Excellent analysis Robin. Of course we forgive old cameras a lot when we can pick them up for a reasonable price and we are no longer comparing their features seriously against alternatives, but simply using them for fun. Once again you show us that a good photographer can make beautiful photos with whatever camera you have in your hands. Thanks for posting.
The fact it looks like a 'toy camera ' could be an advantage now and allow you to act like just another person with a camera instead of a serious photographer! In some places they may charge you to take photos but they might give you a pass with this camera.
I owned and shot Nikon 1 for a few years and have some very good photos (thanks to RAW shooting) and a few videos that time. But the bodies I used were not enjoyable to shoot and I do not miss the system, especially since I love my current Lumix system. Going back a decade, I got a J3 kit (10-30 non-PZ, 30-110mm, and added the 18.5mm f1.8) on a fire sale and used it as a light travel kit instead of lugging my Nikon DX kit. I also shot some action/sports with it. I late upgraded the J3 to J5 and tried the 10-100mm and 10-30 PZ. In general, the lenses were compact, light, and good optically - especially the 18.5m f1.8 and the 30-110mm which were both superb in terms of sharpness and rendering. However... they all had a ticking time bomb which I mention below. In general, the J3 body was OK but controlling it was simply awful (no not simple, simply awful!) because there was no touchscreen and it had just a single control wheel on the back! I can't believe you like shooting with the J1. It was a terrible shooting experience IMO. In fact, only the J4/J5/V3 had touchscreens, and really, only the V1/V2/V3 and J5 had acceptable controls with the V series being the only cameras to get good front and rear dials. The idea was to keep these cameras simple but IMO it made them extremely hard to operate. Even the J5, which was much improved, was still a bit frustrating to control at times. One thing you didn't touch in your commentary was that Nikon's focus on speed came at the cost of sensors and image processing pipelines optimized for speed rather than quality. Their custom-designed non-Sony sensors/ADCs had very high readout speeds but were famously NOISY NOISY NOISY. While AF and burst rates were truly impressive, JPEG and video quality suffered from very heavy handed noise reduction; and even if you processed RAW images, you needed to use high quality noise reduction software (e.g., DXO PRIME) to get the best results which added a lot of time in post-processing. Additionally, since I also didn't particularly like Nikon colors, I would always shoot RAW to get pleasing images and I was never happy with the video colors, detail, and look. Furthermore, as good as the AF was for stills, it was shockingly poor in video. It would constantly hunt for focus and lacked sophisticated AF modes and settings that could reduce this. I can only assume that people who looked closely at their images and didn't process RAW, like me, simply weren't happy with the results from any Nikon 1 series camera until they got around to the J5, which had a fantastic sensor (a very good 20MP Sony BSI sensor, in fact, same as you'd find in the later RX100 series cameras with BSI sensors). But by then it was way too late. In addition to the weaknesses I mentioned, Nikon 1 lenses have a time bomb ticking in them. AFAIK almost all of them use a common electronic aperture control unit which is failure prone. I had 2 lenses die premature deaths due to aperture failure, and a third die due to PZ zoom motor failure. Needless to say, it was with little regret that I parted ways with what was left of my Nikon 1 system (as well as dumping my Nikon DX gear) and traded it in for micro four thirds system (Panasonic) instead. I'm much, much happier with my current system. Nikon made a lot of mistakes and questionable decisions with their Nikon 1 system. Fortunately, they seem to have corrected course nicely with their Z system mirrorless offerings which are, of course, much much better, although I think they're still insane and insulting their customers by not offering an IBIS-equipped body in the APS-C format.
I bought a white Nikon 1 J1 with a 10-30mm lens at a local weekly auction yesterday for £6 It needs a charger and perhaps another battery. But just looking at it gives me great pleasure. Its such a beautiful iconic design. I was going to list it on Ebay for spares or repair but having seen your video will give it a chance with new a new charged battery. Fingers crossed it works as I am looking forward to using it.
Hopefully yhat 10-30 works, that particular lens is prone to failure. The later version of it is much mor3 reliable, as are the rest of the 1 series lenses
I remember when these came out, I took a good look at them. I wanted a simple small travel camera for family pictures. Not being an advanced photographer, I wanted simplicity, size and a good price. I ended up with an admittedly inferior Sony compact. The reason being the price of the Nikon 1 system was like 3 or 4 times more expensive. So I think Nikon did not identify their market very well. Nice review.
I used a V2 for a couple if years to shoot bicycle racing. The camera's auto-focus speed and accuracy and high FPS rate was simply outstanding. It took a few years before MFT could match its performance. But Nikon never made comparable sealed cameras/lenses so there was limited appeal to the sports action crowd. To this day I don't understand why action shooters opt for really expensive full-format systems to do this work which mostly ends up displayed online anyway. I eventually switched the MFT sealed bodies/lenses for sports when it became obvious that Nikon was not going to continue development. Imo, when it came to sports/action, the V2 blew away all full-frame sports-oriented full-frame cameras and that's before taking price into account.
Just to rectifie one thing : the whole “Full Frame” term is somehow a scam. Full frame just means any camera and sensor system that uses its dedicated lenses that fill the whole sensor. It was misused and repeated to quantify 35mm sensors over dedicated APSc or micro 43 / nikon J1 systems who are actually full frame on their own because their dedicated lenses fill the full sensor
@@robinwong Robin, sorry, you need to be fact checked on this. The E-P3 (launched June 2011) shot 3 fps in continuous AF mode with a burst depth of 12 RAWs, 19 JPEGs, or 9 RAW+JPEG. The V2 (launched Oct 2012) shot 15 fps in continuous AF mode with electronic shutter or 5fps with continuous AF with the mechanical shutter with a buffer depth of 40 files of any type. The E-M1 (launched Sept 2013) shot 6.5 fps in continuous AF mode with a buffer depth of 40-50 RAWs. I don't believe you have experience with anything except the J1, I could be wrong. But as I myself have years of experience with the J3 and the J5, including shooting sports/action, I sincerely think you ought to acquire a bit more experience trying the later models such as the V2 and beyond for some sports/action shooting before you proclaim the superiority of the Olympus models you've mentioned. It seems rather obvious to me you've veered beyond your own direct experience with the claims you've made here.
I played around with the Nikon 1 system "in the day" so my thoughts are foggy remembrances from then. However, my recollection was that the camera was pretty expensive, and you could get a more capable camera for less. Lenses, etc. were also expensive. Beyond size, it didn't offer a lot of benefits to me (at that time). I don't remember it being fun to shoot with. A similarly small camera, the Pentax Q was much more enjoyable to shoot with (but it had an even smaller sensor). I also got into Olympus around that time (EPL 2); I really liked that camera. I thought its images were beautiful. I had a lot of fun with some of its effects. The J1 resembled a point-and-shoot, but a point-and-shoot could be had for much less money. At the same time, it was not serious enough for an enthusiast photographer to pay a fairly high price. At least IMHO.
I just ordered my own J3 yesterday second hand, what a coincidence!😊 I think that these days, pricing for nikon 1 is an advantage. They are really cheap, where I see most prices of compact and small mirrorless cameras go through the roof! I cannot wait to test my new camera out, in the right conditions, so daylight, outdoor, street.
I bought one of these used after your original video about this camera($88 for the body + lens). I'm really enjoying using it (mainly for video). I have the 10mm f2.8 lens, and I'm blown away by the performance of the autofocus on a camera as old as this one.
I started shooting back in 1966 (on film of course) and I saw something back then that applies to the Nikon 1 system and Canon's M system as well. For some reason, camera manufacturers felt that the market for amateurs (noone said "entusiast" back then) wasn't well served by pro cameras. Of all the manufacturers that went down that road, only Nikon had the sense of using the same lens mount on their amateur lineup. Not long after Nikon released the Nikon F in 1959, they were already looking for a simpler camera. In 1962 they announced the Nikkorex F, an F-mount SLR with a fixed prism, a Copal Square shutter, an optional clip-on selenium cell meter and a lower list price. It was built by Mamiya for Nikon. There was confusion with the other Nikkorex cameras, all of which were fixed lend SLRs with leaf shutters aimed at amateurs. Only three years later the Nikkorex F was history and the Nikkormat FT replaced it. It was a very similar camera but was built by Nikon, had TTL metering and immediately was snapped up by pros who were already using the Nikon F as a backup camera. It was not perceived as a camera for amateurs. In 1979, the Nikon EM was released with 8 low cost Series E F mount lenses. It was small and competed with the smaller SLRs that were attractin amateurs starting with the Olympus OM-1, Pentax ME and Canon AE-1. There are claims it was designed to appeal to women in particular. There was a lot of controversy at the time over whether the E lenses were as good as the mainstream F mount AI lenses and also complaints that there was no manual exposure override.There were two later models, the FG and FG-20. The Series E system died in 1986. Canon tried to offer an alternative to their FL mount in 1969 with the EX-EE. It was a throwback to 1950s German leaf shutter SLRs like the Contaflex, Bessamatic and Retina Reflex, but with a focal plane shutter. The EX mount was not compatible with the FL mount and only had four lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 95mm, 125mm. The EX line was dead by 1974. Topcon introduced the Uni (Auto 100 in USA), a leaf shutter auto exposure SLR in 1964. The UV mount was incompatible with the RE mount used on cameras like the Topcon Super D. The UV mount died in 1978 when production of the IC-1 Auto camera ended. It was the longest lived amateur system. Rolleiflex, Ricoh, Zeiss Ikon and Kodak all released SLRs starting in 1967 that used 126 Instamatic film rather than 35mm film. Although the Kodak Instamatic Reflex used the existing Retina Reflex mount, both the Zeiss and Ricoh cameras had new mounts unlike their existing 35mm SLRs. All were out of production by 1974. In 1979 Pentax came out with the truly bizarre Auto 110 system, an SLR using 110 Pocket Instamatic film. It had multiple lenses and even a motor drive! The system lasted 5 years. What all of these cameras had in common was they were market failures largely because except for Nikon the cameras could not use the same lenses as the flagship models. Other design limitations such as using 126 and 110 film or lack of manual controls scared off serious amateurs. Nikon's CX mount only lasted 7 years and Canon's M mount less than that. They follow along in the path of failed amateur systems of the film era. With today's smartphones stealing the amateur market, we'll probably not see such systems again.
Canon EF-M mount lasted 11 years. It was introduced in 2012 and they released the last new body in 2020. It was discontinued in 2023 after the release of EOS R50 - the first entry level camera with the R-mount.
I enjoyed your review, and I agree their marketing strategy was definitely skewed as well as the price made them unpopular. For me, I was already invested in the nikon system so it was a no-brainer. The V1 had the same back screen as my D 300 and the auto focussing was second to none as far as point and shoot cameras were concerned. With the FT 1 adaptor I was able to use all my other lenses with it and they worked seamlessly with that system. Later I bought the J5, and with that 20 megapixel sensor it blew the Sony RX series out of the water for because it had interchangeable lenses. As far as size goes, I have large hands and for me even the J5 is too small so I can’t imagine why you would want it to be any smaller compared to other cameras. The V 1 also had one gig of RAM so it had a large buffer, even for shooting raw files for video and stills. The lenses for these cameras were also exceptionally small, the 30 to 110 with an extension tube makes an awesome macro lens and all the lenses were very small compared to the micro 4/3 lenses which were more expensive. I will never sell mine.😊
There were some odd decisions made that stopped me from upgrading my V1 to the V2/V3: changing the battery from the EN-EL15 that's used in their DSLR; the FT1 adapter that only works with the central focus point; having a hot-shoe that's incompatible with their legacy Speedlight; removing the built-in viewfinder on the V3; putting a better BSI sensor on the J5 instead of the 'flagship' V3. I really wanted a small camera that complemented my DSLR - especially when I needed extra reach. Instead, the Nikon 1 was just too incompatible with their DSLR products and felt like two separate camera systems. Thankfully, Nikon has done better with the Z-series - imagine if they had limited their FTZ adapter to be 'central focus point' only!
love the Nikon 1s, took them all over the world without a problem, was my main airshow workhorse for many a year with a Nikon 300mm/4 lens, came out the gates fully PDAF and it worked, modern AI NR gives them even more life
I agree with everything you said Robin. I wonder whether Nikon's experience caused them to create the dual format Z system so that even people buying a bottom of the range APS camera could feel they were using a high end professional system. The 1 System was probably intended to give people a step up from smartphones which apparently was Olympus's intention with the Pens, but they look and feel like serious cameras and are part of a pro system.
A very fair analysis as usual, Robin. When the J1 came out, I was shooting Nikon APS-C. The J1 did not strike me as a "serious" camera, perhaps within the context of camera options at that time, and I never gave it a real look. A couple of years later, I bought a used Lumix G1 on a lark, which started my journey with M43, which I now shoot 80% of the time (mostly Olympus now). I bought a 1" sensor camera in 2019 (Canon G5X ii) for casual shooting and as a travel backup, and was pleasantly surprised at how good the mage quality is. So while I"m sure that 1" sensor technology has improved substantially since 2011, maybe the J1 just came out too early before the market was ready for it.
I've been watching your videos lately and besides the great information you provide I gotta say I enjoy how explain things and your enthusiasm! Much love from Germany!
I still have my Nikon 1 V1 with the same 18.5mm F1.8 lens you are using in this video. It still works great. I am still hunting down the V3 and the J5 to add to my (Modern Vintage) collection.
Totally agree! I had high hopes in the Nikon 1 cameras. I had an D7100 at the time and a couple of matching lenses. I was hoping the Nikon 1 cameras would give me more reach in focal length with my telephoto lenses, but the cameras just didn't feel right in my hands. Now I am happy with my m43 Cameras and Lenses.
Spot-on analysis! I picked up a V2 recently and a 10mm-100mm lens, and have enjoyed using it. The small form factor, plus small lenses like the 10mm-30mm, make the Nikon 1 system excellent for street photography or when you want to travel light. I am very pleased with the speed and accuracy of the autofocus on the V2. I think, as you noted, one of the biggest problems was competition from other 1-inch sensor cameras especially from Canon (G7 Mark II) and Panasonic (ZS100/ZS200).
I wanted to get into photography when this was first released. I liked the design but I believe the D3300 was a lot cheaper and came in good bundles. The reviews were great for the D3300 and it offered an entry into a very large ecosystem. I still use my D3300 daily and have spent most of my money dedicated to photography buying new lenses for it instead of upgrading the body. The pictures are incredible and although the AF is inferior to a lot of other cameras at the time, it performs well and I can use it at airshows to capture the F-22 flying at 500mph at sunset and still get incredible pictures. If I would have bought the Nikon 1, I don’t think I would have learned all the photography skills I have today, and I certainly would have put grown the ecosystem. Even if I were to upgrade to a full frame Nikon Z from my D3300, I’d probably keep using it for telephoto pictures because of the awesome magnification I get from using the crop sensor.
Thanks for the video! This system looks deceptively small in stand-alone product images, but when you put them side by side next to those other cameras I was surprised by how big they really were.
Great video. Two other factors I think really hurt the Nikon 1 were it's pricing and layout. Nikon 1 was very expensive for what it was. Many people balked at the MSRP. And the layout of the earlier cameras felt like it was aimed at someone who didn't know anything about cameras. Heck, the mode dial on the V1 had a dedicated setting for some gimmicky music picture video, but it expected you to dive through menus to change the shooting mode. Another, lesser issue was how closed the system was; I recall Nikon restricted third party lenses to be manual only. Not that there were many third party lenses.
It's easy to see, in hindsight, that the Nikon 1 J1 had some disadvantages. The Olympus PM1 was released two months earlier, was about the same size... But by that time, Nikon was committed, and there were always going to be customers that had different preferences, and some that MUST have a Nikon. I also have a J1 (and a PM2), and I think they both do a fine job. Nowadays, it's a matter of which I feel like using on a particular day.
I nearly bought one, I like the compact minimalistic style. I ended up getting the Pentax Q with all the lens. As you said it is a Nikon 1 J1 is a fun camera, I need more fun in my photo taking! The quality looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
Great thoughts as always I looked into AW1 briefly to use in an underwater case, but despite or maybe because of it's nich character, Nikon1 cameras are not that cheap and my Oly TG-6 is much more pocketable and takes great pictures, so I'll stick to that. Also an interesting by-product of your video, if the spider on the lens doesn't matter, so shouldn't even heavier scratches, which I believe you mentioned in your video on how pointless UV filters are :)
This was my first camera. I had used Nikon DSLR for my work but this was the first mirrorless that offered different lenses. When combined with the pancake lens. This thing really comes alive. As I travelled a lot, it was super compact. I used to travel light and it fit into my pocket. The thing that used to bug me about it was that it had no hot-shoe. Unlike the Nikon V1. Since it took very noisy low light images with the small sensor it was relatively useless outdoors in low light. Apart from that I think it was a winner. The lenses were super expensive for a while and now they have discontinued they are for some reason more affordable.
I very much appreciate how you can analyze the various aspects of the camera life cycle ( design, marketing, user experience) due to your background from working for Olympus as well as being an engineer and a working photographer. In the US, the Nikon 1 system received almost no promotion,,which is strange since Nikon had used celebrity endorsers in the past to try to make their cameras appealing as a "must have accessory". I had this J1 and some Sony NEX cameras before committing to MFT. In the end,,,for me,,, it all just boiled down to usability and the MFT lens system. The overwhelming selection and quality of Olympus and Panasonic glass attracted me to their camps with a feeling that I was pursuing a much more complete photographic ecosystem..
Hey Robin! Excellent history to know, great video. But honestly anything below APSC with interchangeable lens system to me just doesn’t make any sense because It makes it less portable. I use to use a small compact camera bag that I hang on my belt to carry my RX100 everywhere, but this Nikon J1 just doesn’t fit. If I have to use a bag to carry my gears I rather bring my APSC camera instead. I think that's one of the reasons this camera failed at that moment.
bought into the N1 ecosystem in 2021 during the Pandemic... Prices were finally where I could handle them... Bought a Nikon 1 V2 and V3 (with EVF) and every lens except the 32 1.2, the GPS unit and a N7 flash... all for about $900... Just a beautiful system and it hurts me as a camera nerd that this ridiculously specced (for the time) was cancelled.
I have a V1 and a J4, they are interesting little cameras and I would like to try out that 70-300 lens for them, but given that the Nikon 1 lenses breaks down in a matter of time, I dont see it as a feasable solution. I have two of the original 10-30s which is dead, and make do with a 10-30 pancake and the 30-100mm along with the OEM flash for the V1. I find the cameras to have very nice colours and rendering, but I probably wont spend anymore on it than the about $200 I have in it as per now. My main system in M43 beats the Nikon 1 hands down in every aspect, other than the sick possibilities in regards of telephoto. The idea of a system which gives one the possibility of sporting a zoom ending at 800mm Equivalent with a tiny LVF equipped body, weighting in at about 800 grams I find very, very intriguing.
Still have my original, bought at the time, J1. Took that on a few holidays and enjoyed using it. I thought it was capable of producing great shots with very fast AF. I bought it as the price dropped of course but i still could never understand why everyone lauded the Sony RX100 but hated heavy on the Nikon. (I had the Sony back then as well) I was always a contrarian and still think it has its place in mirrorless history. Still fun to use, along with my V1. So long as you don’t jack the iso up too much, the files can look nice.
I used to have sony rx100 iii with nikon 1 j5 ui overall usageSony Be more friendly The latter has made the viewfinder more interesting. But that doesn't make the Nikon bad, it works great in other ways. But still have to rely on the Nikon 1 system to get the best results.
Nice job ,what would u recommend for me to get back in the business,I did underwater videos in the 90ies ,using ikelite housing an Sony SP9 .o wanna do videos and still what would you recommend.
This was my first interchangeable lens camera ever, before buying it, I had only have point and shoot digicams and this opened a whole World of possibilities to me. Sadly I dropped it once and stopped working, it happened to be too expensive to repair so I went back to digicams for one or two years before buying an oly e-p5, wich I still consider an amazing camera for street, however the J1 has a special place in my heart.
I got a J2 when my Sony A55V suffered a cider-related incident while I was on holidays in England and Europe. It was discounted at Argos, and kept me going for the rest of my trip. I was impressed with the sharpness of the 10MP images. Leter I got a V1, which, again, I loved, and a 30-110 lens, though I had been doing OK using a 2x adaptor on the J2's 10-30 lens for a little while until I got the longer zoom. I took the V1 everywhere when I was on holidays, to the extent that the old Sony (now repaired) needs its first sensor clean in 12 years! Then the lens died and the Nikons went into hibernation. Last year I was going interstate for a couple of days and was determined to carry everything I needed in the one carry-on bag, with the camera around my neck but able to go into the bag at a pinch. I picked up a second hand lens, and headed off to Melbourne. It was great -- until the lens died. I would still use a Nikon 1 today if it were half reliable. But I agree with most, if not all, of your points. I think that Nikon set itself up to fail. You are right that the camera is a bit bigger than it needs to be, though it is quite liveable. However, the V1 is noticeably bigger than the J1/J2, perhaps to fit the EVF in, but other camera manufacturers get an EVF into a more compact body. And why build two different bodies? Do what some of the later Olympus Pens did, with an accessory viewfinder. Or design a body which can be manufactured with or without an installed EVF -- maybe with a blanking panel in its place on the J level camera. It's a waste of manufacturing resources! My Sony has a fully articulated screen. Why couldn't they have at least put a flip up screen on the first generation of Nikon 1s? And developed reliable lenses. They also started out with the J1 as an "entry level" camera -- and then introduced the sub-entry-level S series, which apppeared to have the same body as the J 1. Why do that? What more can you remove from an already fairly limited camera? Next they introduced the AW series -- weather-sealed -- and promoted as an underwater camera. But where was the enthusiast weather-sealed camera, something in the V series? Not that many people really have use for underwater photography compared to those who want a good photo for use in a storm! So poor quality lenses, far too many bodies for a camera which needs time to catch on, failure to provide design features which most photographers were coming to expect, and all for roughly double what the market would bear. I made a remarke elsewhere about how the project was managed by a team of drunken bandicoots.
Main issue was a price - J1 bodies should have been super cheap, let say $100. Cheap and colorful - who can resist? Plus couple cheap kit lenses. Then, if you want quality lenses - pay more. They did it, but not exactly. Starting price was too high. And marketing was weak.
8/8/23 My favorite pocket camera for street and causual photography is a Nikon Coolpix 56500 a 16 meg pixels CMOS sensor with a wide angle to close up zoom 12 X along with being able to shoot video. Like your Nikon review it is simple to use takes great photos with it basic simple controls that will meet normal scene selection. The modern styling and the great resale used price make it a bargin buy. No one has ever asked me with what camera I took the photo with, it even comes with Nikon software for photo edits, plus the meta data is recorded with the file if needed. For a camers that can be with you on all occassions the Nikon Coolpix 56500 that came out a few years back can still meet todays needs for amazing photos at a price you can afford.
I have a J5 that still gets light use. Its my cary around camera in case I want something better quality that my phone. I also sometimes hike with it with the converter and dx lenses. Better glass, but still really light and compact. Very ocasionally, I hook it up to my 150-600 in situations where I'd be cropping my D750 too much. I sort of look at it as 1/3 of a 60mp full size sensor..so I dont have to upgrade my 750 for those very rare shots.
I had the V1 and V2 in the past and honestly, I got some really beautiful photos from them. I'm primarily using Nikon FF mirrorless now, but I was very tempted to buy a used V3 system recently. I'm sure I could have made great photos with that too, but in the end I decided I'd be better off with a cheap m4/3 camera as my small/fun/cheap camera because I'd get noticeably better dynamic range and higher ISO performance and still have a very small camera/lens setup.
This was a classic case of 'how you feel is what you get'. Nikon didn't take ML cameras seriously, which showed with this botched attempt. When you compare the Nikon1 bodies with the high level Coolpix compacts like the P7800, its clear to me which one is better to use for experienced shooters. The N1 series was meant to appeal to newbies and advanced shooters, yet it did nothing for both, especially within the Nikon fanbase (they hated the menu system). When you look at how the flagship 'V' bodies radically changed from the mark 1 to 3, it shows me that it was either an experiment in the same way Fuji has done with their 1-off bodies, or an ill thought strategy. I bought the V1 many years ago and later sold it when i realised that it did not match my needs at the time. I did get some decent shots with it, even at night, which did require some editing time. I have now bought this camera again to see how much i could get out of it as a standalone system, also to be used by youngsters as a simple tool to learn from. The current Z series line up owes some things from the N1. Shutterless tech, the FTZ adaper, based aground the FT1, and the styling that looks similar to the V2 body, to name a few.
While Nikon didn't fully realize the potential of an ILC with a one-inch sensor, I think that the concept makes sense and could be further developed into a high-quality offering. One major advantage would be ultra-light super-telephoto lenses. I could see a cadre of senior citizen wildlife photographers ditching larger sensor systems, even micro 4/3 with their somewhat heavy 150-600 and 150-400 lenses, for the potential of very light weight combined with very long reach. Sensor technology has evolved to the point where the IQ penalty for a one-inch sensor could be substantially reduced. However, such a sensor would still probably be less-than-optimal for low-light photography of fast-moving subjects.
It's interesting because around the same time, Pentax launched the Q system. The sensor was smaller; the first models just had a 1/2.3 inch sensor, while later models had a 1/1.7 inch sensor. So still much smaller than even a 1 inch sensor (though all models had IBIS). However, they had some proper controls, with a PASM dial, command dial, and a D-pad that doubled up as function buttons. And the flash looked cool, like a tiny robot, moving it off-center as well. So it had appeal, even to experienced photographers. Because of its diminutive size it encouraged creativity. Also because it had a 4-way dial on the front to choose different post-processing options such as black & white, cross-process, etc. If I look at this J1, it doesn't even have a PASM dial, so I don't think it appeals to serious photographers. And you need to be at least somewhat serious to buy an interchangeable lens camera, even if it is a small one. One thing to note though. When I say "serious"or "experienced" photographers, I also mean those who are aware that photography is so much more than the camera. But that you do want to control the camera. Because you enjoy it, and it means you are better able to create the image. But who won't shy away from a smaller image sensor, because again, they know that creativity can be expressed even with such tools. Ultimately, the Pentax Q was also discontinued (never officially but yeah, it's dead). But Pentax was tiny compared to Nikon. So I think Nikon could have made it work.
I just bought Nikon J3 for cheap. I used to have Olympus E-M5 but to be honest I never used it because of the handling & sold it a few years ago. I always preferred my GH3 which was shaped more like a DSLR. Or I used my EPL1. But I hated the slowness of EPL1. I hope its smaller than E-M5 and more the size of EPL1 but faster to use
Bought into this system 3 times. First, J5 and adapted lenses. Second time J5, and native lenses. Third time, full V3 kit and bunch of native and adapted lenses. My primary use was reach, though unfortunately, with adapted lenses, the AF system is pretty bad. Despite showing a single focus point box (only center AF works on adapted), the system instead uses 3 invisible focus points: 1 in the middle of the box, and 1 on each extreme end of it. ANY of the points can decide focus, and they tend to choose to focus on what's furthest back if the subject doesn't cover the 3 points completely or evenly. Impossible to get consistent in-focus shots if there's any kind of shallow DOF created by long/fast lenses. Lots of what looks like backfocusing, but is actually how the system was designed. My full V3 kit and lenses are going to MPB this week, where I'm trading for an Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic 35-100/2.8 (for work purposes), and eventually a 75-300. I like the smaller size of the V3 (especially with the removable EVF and grip), but if the shots aren't in focus, there's no point in keeping the camera.
I have been shooting on film. And i always encounter grain as i do push process my films for higher ISOs. Does not bother me as grain does provide some character to the shot.
Got the Nikon 1 S1 a couple of days ago with the 18.5mm and 11-27.5mm. It was cheap and seems to be good for a daily carry camera that is used to make memories.
Good luck with the 11-27.5 mm lens. I bought the S1 camera brand new and after a few use stored it well kept. Next time I used it the screen turned dark as I zoomed. I searched and found that it’s a common failure for that lens.
Just the 60 fps and reliable AF make want to have one! That alone makes it better than most other compact street cameras. The 16000 shutter speed doesn't hurt either. Let's face it, this little old camera is a beast.
I feel like the Nikon 1 was always very capable of making stunning photographs, but for me one thing I didn't like was the controls. Most of the lenses are focused from the back of the camera if you're using manual focus for example. To me the controls were also very fiddly. The Olympus bodies, even the small ones seemed to have less fiddly controls. The Olympus bodies just have a lot more customizability and more comprehensive controls to make it easier to use, even the TG-6 I use every day has pretty good controls. I felt it was too bad because Nikon bodies often have really great controls. I can pick up any of my other Nikon DSLR or mirrorless bodies and it just fits in my hand and the controls are right there just like with my Micro 4/3 Olympus bodies. The lenses for the Nikon 1 were really awesome, and I almost got myself a Nikon 1 system to just have around for fun so I could use them
I have two Nikon 1 AW1 underwater cameras - because there is no other underwater camera in a "normal" camera body with "normal" controls for exposure, AF and drive settings. What killed the 1 Series was PRICE. The 1 inch sensor is good for printing A4 full page images in the biggest national fishing magazine here in New Zealand! That sensor could do continuous focus on 15fps ten years ago - way ahead of the DSLRs let alone mirrorless - but the price was way too high. I can only afford them now that they are second hand. If only Canon or Sony would do a tough-cam with a 1 inch sensor that could be a winner for outdoor sports photographers!
Irony is that m4/3 made this system very unappealing in price and lens offering. I remember when these came out, everyone were basically like _"It makes no sense, same price as RX100, but if you want detachable lens just buy micro four thirds"_
I was somewhat interest in the Nikon 1 system back then, at least what the system was on paper (fast shooting, small lenses) but two things held me back. 1. It felt like a stopgap system, like Nikon didn't really put their heart in it... so why should I be interested as a customer? Lens releases were slow and most camera bodies looked like toys or were heavily geared to the noob mom & pop market. Not a good sign. 2. Another factor was Sony. That company also used 1 inch sensors at the time and their sensors were much better than Nikon's (only at the very end did Nikon catch up). This only reinforced my feeling that Nikon was not really in it to win it.
The initial pricing was way off. V1 was much more expensive than DSLRs. I bought a J1 when they were giving them away, and liked it. Bought a second hand V1 too. I loved the look of them - Bauhaus/Leica. One disadvantage was the screen was not WYSIWYG, as I remember, so still having to "chimp" like a DSLR, unlike M43 offerings. Then the newer models had no sensible progression - viewfinders disappeared, SD cards went micro...............No game plan, and probably the wrong people, compacts rather than DSLR, in charge of design. Should have been a mini DSLR but Nikon was too afraid of cannibalizing their own lines. Now M43 gives me what I was after.
I have a Nikon 1 S2 and what I do not like about it seems more the limits of the internal processing, and that might be hardware related. On the S2, I can record stills in either a raw format or a JPEG, but not both, and the raw is one that is not supported on my outdated Corel stills software. I think the forced raw/JPEG is probably because the camera cpu is slow. I expect that Nikon decided it would take an unacceptably long time to output both a raw and a JPEG (and they were probably right). On the other hand, I could probably upgrade my computer software to handle the raw file. I just never got around to it. So I generally set the camera to output a JPEG, which is no better than a cheap cellphone, unless I change to a different lens. But I never did buy another lens beyond the 10-30mm that came with it. Instead, I put more money into M43 which I felt was "small enough" and a better investment overall.
I believe it's Wiley agreed that the J5 was the best of the series. They finally dialed in the image performance just in time to cancel the system. Using the J5 with the 50 mm equivalent 1.8 Prime is it great experience. If it had an electronic viewfinder I would probably never leave it at home.
Two years ago I bought a mint V1 + 4x lenses for around €110,00. Have many other gear but I love the Nikon 1 system, especially the V1. Still very unique camera. And if you know its limits + strengths very fun and pleasing to use! Nikon missed a big chance when the all of a sudden quiet the development of de 1" sensor 2x DL compact cameras. One of them with super wide angle lens. Very unique and promising and even a lot publicity and in the end they dropped it.
1) Nikon *invented* the CX Sensor format into 2011 2) It was very expensive 3) I bought my V1 into early 2012 for (almost) full price - it was 100 bucks off only, still more than many DSLRs 4) relative little lens choice 5) Into 2012 - Sony released the RX100, which heavy advertising - they used *exactly* the same Nikon CX Sensor size (Type 1.0, 1" Sensor, 13.2 x 8.8mm) 6) Nikon 10-30 VR & 30-110 VR are prone to failure (a plastic cog is about the break, aperture mechanism serial error)
This was my first camera ever , I bought this one in 2011 as a student didn’t had enough money but wanted this camera so I sold few things just to get money to buying this little thing 😂 good old time … years of experience and many many cameras later I ended up by Leica 😃 so thanks Nikon 1 j1 without you I wouldn’t develop any interest in to photography
I am am amateur with cameras, but I always love mirrorless and bridge cameras, I have a 1 J1 red because I found It "cheap" AND because as I am amateur I wont spend a lot in a camera if I don't know how to use It, I love It and want to get a 10 or 18 mm lens because I only hace the stock 10-30
If you got them cheap enough, they were excellent cameras for what they were. I own the J3 and you can literally flip the flash upright to get great pics. Plus the mount for DX lenses is amazing for Telephoto lenses. Still take this thing with me when out with our baby to take pics and not care about damaging a more expensive camera
It is not uncommon that new technology comes first on consumer cameras. The demands are not so high there so the technology does not have to be so mature. It happened also in film cameras. Autofocus came to compacts almost a decade before it came to SLRs. As I understand Nikon 1 has also precapture in some models. This camera was a good idea in 2011 but as Sony released the RX100 in 2012 it changed everything. It was more compact and had a much faster lens. Sure it had a fixed lens but most users use only the kit lens and serious users would use other systems.
Nikon itself introduced the Coolpix A, also very small, but that had an APS-C sensor. It also underperformed in the market. (I bought one used at a much lower ticket several years after intro; It's a very good camera.)
The same reason the Pentax Q cameras failed. Even the MX 1. Which was a very good camera, the senors were all too small. Olympus Micro 4/3 was larger. Add to that to LUMIX addition to the format. Bigger and better. Nikon was not going to re engineer their new system. They could have, maybe grew with that group.
Surely Nikon 1 was instantly irrelevant as soon as the RX100 was released. Plus obvs M4/3 options as mentioned. I do admire Nikon's concept & the tech they squeezed in for the time tho!
i think it was the rising of smartphone photography that is the main reason many of those beginners' cameras at that time been wiped off from the market.
What went wrong was marketing This would have been my perfect camera in 2015, but I only just heard of it today! They never spend on building awareness for their great projects like this. 😂
Excellent analysis Robin. Of course we forgive old cameras a lot when we can pick them up for a reasonable price and we are no longer comparing their features seriously against alternatives, but simply using them for fun. Once again you show us that a good photographer can make beautiful photos with whatever camera you have in your hands. Thanks for posting.
The fact it looks like a 'toy camera ' could be an advantage now and allow you to act like just another person with a camera instead of a serious photographer! In some places they may charge you to take photos but they might give you a pass with this camera.
I owned and shot Nikon 1 for a few years and have some very good photos (thanks to RAW shooting) and a few videos that time. But the bodies I used were not enjoyable to shoot and I do not miss the system, especially since I love my current Lumix system.
Going back a decade, I got a J3 kit (10-30 non-PZ, 30-110mm, and added the 18.5mm f1.8) on a fire sale and used it as a light travel kit instead of lugging my Nikon DX kit. I also shot some action/sports with it. I late upgraded the J3 to J5 and tried the 10-100mm and 10-30 PZ. In general, the lenses were compact, light, and good optically - especially the 18.5m f1.8 and the 30-110mm which were both superb in terms of sharpness and rendering. However... they all had a ticking time bomb which I mention below.
In general, the J3 body was OK but controlling it was simply awful (no not simple, simply awful!) because there was no touchscreen and it had just a single control wheel on the back! I can't believe you like shooting with the J1. It was a terrible shooting experience IMO. In fact, only the J4/J5/V3 had touchscreens, and really, only the V1/V2/V3 and J5 had acceptable controls with the V series being the only cameras to get good front and rear dials. The idea was to keep these cameras simple but IMO it made them extremely hard to operate. Even the J5, which was much improved, was still a bit frustrating to control at times.
One thing you didn't touch in your commentary was that Nikon's focus on speed came at the cost of sensors and image processing pipelines optimized for speed rather than quality. Their custom-designed non-Sony sensors/ADCs had very high readout speeds but were famously NOISY NOISY NOISY. While AF and burst rates were truly impressive, JPEG and video quality suffered from very heavy handed noise reduction; and even if you processed RAW images, you needed to use high quality noise reduction software (e.g., DXO PRIME) to get the best results which added a lot of time in post-processing. Additionally, since I also didn't particularly like Nikon colors, I would always shoot RAW to get pleasing images and I was never happy with the video colors, detail, and look.
Furthermore, as good as the AF was for stills, it was shockingly poor in video. It would constantly hunt for focus and lacked sophisticated AF modes and settings that could reduce this.
I can only assume that people who looked closely at their images and didn't process RAW, like me, simply weren't happy with the results from any Nikon 1 series camera until they got around to the J5, which had a fantastic sensor (a very good 20MP Sony BSI sensor, in fact, same as you'd find in the later RX100 series cameras with BSI sensors). But by then it was way too late.
In addition to the weaknesses I mentioned, Nikon 1 lenses have a time bomb ticking in them. AFAIK almost all of them use a common electronic aperture control unit which is failure prone. I had 2 lenses die premature deaths due to aperture failure, and a third die due to PZ zoom motor failure.
Needless to say, it was with little regret that I parted ways with what was left of my Nikon 1 system (as well as dumping my Nikon DX gear) and traded it in for micro four thirds system (Panasonic) instead. I'm much, much happier with my current system.
Nikon made a lot of mistakes and questionable decisions with their Nikon 1 system. Fortunately, they seem to have corrected course nicely with their Z system mirrorless offerings which are, of course, much much better, although I think they're still insane and insulting their customers by not offering an IBIS-equipped body in the APS-C format.
I bought a white Nikon 1 J1 with a 10-30mm lens at a local weekly auction yesterday for £6 It needs a charger and perhaps another battery. But just looking at it gives me great pleasure. Its such a beautiful iconic design. I was going to list it on Ebay for spares or repair but having seen your video will give it a chance with new a new charged battery. Fingers crossed it works as I am looking forward to using it.
Hopefully yhat 10-30 works, that particular lens is prone to failure. The later version of it is much mor3 reliable, as are the rest of the 1 series lenses
I remember when these came out, I took a good look at them. I wanted a simple small travel camera for family pictures. Not being an advanced photographer, I wanted simplicity, size and a good price. I ended up with an admittedly inferior Sony compact. The reason being the price of the Nikon 1 system was like 3 or 4 times more expensive. So I think Nikon did not identify their market very well. Nice review.
I used a V2 for a couple if years to shoot bicycle racing. The camera's auto-focus speed and accuracy and high FPS rate was simply outstanding. It took a few years before MFT could match its performance. But Nikon never made comparable sealed cameras/lenses so there was limited appeal to the sports action crowd. To this day I don't understand why action shooters opt for really expensive full-format systems to do this work which mostly ends up displayed online anyway. I eventually switched the MFT sealed bodies/lenses for sports when it became obvious that Nikon was not going to continue development. Imo, when it came to sports/action, the V2 blew away all full-frame sports-oriented full-frame cameras and that's before taking price into account.
That was not true, E-P3 was already as fast as J1/V1. When E-M1 came out, nothing from Nikon 1 system came close in terms of AF speed and accuracy.
Just to rectifie one thing : the whole “Full Frame” term is somehow a scam. Full frame just means any camera and sensor system that uses its dedicated lenses that fill the whole sensor. It was misused and repeated to quantify 35mm sensors over dedicated APSc or micro 43 / nikon J1 systems who are actually full frame on their own because their dedicated lenses fill the full sensor
@@robinwong Robin, sorry, you need to be fact checked on this. The E-P3 (launched June 2011) shot 3 fps in continuous AF mode with a burst depth of 12 RAWs, 19 JPEGs, or 9 RAW+JPEG. The V2 (launched Oct 2012) shot 15 fps in continuous AF mode with electronic shutter or 5fps with continuous AF with the mechanical shutter with a buffer depth of 40 files of any type. The E-M1 (launched Sept 2013) shot 6.5 fps in continuous AF mode with a buffer depth of 40-50 RAWs.
I don't believe you have experience with anything except the J1, I could be wrong. But as I myself have years of experience with the J3 and the J5, including shooting sports/action, I sincerely think you ought to acquire a bit more experience trying the later models such as the V2 and beyond for some sports/action shooting before you proclaim the superiority of the Olympus models you've mentioned. It seems rather obvious to me you've veered beyond your own direct experience with the claims you've made here.
I played around with the Nikon 1 system "in the day" so my thoughts are foggy remembrances from then. However, my recollection was that the camera was pretty expensive, and you could get a more capable camera for less. Lenses, etc. were also expensive. Beyond size, it didn't offer a lot of benefits to me (at that time). I don't remember it being fun to shoot with. A similarly small camera, the Pentax Q was much more enjoyable to shoot with (but it had an even smaller sensor). I also got into Olympus around that time (EPL 2); I really liked that camera. I thought its images were beautiful. I had a lot of fun with some of its effects. The J1 resembled a point-and-shoot, but a point-and-shoot could be had for much less money. At the same time, it was not serious enough for an enthusiast photographer to pay a fairly high price. At least IMHO.
I just ordered my own J3 yesterday second hand, what a coincidence!😊
I think that these days, pricing for nikon 1 is an advantage. They are really cheap, where I see most prices of compact and small mirrorless cameras go through the roof! I cannot wait to test my new camera out, in the right conditions, so daylight, outdoor, street.
I bought one of these used after your original video about this camera($88 for the body + lens). I'm really enjoying using it (mainly for video). I have the 10mm f2.8 lens, and I'm blown away by the performance of the autofocus on a camera as old as this one.
I loved this system. Did Europe with it years ago alongside my Olympus.
You don’t ‘do’ a continent.
@@henrilindenhof7791 but he did it!
I started shooting back in 1966 (on film of course) and I saw something back then that applies to the Nikon 1 system and Canon's M system as well.
For some reason, camera manufacturers felt that the market for amateurs (noone said "entusiast" back then) wasn't well served by pro cameras. Of all the manufacturers that went down that road, only Nikon had the sense of using the same lens mount on their amateur lineup.
Not long after Nikon released the Nikon F in 1959, they were already looking for a simpler camera. In 1962 they announced the Nikkorex F, an F-mount SLR with a fixed prism, a Copal Square shutter, an optional clip-on selenium cell meter and a lower list price. It was built by Mamiya for Nikon. There was confusion with the other Nikkorex cameras, all of which were fixed lend SLRs with leaf shutters aimed at amateurs. Only three years later the Nikkorex F was history and the Nikkormat FT replaced it. It was a very similar camera but was built by Nikon, had TTL metering and immediately was snapped up by pros who were already using the Nikon F as a backup camera. It was not perceived as a camera for amateurs. In 1979, the Nikon EM was released with 8 low cost Series E F mount lenses. It was small and competed with the smaller SLRs that were attractin amateurs starting with the Olympus OM-1, Pentax ME and Canon AE-1. There are claims it was designed to appeal to women in particular. There was a lot of controversy at the time over whether the E lenses were as good as the mainstream F mount AI lenses and also complaints that there was no manual exposure override.There were two later models, the FG and FG-20. The Series E system died in 1986.
Canon tried to offer an alternative to their FL mount in 1969 with the EX-EE. It was a throwback to 1950s German leaf shutter SLRs like the Contaflex, Bessamatic and Retina Reflex, but with a focal plane shutter. The EX mount was not compatible with the FL mount and only had four lenses: 35mm, 50mm, 95mm, 125mm. The EX line was dead by 1974.
Topcon introduced the Uni (Auto 100 in USA), a leaf shutter auto exposure SLR in 1964. The UV mount was incompatible with the RE mount used on cameras like the Topcon Super D. The UV mount died in 1978 when production of the IC-1 Auto camera ended. It was the longest lived amateur system.
Rolleiflex, Ricoh, Zeiss Ikon and Kodak all released SLRs starting in 1967 that used 126 Instamatic film rather than 35mm film. Although the Kodak Instamatic Reflex used the existing Retina Reflex mount, both the Zeiss and Ricoh cameras had new mounts unlike their existing 35mm SLRs. All were out of production by 1974.
In 1979 Pentax came out with the truly bizarre Auto 110 system, an SLR using 110 Pocket Instamatic film. It had multiple lenses and even a motor drive! The system lasted 5 years.
What all of these cameras had in common was they were market failures largely because except for Nikon the cameras could not use the same lenses as the flagship models. Other design limitations such as using 126 and 110 film or lack of manual controls scared off serious amateurs.
Nikon's CX mount only lasted 7 years and Canon's M mount less than that. They follow along in the path of failed amateur systems of the film era. With today's smartphones stealing the amateur market, we'll probably not see such systems again.
Canon EF-M mount lasted 11 years. It was introduced in 2012 and they released the last new body in 2020. It was discontinued in 2023 after the release of EOS R50 - the first entry level camera with the R-mount.
I enjoyed your review, and I agree their marketing strategy was definitely skewed as well as the price made them unpopular. For me, I was already invested in the nikon system so it was a no-brainer. The V1 had the same back screen as my D 300 and the auto focussing was second to none as far as point and shoot cameras were concerned. With the FT 1 adaptor I was able to use all my other lenses with it and they worked seamlessly with that system. Later I bought the J5, and with that 20 megapixel sensor it blew the Sony RX series out of the water for because it had interchangeable lenses. As far as size goes, I have large hands and for me even the J5 is too small so I can’t imagine why you would want it to be any smaller compared to other cameras. The V 1 also had one gig of RAM so it had a large buffer, even for shooting raw files for video and stills. The lenses for these cameras were also exceptionally small, the 30 to 110 with an extension tube makes an awesome macro lens and all the lenses were very small compared to the micro 4/3 lenses which were more expensive. I will never sell mine.😊
There were some odd decisions made that stopped me from upgrading my V1 to the V2/V3: changing the battery from the EN-EL15 that's used in their DSLR; the FT1 adapter that only works with the central focus point; having a hot-shoe that's incompatible with their legacy Speedlight; removing the built-in viewfinder on the V3; putting a better BSI sensor on the J5 instead of the 'flagship' V3. I really wanted a small camera that complemented my DSLR - especially when I needed extra reach. Instead, the Nikon 1 was just too incompatible with their DSLR products and felt like two separate camera systems. Thankfully, Nikon has done better with the Z-series - imagine if they had limited their FTZ adapter to be 'central focus point' only!
I have the same question. What happened? I have the Nikon 1V3 and the 1J5. Wonderful tiny cameras.
I used the nikon 1 j1, j3, s1, & s2. I loved the J3 and honestly i am debating getting the V3 and J5. They were my roots of serious photography
love the Nikon 1s, took them all over the world without a problem, was my main airshow workhorse for many a year with a Nikon 300mm/4 lens, came out the gates fully PDAF and it worked, modern AI NR gives them even more life
I agree with everything you said Robin. I wonder whether Nikon's experience caused them to create the dual format Z system so that even people buying a bottom of the range APS camera could feel they were using a high end professional system.
The 1 System was probably intended to give people a step up from smartphones which apparently was Olympus's intention with the Pens, but they look and feel like serious cameras and are part of a pro system.
A very fair analysis as usual, Robin. When the J1 came out, I was shooting Nikon APS-C. The J1 did not strike me as a "serious" camera, perhaps within the context of camera options at that time, and I never gave it a real look. A couple of years later, I bought a used Lumix G1 on a lark, which started my journey with M43, which I now shoot 80% of the time (mostly Olympus now). I bought a 1" sensor camera in 2019 (Canon G5X ii) for casual shooting and as a travel backup, and was pleasantly surprised at how good the mage quality is. So while I"m sure that 1" sensor technology has improved substantially since 2011, maybe the J1 just came out too early before the market was ready for it.
I've been watching your videos lately and besides the great information you provide I gotta say I enjoy how explain things and your enthusiasm! Much love from Germany!
I still have my Nikon 1 V1 with the same 18.5mm F1.8 lens you are using in this video. It still works great. I am still hunting down the V3 and the J5 to add to my (Modern Vintage) collection.
Totally agree! I had high hopes in the Nikon 1 cameras. I had an D7100 at the time and a couple of matching lenses. I was hoping the Nikon 1 cameras would give me more reach in focal length with my telephoto lenses, but the cameras just didn't feel right in my hands. Now I am happy with my m43 Cameras and Lenses.
Awesome camera .
Still use mine along with my bashed up Olympus XZ-1.
I Still use the V1,V2,V3.with,10.18.5,30-110,70-300 cx.Great lightweight walkabout kit and and the 6.7-13 vr is a gem of a lens.
Spot-on analysis! I picked up a V2 recently and a 10mm-100mm lens, and have enjoyed using it. The small form factor, plus small lenses like the 10mm-30mm, make the Nikon 1 system excellent for street photography or when you want to travel light. I am very pleased with the speed and accuracy of the autofocus on the V2. I think, as you noted, one of the biggest problems was competition from other 1-inch sensor cameras especially from Canon (G7 Mark II) and Panasonic (ZS100/ZS200).
Just got one. Really like how portable it is especially as the photographs are superb from it.
Your enthusiasm is really contagious. BTW, great analysis
I wanted to get into photography when this was first released. I liked the design but I believe the D3300 was a lot cheaper and came in good bundles. The reviews were great for the D3300 and it offered an entry into a very large ecosystem. I still use my D3300 daily and have spent most of my money dedicated to photography buying new lenses for it instead of upgrading the body. The pictures are incredible and although the AF is inferior to a lot of other cameras at the time, it performs well and I can use it at airshows to capture the F-22 flying at 500mph at sunset and still get incredible pictures. If I would have bought the Nikon 1, I don’t think I would have learned all the photography skills I have today, and I certainly would have put grown the ecosystem. Even if I were to upgrade to a full frame Nikon Z from my D3300, I’d probably keep using it for telephoto pictures because of the awesome magnification I get from using the crop sensor.
Even D3200 performs better against canon's with 2x price of it, like 600d, 550d etc. Higher resolution, more AF point, better low light performance
Thank you Robin Wong for this video, and especially for the photos you've included. They are fantastic photos!
Thanks for the video! This system looks deceptively small in stand-alone product images, but when you put them side by side next to those other cameras I was surprised by how big they really were.
Great video. Two other factors I think really hurt the Nikon 1 were it's pricing and layout. Nikon 1 was very expensive for what it was. Many people balked at the MSRP. And the layout of the earlier cameras felt like it was aimed at someone who didn't know anything about cameras. Heck, the mode dial on the V1 had a dedicated setting for some gimmicky music picture video, but it expected you to dive through menus to change the shooting mode.
Another, lesser issue was how closed the system was; I recall Nikon restricted third party lenses to be manual only. Not that there were many third party lenses.
How well do you think the Olympus digital Pen series cameras follow after Nikon's J1?
Great video, Robin. I had both the V1 and J1. Both were ahead of their time.
It's easy to see, in hindsight, that the Nikon 1 J1 had some disadvantages. The Olympus PM1 was released two months earlier, was about the same size... But by that time, Nikon was committed, and there were always going to be customers that had different preferences, and some that MUST have a Nikon. I also have a J1 (and a PM2), and I think they both do a fine job. Nowadays, it's a matter of which I feel like using on a particular day.
Loved Ur videos as itsvery well done and resourceful. Thinking of getting Nikon 1 J5 and wondering if there's any good website to look for?
I nearly bought one, I like the compact minimalistic style. I ended up getting the Pentax Q with all the lens. As you said it is a Nikon 1 J1 is a fun camera, I need more fun in my photo taking! The quality looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
I remeber you did a 10mm lens video for this camera but I can’t find it anymore 😢
You can make a video about the Nikon 1 v1?
I remember thinking it was a pretty penny for what it was. I thought about buying one but passed. You actually got some great shots out of it. Thanks!
Great thoughts as always I looked into AW1 briefly to use in an underwater case, but despite or maybe because of it's nich character, Nikon1 cameras are not that cheap and my Oly TG-6 is much more pocketable and takes great pictures, so I'll stick to that. Also an interesting by-product of your video, if the spider on the lens doesn't matter, so shouldn't even heavier scratches, which I believe you mentioned in your video on how pointless UV filters are :)
This was my first camera. I had used Nikon DSLR for my work but this was the first mirrorless that offered different lenses. When combined with the pancake lens. This thing really comes alive. As I travelled a lot, it was super compact. I used to travel light and it fit into my pocket.
The thing that used to bug me about it was that it had no hot-shoe. Unlike the Nikon V1. Since it took very noisy low light images with the small sensor it was relatively useless outdoors in low light. Apart from that I think it was a winner. The lenses were super expensive for a while and now they have discontinued they are for some reason more affordable.
I very much appreciate how you can analyze the various aspects of the camera life cycle ( design, marketing, user experience) due to your background from working for Olympus as well as being an engineer and a working photographer. In the US, the Nikon 1 system received almost no promotion,,which is strange since Nikon had used celebrity endorsers in the past to try to make their cameras appealing as a "must have accessory". I had this J1 and some Sony NEX cameras before committing to MFT. In the end,,,for me,,, it all just boiled down to usability and the MFT lens system. The overwhelming selection and quality of Olympus and Panasonic glass attracted me to their camps with a feeling that I was pursuing a much more complete photographic ecosystem..
Hey Robin! Excellent history to know, great video. But honestly anything below APSC with interchangeable lens system to me just doesn’t make any sense because It makes it less portable. I use to use a small compact camera bag that I hang on my belt to carry my RX100 everywhere, but this Nikon J1 just doesn’t fit. If I have to use a bag to carry my gears I rather bring my APSC camera instead. I think that's one of the reasons this camera failed at that moment.
bought into the N1 ecosystem in 2021 during the Pandemic... Prices were finally where I could handle them... Bought a Nikon 1 V2 and V3 (with EVF) and every lens except the 32 1.2, the GPS unit and a N7 flash... all for about $900... Just a beautiful system and it hurts me as a camera nerd that this ridiculously specced (for the time) was cancelled.
Was the Nikon 1 lens mount just too large for the sensor size, thus losing the compact size advantage? There's a lot of empty space in there.
Hi, it’s hard to find the lens that compatible with it. Can Nikon 1 J1 using any third party lenses?
I have a V1 and a J4, they are interesting little cameras and I would like to try out that 70-300 lens for them, but given that the Nikon 1 lenses breaks down in a matter of time, I dont see it as a feasable solution. I have two of the original 10-30s which is dead, and make do with a 10-30 pancake and the 30-100mm along with the OEM flash for the V1. I find the cameras to have very nice colours and rendering, but I probably wont spend anymore on it than the about $200 I have in it as per now. My main system in M43 beats the Nikon 1 hands down in every aspect, other than the sick possibilities in regards of telephoto. The idea of a system which gives one the possibility of sporting a zoom ending at 800mm Equivalent with a tiny LVF equipped body, weighting in at about 800 grams I find very, very intriguing.
Yes, I agree. Fair assessment. I had the Nikon V1 but the J1 with the 10mm F2.8 really shined for me. It was fun while it lasted.
I still have my V1 in a cabinet... My issue was the quality of the lenses being poor. Moved to Olympus OM-D instead
Still have my original, bought at the time, J1. Took that on a few holidays and enjoyed using it. I thought it was capable of producing great shots with very fast AF. I bought it as the price dropped of course but i still could never understand why everyone lauded the Sony RX100 but hated heavy on the Nikon. (I had the Sony back then as well)
I was always a contrarian and still think it has its place in mirrorless history. Still fun to use, along with my V1. So long as you don’t jack the iso up too much, the files can look nice.
I used to have sony rx100 iii with nikon 1 j5 ui overall usageSony Be more friendly The latter has made the viewfinder more interesting. But that doesn't make the Nikon bad, it works great in other ways. But still have to rely on the Nikon 1 system to get the best results.
Nice job ,what would u recommend for me to get back in the business,I did underwater videos in the 90ies ,using ikelite housing an Sony SP9 .o wanna do videos and still what would you recommend.
This was my first interchangeable lens camera ever, before buying it, I had only have point and shoot digicams and this opened a whole World of possibilities to me. Sadly I dropped it once and stopped working, it happened to be too expensive to repair so I went back to digicams for one or two years before buying an oly e-p5, wich I still consider an amazing camera for street, however the J1 has a special place in my heart.
I got a J2 when my Sony A55V suffered a cider-related incident while I was on holidays in England and Europe. It was discounted at Argos, and kept me going for the rest of my trip. I was impressed with the sharpness of the 10MP images.
Leter I got a V1, which, again, I loved, and a 30-110 lens, though I had been doing OK using a 2x adaptor on the J2's 10-30 lens for a little while until I got the longer zoom.
I took the V1 everywhere when I was on holidays, to the extent that the old Sony (now repaired) needs its first sensor clean in 12 years!
Then the lens died and the Nikons went into hibernation.
Last year I was going interstate for a couple of days and was determined to carry everything I needed in the one carry-on bag, with the camera around my neck but able to go into the bag at a pinch. I picked up a second hand lens, and headed off to Melbourne.
It was great -- until the lens died.
I would still use a Nikon 1 today if it were half reliable.
But I agree with most, if not all, of your points. I think that Nikon set itself up to fail.
You are right that the camera is a bit bigger than it needs to be, though it is quite liveable. However, the V1 is noticeably bigger than the J1/J2, perhaps to fit the EVF in, but other camera manufacturers get an EVF into a more compact body. And why build two different bodies? Do what some of the later Olympus Pens did, with an accessory viewfinder. Or design a body which can be manufactured with or without an installed EVF -- maybe with a blanking panel in its place on the J level camera. It's a waste of manufacturing resources!
My Sony has a fully articulated screen. Why couldn't they have at least put a flip up screen on the first generation of Nikon 1s? And developed reliable lenses.
They also started out with the J1 as an "entry level" camera -- and then introduced the sub-entry-level S series, which apppeared to have the same body as the J 1. Why do that? What more can you remove from an already fairly limited camera?
Next they introduced the AW series -- weather-sealed -- and promoted as an underwater camera. But where was the enthusiast weather-sealed camera, something in the V series? Not that many people really have use for underwater photography compared to those who want a good photo for use in a storm!
So poor quality lenses, far too many bodies for a camera which needs time to catch on, failure to provide design features which most photographers were coming to expect, and all for roughly double what the market would bear.
I made a remarke elsewhere about how the project was managed by a team of drunken bandicoots.
A great review of a beautiful and clearly capable camera AND a photo-bombing spider, hey, what's not to like !?!
Main issue was a price - J1 bodies should have been super cheap, let say $100. Cheap and colorful - who can resist? Plus couple cheap kit lenses. Then, if you want quality lenses - pay more. They did it, but not exactly. Starting price was too high. And marketing was weak.
At 7:00, you can say the new Nikon Zf is maybe Nikon attempt again to capture this smaller fun camera market.
8/8/23 My favorite pocket camera for street and causual photography is a Nikon Coolpix 56500 a 16 meg pixels CMOS sensor with a wide angle to close up zoom 12 X along with being able to shoot video. Like your Nikon review it is simple to use takes great photos with it basic simple controls that will meet normal scene selection. The modern styling and the great resale used price make it a bargin buy. No one has ever asked me with what camera I took the photo with, it even comes with Nikon software for photo edits, plus the meta data is recorded with the file if needed. For a camers that can be with you on all occassions the Nikon Coolpix 56500 that came out a few years back can still meet todays needs for amazing photos at a price you can afford.
I have a J5 that still gets light use. Its my cary around camera in case I want something better quality that my phone. I also sometimes hike with it with the converter and dx lenses. Better glass, but still really light and compact. Very ocasionally, I hook it up to my 150-600 in situations where I'd be cropping my D750 too much. I sort of look at it as 1/3 of a 60mp full size sensor..so I dont have to upgrade my 750 for those very rare shots.
I had the V1 and V2 in the past and honestly, I got some really beautiful photos from them. I'm primarily using Nikon FF mirrorless now, but I was very tempted to buy a used V3 system recently. I'm sure I could have made great photos with that too, but in the end I decided I'd be better off with a cheap m4/3 camera as my small/fun/cheap camera because I'd get noticeably better dynamic range and higher ISO performance and still have a very small camera/lens setup.
Incidentally, while the V series may have only had electronic shutter, the V series had the option of mechanical or electronic shutter.
Thanks for this fine and informative video.
I have a Nikon1 V3. Love to use the f mount adapter. My favorite f mount lens is the the sigma 18-35 f1.8. makes it looks like a serious camera.
Im kinda just looking for a dirt cheap mirrorless camera with an interchangeable lens.. My current camera is an olympus sp-720uz.
This was a classic case of 'how you feel is what you get'. Nikon didn't take ML cameras seriously, which showed with this botched attempt. When you compare the Nikon1 bodies with the high level Coolpix compacts like the P7800, its clear to me which one is better to use for experienced shooters. The N1 series was meant to appeal to newbies and advanced shooters, yet it did nothing for both, especially within the Nikon fanbase (they hated the menu system). When you look at how the flagship 'V' bodies radically changed from the mark 1 to 3, it shows me that it was either an experiment in the same way Fuji has done with their 1-off bodies, or an ill thought strategy. I bought the V1 many years ago and later sold it when i realised that it did not match my needs at the time. I did get some decent shots with it, even at night, which did require some editing time. I have now bought this camera again to see how much i could get out of it as a standalone system, also to be used by youngsters as a simple tool to learn from. The current Z series line up owes some things from the N1. Shutterless tech, the FTZ adaper, based aground the FT1, and the styling that looks similar to the V2 body, to name a few.
While Nikon didn't fully realize the potential of an ILC with a one-inch sensor, I think that the concept makes sense and could be further developed into a high-quality offering. One major advantage would be ultra-light super-telephoto lenses. I could see a cadre of senior citizen wildlife photographers ditching larger sensor systems, even micro 4/3 with their somewhat heavy 150-600 and 150-400 lenses, for the potential of very light weight combined with very long reach. Sensor technology has evolved to the point where the IQ penalty for a one-inch sensor could be substantially reduced. However, such a sensor would still probably be less-than-optimal for low-light photography of fast-moving subjects.
It's interesting because around the same time, Pentax launched the Q system. The sensor was smaller; the first models just had a 1/2.3 inch sensor, while later models had a 1/1.7 inch sensor. So still much smaller than even a 1 inch sensor (though all models had IBIS). However, they had some proper controls, with a PASM dial, command dial, and a D-pad that doubled up as function buttons. And the flash looked cool, like a tiny robot, moving it off-center as well. So it had appeal, even to experienced photographers. Because of its diminutive size it encouraged creativity. Also because it had a 4-way dial on the front to choose different post-processing options such as black & white, cross-process, etc.
If I look at this J1, it doesn't even have a PASM dial, so I don't think it appeals to serious photographers. And you need to be at least somewhat serious to buy an interchangeable lens camera, even if it is a small one.
One thing to note though. When I say "serious"or "experienced" photographers, I also mean those who are aware that photography is so much more than the camera. But that you do want to control the camera. Because you enjoy it, and it means you are better able to create the image. But who won't shy away from a smaller image sensor, because again, they know that creativity can be expressed even with such tools.
Ultimately, the Pentax Q was also discontinued (never officially but yeah, it's dead). But Pentax was tiny compared to Nikon. So I think Nikon could have made it work.
I just bought Nikon J3 for cheap. I used to have Olympus E-M5 but to be honest I never used it because of the handling & sold it a few years ago. I always preferred my GH3 which was shaped more like a DSLR. Or I used my EPL1. But I hated the slowness of EPL1. I hope its smaller than E-M5 and more the size of EPL1 but faster to use
Bought into this system 3 times. First, J5 and adapted lenses. Second time J5, and native lenses. Third time, full V3 kit and bunch of native and adapted lenses. My primary use was reach, though unfortunately, with adapted lenses, the AF system is pretty bad. Despite showing a single focus point box (only center AF works on adapted), the system instead uses 3 invisible focus points: 1 in the middle of the box, and 1 on each extreme end of it. ANY of the points can decide focus, and they tend to choose to focus on what's furthest back if the subject doesn't cover the 3 points completely or evenly. Impossible to get consistent in-focus shots if there's any kind of shallow DOF created by long/fast lenses. Lots of what looks like backfocusing, but is actually how the system was designed.
My full V3 kit and lenses are going to MPB this week, where I'm trading for an Olympus E-M1 II and Panasonic 35-100/2.8 (for work purposes), and eventually a 75-300. I like the smaller size of the V3 (especially with the removable EVF and grip), but if the shots aren't in focus, there's no point in keeping the camera.
I've been looking for one here in PH that's reasonably priced and relatively good condition but haven't found one yet.
I have been shooting on film. And i always encounter grain as i do push process my films for higher ISOs. Does not bother me as grain does provide some character to the shot.
Digital ISO grain looks like shit, film grain looks better, so
Got the Nikon 1 S1 a couple of days ago with the 18.5mm and 11-27.5mm. It was cheap and seems to be good for a daily carry camera that is used to make memories.
Good luck with the 11-27.5 mm lens. I bought the S1 camera brand new and after a few use stored it well kept. Next time I used it the screen turned dark as I zoomed. I searched and found that it’s a common failure for that lens.
Just the 60 fps and reliable AF make want to have one!
That alone makes it better than most other compact street cameras.
The 16000 shutter speed doesn't hurt either. Let's face it, this little old camera is a beast.
I feel like the Nikon 1 was always very capable of making stunning photographs, but for me one thing I didn't like was the controls. Most of the lenses are focused from the back of the camera if you're using manual focus for example. To me the controls were also very fiddly. The Olympus bodies, even the small ones seemed to have less fiddly controls. The Olympus bodies just have a lot more customizability and more comprehensive controls to make it easier to use, even the TG-6 I use every day has pretty good controls. I felt it was too bad because Nikon bodies often have really great controls. I can pick up any of my other Nikon DSLR or mirrorless bodies and it just fits in my hand and the controls are right there just like with my Micro 4/3 Olympus bodies. The lenses for the Nikon 1 were really awesome, and I almost got myself a Nikon 1 system to just have around for fun so I could use them
I have two Nikon 1 AW1 underwater cameras - because there is no other underwater camera in a "normal" camera body with "normal" controls for exposure, AF and drive settings. What killed the 1 Series was PRICE. The 1 inch sensor is good for printing A4 full page images in the biggest national fishing magazine here in New Zealand! That sensor could do continuous focus on 15fps ten years ago - way ahead of the DSLRs let alone mirrorless - but the price was way too high. I can only afford them now that they are second hand. If only Canon or Sony would do a tough-cam with a 1 inch sensor that could be a winner for outdoor sports photographers!
Short video recording but the picture quality is excellent.
Irony is that m4/3 made this system very unappealing in price and lens offering.
I remember when these came out, everyone were basically like _"It makes no sense, same price as RX100, but if you want detachable lens just buy micro four thirds"_
With all it's drawbacks, it is still a very sought after camera. They are completely affordable now in the used market.
I was somewhat interest in the Nikon 1 system back then, at least what the system was on paper (fast shooting, small lenses) but two things held me back.
1. It felt like a stopgap system, like Nikon didn't really put their heart in it... so why should I be interested as a customer? Lens releases were slow and most camera bodies looked like toys or were heavily geared to the noob mom & pop market. Not a good sign.
2. Another factor was Sony. That company also used 1 inch sensors at the time and their sensors were much better than Nikon's (only at the very end did Nikon catch up). This only reinforced my feeling that Nikon was not really in it to win it.
Io adoro il sistema Nikon 1.
Ne sono un felice possessore, con lenti vintage mi diverto tantissimo e soprattutto il peso è minimo
The initial pricing was way off. V1 was much more expensive than DSLRs. I bought a J1 when they were giving them away, and liked it. Bought a second hand V1 too. I loved the look of them - Bauhaus/Leica. One disadvantage was the screen was not WYSIWYG, as I remember, so still having to "chimp" like a DSLR, unlike M43 offerings. Then the newer models had no sensible progression - viewfinders disappeared, SD cards went micro...............No game plan, and probably the wrong people, compacts rather than DSLR, in charge of design. Should have been a mini DSLR but Nikon was too afraid of cannibalizing their own lines. Now M43 gives me what I was after.
I have a Nikon 1 S2 and what I do not like about it seems more the limits of the internal processing, and that might be hardware related. On the S2, I can record stills in either a raw format or a JPEG, but not both, and the raw is one that is not supported on my outdated Corel stills software. I think the forced raw/JPEG is probably because the camera cpu is slow. I expect that Nikon decided it would take an unacceptably long time to output both a raw and a JPEG (and they were probably right). On the other hand, I could probably upgrade my computer software to handle the raw file. I just never got around to it. So I generally set the camera to output a JPEG, which is no better than a cheap cellphone, unless I change to a different lens. But I never did buy another lens beyond the 10-30mm that came with it. Instead, I put more money into M43 which I felt was "small enough" and a better investment overall.
Thank you Robin .
I believe it's Wiley agreed that the J5 was the best of the series. They finally dialed in the image performance just in time to cancel the system. Using the J5 with the 50 mm equivalent 1.8 Prime is it great experience. If it had an electronic viewfinder I would probably never leave it at home.
That is not the only model of the Nikon 1. I thought my V2 was terrific and was much more fully featured. Size and 1 inch sensor were the killers.
Two years ago I bought a mint V1 + 4x lenses for around €110,00. Have many other gear but I love the Nikon 1 system, especially the V1. Still very unique camera. And if you know its limits + strengths very fun and pleasing to use! Nikon missed a big chance when the all of a sudden quiet the development of de 1" sensor 2x DL compact cameras. One of them with super wide angle lens. Very unique and promising and even a lot publicity and in the end they dropped it.
1) Nikon *invented* the CX Sensor format into 2011
2) It was very expensive
3) I bought my V1 into early 2012 for (almost) full price - it was 100 bucks off only, still more than many DSLRs
4) relative little lens choice
5) Into 2012 - Sony released the RX100, which heavy advertising - they used *exactly* the same Nikon CX Sensor size (Type 1.0, 1" Sensor, 13.2 x 8.8mm)
6) Nikon 10-30 VR & 30-110 VR are prone to failure (a plastic cog is about the break, aperture mechanism serial error)
This was my first camera ever , I bought this one in 2011 as a student didn’t had enough money but wanted this camera so I sold few things just to get money to buying this little thing 😂 good old time … years of experience and many many cameras later I ended up by Leica 😃 so thanks Nikon 1 j1 without you I wouldn’t develop any interest in to photography
I am am amateur with cameras, but I always love mirrorless and bridge cameras, I have a 1 J1 red because I found It "cheap" AND because as I am amateur I wont spend a lot in a camera if I don't know how to use It, I love It and want to get a 10 or 18 mm lens because I only hace the stock 10-30
If you got them cheap enough, they were excellent cameras for what they were. I own the J3 and you can literally flip the flash upright to get great pics. Plus the mount for DX lenses is amazing for Telephoto lenses. Still take this thing with me when out with our baby to take pics and not care about damaging a more expensive camera
The Nikon 1 system may have failed but it certainly takes good quality pics. Especially in the hands of a skilled photographer like Robin.
The V series has mechanical shutter and looks pro.
It is not uncommon that new technology comes first on consumer cameras. The demands are not so high there so the technology does not have to be so mature. It happened also in film cameras. Autofocus came to compacts almost a decade before it came to SLRs. As I understand Nikon 1 has also precapture in some models.
This camera was a good idea in 2011 but as Sony released the RX100 in 2012 it changed everything. It was more compact and had a much faster lens. Sure it had a fixed lens but most users use only the kit lens and serious users would use other systems.
Nikon itself introduced the Coolpix A, also very small, but that had an APS-C sensor. It also underperformed in the market. (I bought one used at a much lower ticket several years after intro; It's a very good camera.)
The same reason the Pentax Q cameras failed. Even the MX 1. Which was a very good camera, the senors were all too small. Olympus Micro 4/3 was larger. Add to that to LUMIX addition to the format. Bigger and better. Nikon was not going to re engineer their new system. They could have, maybe grew with that group.
Seharusnya Nikon 1 buat kamera micro four third daripada mirrorless 1 inch 😅😅
Nice colors - very film like..
Surely Nikon 1 was instantly irrelevant as soon as the RX100 was released. Plus obvs M4/3 options as mentioned.
I do admire Nikon's concept & the tech they squeezed in for the time tho!
i think it was the rising of smartphone photography that is the main reason many of those beginners' cameras at that time been wiped off from the market.
Phones are now integrating 1 inch sensors. Pocket cameras now need to integrate 1 inch sensors combine with smart functions and HDR video
What went wrong was marketing This would have been my perfect camera in 2015, but I only just heard of it today! They never spend on building awareness for their great projects like this. 😂
i really like these pictures