Nikon V1 and J1 news roundup.
Video on top: Interview by Amateur Photographer.
The probably most interesting news is coming via Imaging Resource (Click here). They interviewed MR. Masahiro Suzuki (General Manager R&D, Nikon). There are a couple of interesting news:
1) Development began four years ago before the Micro Four Thirds announcement!
2) “We are quite confident that we achieved almost exactly the same quality as our DSLR.“. Editor’s note.: Really? First tests tell us a completely different story! Anyway, Masahiro says image quality is good because of the 24 channel readout design and huge processing power.
3) About the sensor: “We developed it; we engineered and developed this sensor inside Nikon. But for the production side, that is done by our partner.”
Interesting or not?
P.S.: There is a new Nikon 1 V1 review at CNET Asia (Click here): “From the 100 percent crop samples, you can see that the J1′s sample images have less noise but image detail is softened. Whereas the GF3 provides more image detail while suffering from noise scattered around the image. The GF3 has an edge in sharpness, which could be attributed to its 12-megapixel sensor which is twice as large as the J1′s. As the J1 is still a preproduction model, we hope that Nikon will improve the processing algorithm to enhance image detail at high ISOs.“
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Recent comments
Comment from Patrick: You can tell almost immediately that thi...
Comment from Besser Wisser: Wrong. It is slightly bigger than Super ...
Comment from bandrews: So the V1 is for the "technology enthusi...
Comment from Miroslav: That's what marketing is for - i guess m...
spacegoret
8 months ago |Market research told them people want compactness. Right.
Market research surely do not tell them that people want interchangeable lenses.
People tolerate the burden of interchangeable lenses when it gives them very good image quality.
Few people want average image quality with the bonus problem of interchangeable lenses.
Camaman
8 months ago |very few…
But I can see it being a good seller once they establish a presence during the next few years….
Judging by the price they are really trying to make this their replacement for entry DSLR users in a few years.
Better to make people wonder why it is so expensive…
inorog
8 months ago |“1) Development began four years ago before the Micro Four Thirds announcement!”
well, the M4/3 development sure did not start the day it was announced …. vague statements from nikon!
Alan
8 months ago |I am…?.. I am disappointed.
That’s my first impression – and there is only one first impression even if my views should change over time. Disappointed not at the sensor, nor the minimalist looks – these were pretty much fixed in the rumors of what was coming. Disappointed by how big it is, especially some of the lenses. But at least there is recognition that some photographers want viewfinders.
In one interview Nikon say they have produced what “their customers” wanted. Judging by responses on NR and other sites they must have asked a lot more Coolpix customers than SLR enthusiasts – perhaps that helps us to see the main focus for this system. OK, I agree with some – yes I would like a Nikon NEX7 with D7000 sensor and AF adapter for F mount, but this is clearly a different animal. But let’s make sure we read the book before we write the review.
Don’t close your minds to small – “smaller but good enough” occurs throughout the history of photography. I look forward to seeing how good IQ can be. Many feel it’s “expensive compared to the competition”, but when prices settle down the J1 will need to be around GF3 / EPL3 prices. It will be like a breath of fresh air for P+S upgraders to have a camera that focuses so well, and so fast – many compacts can’t even cope with a 4 year old in a play park. I’m not sure the intended market group will go for this price structure though, but the Nikon name, marketing, and store presence will undoubtedly help. These Nikons will certainly put pressure on small micro 43 cameras and some “high end” compacts.
The cameras have some advanced features and I look forward to trying one out. I could certainly see myself using the V1 (has anyone called it “doodlebug” yet?) with the 10mm w/a lens. Nikon clearly intends this to be a system but unfortunately the zooms are big and a lot of the lens prototypes shown seem to be quite large as well. If they gave us something like 8/2.8 and 15/1.8, I would go for those straight away, and supplement them with the AF adapter and lenses I already have like 35/1.8, 50/1.8 as fast short telephotos for occasional use. 85/1.4 would be useful too (hope it would work with Sigma lenses) and the 40/2.8 macro would become a handy 105-ish macro.
Overall: Shows promise, let’s try it and see. Hopefully we’ll get some more compact lenses later.
Harry
8 months ago |Something everyone missed is that the Nikon 1″ sensor is exactly the same size as of a 16mm film camera, so they can use all those 16mm lenses without vignetting. So covertly they are going after the video market. There is some sense in their madness.
Besser Wisser
8 months ago |Wrong. It is slightly bigger than Super 16. Regular 16mm lenses will vignette severely with Nikon CX-sensor.
TTTulio
8 months ago |Nikon took 4 years to make that? They took less than 2 years to develop the Nikon F, The camera that killed rangefinders. They could have killed the mirrors now if the marketing department would let the engineers concentrate on the pros instead of the the average American.
Dave Lively
8 months ago |This was supposed to be a response to Alan, not TTTulio:
+1
I want to replace my S95 with something that has more dynamic range and is more versatile. No system camera is going to be as small as the S95 but I want something that will fit in a large pocket. I was hoping the Nikon 1 would provide a solution but with the kit zoom attached it does not appear to be much smaller and is no lighter than the smallest m43 cameras. At least it does not appear smaller in the cut and paste comparisons. I want to see a real picture of the J1 and EPM1 side by side. When the Panasonic collapsible zoom becomes available it looks like the m43 cameras will be smaller, weigh less, have easier access to the PASM and associated controls I use, have twice the sensor area and has all the lenses I would want available now.
Despite all those advantages of m43 I would still prefer a Nikon 1 if they would introduce a camera the size of the J1 or slightly smaller that was at least as PASM friendly as my S95 and had slimmer kit zoom than the current 10-30. The electronic shutter, smaller telephoto lens, and fast AF advantages would make up for the smaller sensor. Unless they are already working on it I doubt Nikon can produce a smaller kit zoom quickly. But they should be able to modify the J1 or V1 to make it more enthusiast friendly faster than Olympus can go from the EPL2 to EPL3. AI few extra positions on the mode knob, software changes and if they are really serious a couple of programmable function buttons would be required. They would not have to design a whole new camera.
I already have a D90 SLR and despite the better image quality I use it much less than my S95 because it is just too big and heavy. I want small and no DX sensor mirrorless camera is going to be small enough for me to buy it over a SLR.
Even if we are not the target audience Nikon needs some sort of CX camera that enthusiasts will like. The target audience for the J1 may not know much about f stops, the effects of sensor size on image quality, DOF, etc. but they know how to type ‘Nikon system 1’ or ‘Nikon CX’ in their browser search window before they make a $650 purchase. About the best Nikon can hope for is they find a link stating the CX cameras might not be as bad as they appear. Nikon could really use some positive press. The smaller sensor of the CX will always cause problems but if they introduce a small camera aimed at enthusiasts the results of a Google search would start to look a lot better. Instead of a steady string of “WTF was Nikon thinking” hits there would be some “really good replacement for my P&S” hits too. Even if they would buy the simplified J1 model P&S upgraders would feel better if enthusiasts also thought the camera was a good P&S replacement.
Vromopodarix
8 months ago |“We are quite confident that we achieved almost exactly the same quality as our DSLR.“
LOL This is rich!
Almost exactly must translate different in Japanese
When I was at a marketing class many years ago they taught us that a product must excel at one thing and even if it did excel in more than one you should pick one and promote that, so let’s see:
Sony NEX: Best image quality
Micro 4/3: Best photographic tool (bodies GH2-EP3, lens, operation speed)
Samsung: Best price (and smart pancakes)
Pentax Q: Smallest size
Leica X1: It is a REAL Leica (or as real as it gets, after that it’s the M9)
Fuji X100: Best looks (that is why it sells so well, controls and the viewfinder are secondary INMHO)
Sigma DP: Astonishing low ISO quality
And the Nikon 1: I’ts not the smallest, cheapest, better looking, image quality is mediocre at best and it has not the smallest lenses.
Hmmm it is fast as a matter of fact the fastest of all. But how much better than the new Pens or the GH2-G3? At best it is the best Jack of all trades: It has adequate image quality (maybe), nice Leica looks (the J1 at least, the other one is atrocious), it has an easy interface for non photographers (is it as easyas NEX5 or GF3 though?).
And it has a major flaw: It is the least appealing of the lot to photographers. Why Is Nikon and Canon at the top of the food chain? Not because of Coolpix and Ixus. The are the top dogs because they have the best Photographic products for half a century.
I think Nikon missed a good chance to own the mirrorless market, lets hope Canon will no make the same mistake.
luc
8 months ago |The Nikon 1 system seems to be a test on “how many people fall for the brand name” instead of weighing features,compactness and image quality and especially usability. The speed of the system promises to be unique but it seems to have severe drawbacks in all other points.
In addition the video makes it even more apparent that the cameras are ugly (minimalistic design can be soo beautiful; well but not here).
Simon
8 months ago |That’s what Nikon’s official website says:
“The ’1′ is because the Nikon 1 interchangeable lens camera system is the first of its kind.
Built from the ground up, Nikon’s engineers didn’t use existing technology. They went back to the drawing board and re-imagined how cameras are designed.”
Uuuhm…it’s the first of it’s kind? So they’re for sure relying on their marketing dollars and image…as this is a pure lie. I mean…what have Sony, Samsung, Oly and Pana been producing for the last two years?
Miroslav
8 months ago |That’s what marketing is for – i guess many people think iPod was “the first of it’s kind” and iPhone was the first smartphone.
Kyle
8 months ago |Man, these half-baked previews are so annoying:
“P.S.: There is a new Nikon 1 V1 review at CNET Asia (Click here): “From the 100 percent crop samples, you can see that the J1′s sample images have less noise but image detail is softened. Whereas the GF3 provides more image detail while suffering from noise scattered around the image.”
Hmmm…. less noise, but detail is softened… I wonder what would do that?! Crazy talk.
bandrews
8 months ago |So the V1 is for the “technology enthusiast” who wants the latest equipment? So not for people interested in photography? The guy seems far too interested in talking features and specs than talking about IQ.
And compact? Really? The V1? Either it’s massive or the product manager is very small.
Patrick
8 months ago |You can tell almost immediately that this project manager is BSing. The statement,”They are the fastest cameras in the world.” was followed with a brief period of awkward silence.
Hilarious interview, my personal opinion is that nikon totally missed the point.