mode, Playback, Menu and Delete.

So what are those shooting modes on the mode dial information about? The Photo or Still Image mode, marked which has a green camera icon, is where you should be most of the time. Together with the mode dial set to this particular position, you may pick your desired exposure mode from the menu. The Nikon J1’s Scene Auto Selector is a brilliant auto mode where the camera analyses the scene facing its lens and picks what it thinks is the right way of that specific scene. Also you can make a choice on the conventional PASM modes, which present you with full menu access plus the power to manually set the aperture, shutter speed, or both (Program AE Shift will come in P mode). ISO and white balance can be manually selected, only in the menu, as mentioned previously.

Certainly there’s AWB and auto ISO likewise, while using latter being released three flavours (Auto 100-400, 100-800 or 100-3200) permitting you to specify how high you need the digital camera to look once the light gets low. You can also pick from three AF Area modes, including Auto Area, the location where the camera takes charge of just what it focusses on (this is not an excellent mode to own as the default since the camera obviously can’t read your brain and will concentrate on something else entirely than your actual subject); Single Point, where you can make one among 135 AF points by first hitting OK and after that moving the active AF point about the frame while using the four-way pad; and Subject Tracking, in places you pick your subject, press OK and invite the digital camera to monitor that subject as it moves around, provided that it doesn’t leave the frame certainly.

The Nikon 1 J1 posseses an intriguing hybrid auto-focus system that combines contrast- and phase-difference detection similarly as being the Fujifilm F300EXR did. This permits the Nikon 1 J1 to concentrate extremely quickly in good light, even using a moving subject. The business claims the Nikon 1 system cameras would be the fastest-focusing machines on the globe, and this matches our experience - provided that there’s enough light. When light levels drop, your camera switches to contrast-detect AF which, though faster than you are on most cameras, isn’t as soon as another method. It’s always you that decides which AF method to use - the user doesn’t have a relation to this.

Usually, the J1 will often only use contrast detection when light levels are low. In good light, there we were able to take sharp photos of fast-moving subjects. The Nikon J1 certainly isn’t going to disappoint here. Manual focusing can be possible, however the Nikon 1 lenses would not have focus rings. If you would like focus manually, you firstly should hit the AF button, choose MF, press OK then make use of the scroll wheel to focus. To assist you with this particular, the Nikon J1 magnifies the central section of the image and displays a rudimentary focus scale down the right side from the frame - but those are definitely the only focusing aids you get. There is not any peaking function available as on some rival models.

The J1 comes with an electronic shutter (the V1 also has a mechanical shutter). It’s absolutely silent (the attention confirmation beep could be disabled from the menu) and allows the use of shutter speeds as fast as 1/16,000th of the second and, using the Electronic Hi setting selected, helps you to shoot full-resolution stills at 60 frames per second. Note however that while this is a major achievement, it’s tied to a buffer that may only hold 12 raw files. Additionally, the utilization of this mode precludes AF tracking - you must lower the frame rate to 10fps if you need that -, and also the viewfinder goes blank even though the pictures are increasingly being taken. The only application we can easily visualize where shooting full-resolution stills at 60fps could really be useful is AE bracketing for HDR imaging. Only at that rate, a few 5 bracketed shots could possibly be drawn in less than 0.1 second, rendering small movements that may otherwise pose alignment problems - like leaves being blown in the wind - a non-issue. Alas, the Nikon J1 does not offer such a feature - in reality this doesn’t offer autoexposure bracketing in any way.

Getting to it mode, the Nikon 1 J1 has some pleasant surprises here. To start with, your camera can be set to shoot Full HD footage, therefore you even are able to select 1080p @ 30fps or 1080i @ 60fps, depending on whether you prefer to use progressive or interlaced video. If you do not need Full HD, additionally, there is 720p @ 60fps, that is really smooth and still counts as hi-def. Secondly, you obtain full manual treatments for exposure in video mode. It is really an option; you won’t have to shoot in M mode nevertheless, you can if that’s what you need. Thirdly, you receive fast, continuous AF in video mode, and delay pills work well, particularly in good light. Movies are compressed using the H.264 codec and stored as MOV files. There are separate shutter release buttons for stills and video, and thanks to this - and also the massive processing power from the Nikon J1 - you’ll be able to take multiple full-resolution stills at the same time recording HD video. This works vice versa too - you’ll be able to capture a movie clip regardless of whether the mode dial influences Still Image position, simply by pressing the red movie shutter release. We’ve learned that in such a case the camera will invariably record the playback quality at 720p/60fps.

In addition to being efficient at shooting regular movies in HD quality, the Nikon 1 J1 could also shoot video at 400fps for slow-motion playback. The resolution is leaner plus the aspect ratio can be an ultra-widescreen 2.67:1, however the quality is adequate for YouTube, Vimeo and so on. These videos are replayed at 30fps, which can be a lot more than 13x slower as opposed to capture speed of 400fps, helping you to get creative and show the world numerous interesting phenomena that happen too quickly to look at instantly. The Nikon J1 goes a step forward by offering a 1200fps video mode, but the resolution and overall quality is just too big poor to the to get genuinely useful.

The 3rd icon around the mode dial means Smart Photo Selector. This feature allows you to capture at least 20 photos for a single press on the shutter release, including some that had been taken before fully depressing the button. The camera analyses the consumer pictures inside the series and discards 15 of which, keeping only the five so it thinks would be better with regards to sharpness and composition. This feature may be genuinely useful when photographing fast action and fleeting moments.

Finally, there exists a so-called Motion Snapshot mode where the camera records a concise high-definition movie - whose buffering starts in a half-press with the shutter release, so again includes events which in fact had happened before the button was fully depressed - plus uses a still photograph. The film plus the still image are held in separate files nevertheless the camera can combine them to a single slow-motion clip with vocals. It’s fun but we can’t really envision people making use of this shooting mode on a regular basis. (In the event you look at the video using a computer, it’s going to play back at normal speed, without sound, which means this mode is basically only interesting if you observe the clip in-camera or hook you nearly an HDTV with an HDMI cable.)

The Nikon J1 stores photos and videos on SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, and props up fastest UHS-I speed class. Your camera runs using an inferior EN-EL20 battery to its V1 larger, which is consequently capable of producing much less shots on a single charge, managing around 230, eventhough it does help to produce the digital camera body scaled-down. The camera’s tripod socket is made of metal and is also in line together with the lens’ optical axis. This also signifies that changing batteries or cards isn’t likely whilst the J1 is mounted on a tripod, because the hinges from the battery/card compartment door are way too close to the tripod mount.

So, how did we love to with all the Nikon 1 J1? Similarly, we liked it lots. In good light, its auto-focus system is indeed faster than virtually anything we’ve used thus far, being able to track and lock focus on numerous truly fast-moving subjects, and yielding a great deal of sharp images in situations where our keeper rates haven’t ever been very high. Additionally, its high-speed continuous shooting modes have allowed us to capture interesting moments that we’d have surely missed when we had used a slower camera. The built-in pop-up flash proved more useful the reason is modest guide number might suggest, while using clever design minimising red-eye.

On the other hand, the Nikon J1 have their share of frustrating idiosyncrasies you start with an individual interface that makes you dive into your menu gain access to functions as easy as exposure mode, ISO speeds and white balance. While Nikon obviously cannot add extra buttons to some finished product, they can no less than increase the risk for “F” button customisable by way of a firmware update. Also, while there is a separate button for exposure compensation - the great thing - Some find a way to activate an active histogram, community . would have made exposure compensation much more useful as well as simple to use. Again, this can oftimes be fixed in firmware.

We missed the V1’s smooth, high-resolution electronic viewfinder, particularly in bright light or with all the telephoto lens which doesn’t lend itself well to being held out at arms length. The J1 merely has a glass dust shield because it’s defense against unwanted debris, rather than the more proactive sensor cleaning unit how the V1 offers, and the smaller battery implies that you will need to buy an added that you arrive at the day’s heavy shooting. Having less an accessory port means that almost none of the Nikon 1 accessories are works with the J1, like the external flash and GPS unit.

Yet another thing we would not like could be that the camera would always show the image just taken for a couple of seconds onscreen, therefore we failed to find a way to turn this instant postview function completely off (even if you can at any rate cancel it by using a half-press of the shutter release). Finally, as the camera is normally fast and responsive, the digital camera takes overly long to get up from sleep mode gets hotter continues to be idle for quite a while, producing many missed shots.

All things considered, the Nikon 1 J1 is really a smaller than average and compact, high-performance system camera they enjoy its your government might use a number of tweaks to its graphical user interface to increase suit the requirements serious amateurs. The intended target audience of casual users will like it due to the sheer speed, built-in flash, compact size plus the fun features it offers. Let’s now find out how the Nikon 1 J1 fared within the image quality department.