[Macworld]

Post your comments for Tiny but mighty, the Nikon 1 J1 holds its own against larger competitors here

[pawhite524]

I am sorry to say the headline of this article belies the content of this nicely written article. This camera is a dog by most standards and struggles to achieve mediocrity. Yes it is very good looking and well built but performance-wise ugh! Kind of like seeing the 1967 Corvette you've always wanted had been converted to a 4 cylinder diesel that Fred Flintstone could beat in his car could beat in the quarter-mile.
BTW, I'm no Nikon basher. Nikon has been my brand for almost 40 years.

[armadillo7306]

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Sorry, this just irritates me. I love my Nikon D90 and have quite a bit invested in lenses but this little Nikon does not have a good feel as far as trying to hold it and the controls are awful. Save your money and buy a used Panasonic GF3 or spend a bit more and get the new GX1. Both are great, very comfortable to hold and control and the menus are much easier to use. Video quality is excellent and picture quality is great. The Nikon 1 has to do more than hold it's own against larger competitors, it has to be better than cameras in it's own class (micro 4/3rds Panasonic, Olympus) and it isn't. Add to that the market reality of many more lens choices new and used for Panasonic and Olympus.
I am afraid people will buy this because it has the Nikon name and you can get one at Target and will be soured on this size class of camera. Sorry to rant but the Nikon is just not a good camera.
AndyB, NH.

[filebunch]

Check out Flickr for the J1/V1 page--there are some great photos there by people who know just a little about cameras.

[LeTap]

armadillo7306, on 14 February 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Sorry, this just irritates me. I love my Nikon D90 and have quite a bit invested in lenses but this little Nikon does not have a good feel as far as trying to hold it and the controls are awful. Save your money and buy a used Panasonic GF3 or spend a bit more and get the new GX1. Both are great, very comfortable to hold and control and the menus are much easier to use. Video quality is excellent and picture quality is great. The Nikon 1 has to do more than hold it's own against larger competitors, it has to be better than cameras in it's own class (micro 4/3rds Panasonic, Olympus) and it isn't. Add to that the market reality of many more lens choices new and used for Panasonic and Olympus.
I am afraid people will buy this because it has the Nikon name and you can get one at Target and will be soured on this size class of camera. Sorry to rant but the Nikon is just not a good camera.
AndyB, NH.

The 1-series can use Nikon F-Mount lenses with an adapter/converter...

[armadillo7306]

LeTap, on 15 February 2012 - 05:53 AM, said:

armadillo7306, on 14 February 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Sorry, this just irritates me. I love my Nikon D90 and have quite a bit invested in lenses but this little Nikon does not have a good feel as far as trying to hold it and the controls are awful. Save your money and buy a used Panasonic GF3 or spend a bit more and get the new GX1. Both are great, very comfortable to hold and control and the menus are much easier to use. Video quality is excellent and picture quality is great. The Nikon 1 has to do more than hold it's own against larger competitors, it has to be better than cameras in it's own class (micro 4/3rds Panasonic, Olympus) and it isn't. Add to that the market reality of many more lens choices new and used for Panasonic and Olympus.
I am afraid people will buy this because it has the Nikon name and you can get one at Target and will be soured on this size class of camera. Sorry to rant but the Nikon is just not a good camera.
AndyB, NH.

The 1-series can use Nikon F-Mount lenses with an adapter/converter...

But the whole point of the 1 series (and Pany/Oly micro 4/3) is to have a small camera body and compact lenses. I like that I can carry my GF3, 14mm, 14-42mm and 45-200mm (multiply by 2 to get equivalency) with me every day. At least Nikon did better than Fuji coming out with zoom lenses instead of just prime (referring to the unreleased X-1).
I guess what REALLY irritates me is that Panasonic has a superior product and does almost NOTHING to advertise it (I saw an ad in WIRED for the GF3 last year). I also would be surprised that Nikon didn't know they were coming out with the X range of micro 4/3rds lens that (in the case of the 14-42) make a compact camera even more compact. It's like they just came out with the same stuff that is already out there.
I LOVE my Nikon but expected so much more from them on this one.
And you can adapt lenses to the iPhone too but why?
http://photojojo.com...hone-slr-mount/
Andy the Aggravated, NH.

[rumplestiltskin]

No viewfinder? Sorry; POS.

[filebunch]

rumplestiltskin, on 15 February 2012 - 01:40 PM, said:

No viewfinder? Sorry; POS.

J1 no, V1 yes.

[escee999]

"A streamlined design and lack of a grip means the best way to hold the camera is to grasp the corners between thumb and forefinger, which is the norm for many compact cameras."

A better way is to put the camera in your palm (palm facing up). This way you will steady it better, and be able to work the zoom ring with your fingers. This camera is more like an SLR rather than point-and-shoot. Point-and-shoots often have power zoom. This thing does not.

[JohnDillon]

I took photography in college and learned the basics, then forgot it all. I've only picked up point and shoots since, and just bought this camera this weekend. It's bad a$$! The video bands some when shooting in 1080p, so I changed it to 1080i and no problems since.

If you're thinking of upgrading from a Point & Shoot, these cameras will definitely impress you. If you are a DSLR elitist, I'm sure you'll hate.