Photographers: What do we think of the new Nikon 1 system?

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Photographers: What do we think of the new Nikon 1 system?

107 posts & 31 voices | Started 8 months ago by GrahamS | Latest reply from grum

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grum - Member

the AF is very fast and accurate and having processed the raws and given them a tweak some of the tiffs are good enough to submit to a Library.

I've not tried submitting any yet but I know people who sell GF1 pics through Alamy. I did sell a 30" x 20" print from a GF1 pic with the 45-200mm lens - and it was even cropped slightly, looked great and the client was very happy. I have the 14-45 and it's not bad at all - the 20mm pancake is an absolute peach though.

The GF3 is TINY - but I think has some limitations. The lack of a rear dial is a real killer for me, no flash hotshoe or flash compensation on the built in flash either I don't think (though this is less of an issue tbh as I don't like using built in flash - can be useful for fill though). Probably still a very nice camera and did I mention it's TINY, especially with the 14mm pancake.

If they had improved the high ISO performance over the GF1 I could have been tempted.

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Hmmmm....

http://nikonrumors.com/2011/09/28/nikon-1-test-results-from-dxomark-are-out.aspx

Posted 8 months ago #
derekrides - Member

That Fulifilm FinePix scores well and has a proper viewfinder, better for sports (bike) shots (and fashion if you ever get a chance, nothing girlies like more than man and camera).

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

That's actually not bad compared to m4/3. Hopefully it'll encourage Olympus and Panasonic to stop recycling their ancient sensors.

Posted 8 months ago #
Conqueror - Member

its not all about the sensor though... having good glass makes a big difference

micro four thirds has the best and widest range of lenses for a compact system at the moment... NEX and the other compacts systems can't compete lens wise

Cosina Voightlander 25mm F0.95
Panasonic 7-14mm
Panasonic 20mm
Olympus 12mm

list goes on...

this link is pish

pen vs NEX
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/.a/6a00df351e888f8834013481563fb6970c-800wi
transmute, that's where the sony seems to hit the sweetspot a bit better - big lens still though

why is it pish? because the Olympus clearly has an adapter and a legacy (non native lens) attached... the focal lengths probably aren't even the same

if you look around what you will see is the NEX body is incredibly small.. but the lenses are relative big compared to some of it's competitors

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

Sensor stats look good - still won't be great for shallow DOF though surely?

BTW for those saying the CSCs are only any good with pancake lenses - there is a new zoom (28-84mm equivalent) coming out for M4/3 which is very compact indeed, almost the same size as the 20mm pancake.

Posted 8 months ago #
AlexSimon - Member

Interesting that they've put the 'HD' mark on it too. I haven't looked it up but doesn't that mean silent zoom and focus (video recording-wise)?

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Sensor stats look good - still won't be great for shallow DOF though surely?

Well.. it'll be better than most (all?) compacts so I guess if folk are stepping up from that then they'll be pleased. But yeah it should be marginally less shallow than the m4/3 and noticeably less shallow the APS-C NEX.

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

Personally, as an owner of M4/3, APS-C and full frame cameras - there's not much in it between APS-C and M4/3 in terms of shallow DOF anyway. You will still be able to do it with very fast lenses I guess on this Nikon like you can on M4/3.

Interesting that they've put the 'HD' mark on it too. I haven't looked it up but doesn't that mean silent zoom and focus (video recording-wise)?

Not sure, I think it is designed for video use though as it has the powered zoom which apparently works much better for video than a ring for video. There is a new longer zoom as well with the same thing.

Posted 8 months ago #
molgrips - Member

Can't see why it's any better than the Pen cameras. They now have silent focus lenses for video.

Smaller sensor, worse high ISO performance, costs more.. surely just for Nikon ~~fanbois~~ brand loyalists?

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Well the DxOMark scores above suggests worse ISO performance but better dynamic range and better colour depth, so it may come down to what you like to take pics of. The few preview reviews I've seen suggest the autofocus is rather good on the Nikon too.

surely just for Nikon ~~fanbois~~ brand loyalists?

Brand loyalty makes a degree of sense tho (beyond simple fanboism) - the controls and output will be similar across the models, you can share some accessories and lenses, and you can use the same software workflow to deal with the images.

Personally I'd love a really capable Nikon compact to compliment my D80 - not sure if this is it though. I'll wait for more definitive reviews.

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

At low iso the nikon sensor does better the olympus. So a tie I guess.

Given that the olympus sensor is 3 years old and the crappy sensor is an ongoing gripe from users I don't think Nikon has much to be proud of in this respect.

Personally I'd love a really capable Nikon compact to compliment my D80 - not sure if this is it though. I'll wait for more definitive reviews.

As Nikon use sony sensors in most of their dslrs you could just buy the Nex7 and pretend it's a Nikon.

It's what Nikon should have made.

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

As Nikon use sony sensors in most of their dslrs you could just buy the Nex7 and pretend it's a Nikon.

True, though that would sort of fail on all the points I made regarding brand loyalty.

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Incidentally it sounds like the Nikon 1 sensor was developed by Nikon, so perhaps they are starting to bring sensor design in-house?

Good interview with a Nikon guy here that covers a few of the design decisions:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1316730752.html

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

That's the first time I've ever seen anyone admit brand loyalty. Well done. I think.

I get it with new dslrs, but why a completely different system? It's not like you'll be reusing lenses or even having familiar ergonomics.

Incidentally it sounds like the Nikon 1 sensor was developed by Nikon, so perhaps they are starting to bring sensor design in-house?

If that's the best they can do you'd better hope not.

Posted 8 months ago #
stumpy01 - Member

GrahamS - Member

Personally I'd love a really capable Nikon compact to compliment my D80 - not sure if this is it though. I'll wait for more definitive reviews.

GrahamS - have you seen this.....?

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikonp7100/

If they have sorted out the issues of the P7000, this could be a great camera.
I am tempted, depending on how the price comes down as I'll be able to use my flash with it.
It is a similar size to the Canon G series of cameras though and seeing one of those the other week in Dixon's at the airport it didn't look terribly compact sat next to cameras like the Panasonic TZ-20.

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

I get it with new dslrs, but why a completely different system? It's not like you'll be reusing lenses

Well they offer an F mount adapter, so you can actually reuse lenses.
And I'm guessing it can probably work in Commander mode for Nikon flashes.

But my main motivation would be workflow. I process RAWs in Nikon's (superb) CaptureNX, so sticking with Nikon would mean I wouldn't have to buy and learn some other software.

If that's the best they can do you'd better hope not.

Really? Very fast phase detection AF embedded on the sensor with 73 AF points, capable of shooting at 10fps with tracking AF and 60fps fixed AF (fastest in the world)?

I don't think they've done too badly!

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

stumpy01: yeah (in fact I mentioned it earlier in the thread ) it does look rather nice.

Posted 8 months ago #
DrJ - Member

The best comment on Nikon 1 I have seen is here. Essentially, it is that the big winner from the Nikon announcement is micro-4/3.

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

But my main motivation would be workflow. I process RAWs in Nikon's (superb) CaptureNX, so sticking with Nikon would mean I wouldn't have to buy and learn some other software.

Yeah, that's a mighty fine reason. Lack of e-p2 support on DXO is an ongoing irritation for me.

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

capable of shooting at 10fps with tracking AF and 60fps fixed AF (fastest in the world)?

I guess I can see the point of shooting at 10fps but 60? Who wants to go through hundreds of shots to find a good one? I dunno, I'm sure this will be a good camera as Nikon generally make good cameras, but it doesn't make me even consider switching from m4/3. The NEX7 looks great but the lens range still isn't as good as M4/3.

Posted 8 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

Ooh shiny and pretty!

Is non-interchangable lens though?

Posted 8 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Who wants to go through hundreds of shots to find a good one?

Potentially quite useful for grabbing "perfectly timed" sports shots without having perfect timing

I believe they also have an automatic Best Shot Selector mode, which shoots 20 shots for one shutter press and then suggests the best one.
Plus there is some kind of cunning "Slow Motion Movie + Still" mode which sounds "interesting".

I think as long as they implement the UI well so you can quickly flip through to select the perfect shot and discard the rest from the 120 you've just machine-gunned off then it is potentially quite an interesting feature.

Posted 8 months ago #
Elfinsafety - Member

Oh Graham (and anyone else what may be interest) I've posted a link to some pix what I done t'other day on the DSLR thread.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/digital-slr-info-buy-now-or-wait-for-new-stuffs/page/6#post-3012668

Posted 8 months ago #
scott_mcavennie2 - Member

I was at the in house launch of these, so do know a little about them (when I say a "little" I do mean a little).

The best shot selector does choose the best one for display. I believe you can also set it to display the best one and keep another 5 before discarding the rest.

And yes, sensor design is being brought in house.

I actually thought the Nikon 1 camera may be interesting for slinging in your bag to go biking with (although the standard of the Nikon compacts is now so much better that I will take my little P300 out with me next time I want to take a camera biking rather than the D300 with lenses).

Posted 8 months ago #
Dorset_Knob - Member

Ricoh GRD III, FTW.

It may not have all the latest sensors and whatsits, but it's easy to use and actually does fit in your jeans pocket, unlike most of these interchangeable lens things that are just slightly too big - in which case, you might as well carry a proper camera.

I don't know anything about photography by the way. I just love my little Ricoh.

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

unlike most of these interchangeable lens things that are just slightly too big - in which case, you might as well carry a proper camera.

*sigh*

Posted 8 months ago #
Dorset_Knob - Member

sigh why?

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

Because you haven't seen the light?

A more obvious question is "Why would anyone own a compact camera when they have a phone?"

Which is why they make EVIL/MILFs.

Posted 8 months ago #
Dorset_Knob - Member

MILFs?

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

sigh why?

It's just a tired argument, usually espoused by people with little experience of these cameras, and it was dealt with earlier in the thread.

Posted 8 months ago #
molgrips - Member

Lack of e-p2 support on DXO is an ongoing irritation for me.

It may be hackable - I managed to force mine to accept E-600 ORFs as E-620s.

Posted 8 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

MILFs?

Mirroless Interchangeable Lens Format.

It may be hackable - I managed to force mine to accept E-600 ORFs as E-620s.

It may be but they changed the sensor coatings between versions so I doubt it'll be that great.

Posted 8 months ago #
yoshimi - Member

Grum- out of interest- what % of shots on the gf1 do you use the 20mm for? I've got that and seem never to use the 14-42

Posted 8 months ago #
grum - Member

Yeah I think I use the 20mm probably 90% of the time - I often go out with just that. It's such a nice lens, and it's definitely true that M4/3 makes the most sense with the compact lenses - I like to shoot with low f numbers a lot as well.

I'm actually thinking I will sell my 14-45, as I just got the 14mm 2.5 pancake - again, it's very compact, and I found I used the 14-45 at the wide end most of the time anyway.

You can get the 14mm pancake for 'only' £145 from here (unboxed) - http://www.onestop-digital.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=33936

Posted 8 months ago #

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