Nikon Showcase Nikon 1 Samples

Great images Jonathan!

I’ve never really researched the Nikon 1 series, but it does seem like a cool little compact offering.

How is the AF on those cameras? What bodies are best overall? Now that they are disco’d, are there good deals to be had? Your results have me intrigued.
 
Great images Jonathan!

I’ve never really researched the Nikon 1 series, but it does seem like a cool little compact offering.

How is the AF on those cameras? What bodies are best overall? Now that they are disco’d, are there good deals to be had? Your results have me intrigued.
Hi Craig,

The problem is that Nikon never really leveraged the potential of the system properly. They couldn't decide who they were making the cameras for and killed the system when they finally figured things out. The best camera in regards to image quality is the Nikon 1 J5, which has the 20.8mp BSI sensor similar to the Sony RX100 series. For a small compact it's perfect. It has no mechanical shutter, a forward facing selfie screen and does pretty nice 1080 60P video. Raws are very mendable and I'm able to squeeze out a lot of DR and sharpness from the files. It can do decent 3200 ISO (great for a compact) and when needed, I can use the FT1 adapter to mount Nikon F-mount lenses. The battery last forever and I mainly just shoot AF single shot most of the time, but it does have OSPDAF if I need to focus track my subject. The continuous focus tracking isn't nearly as good as the latest RX100 series camera, but I have the ability to mount a 70-200mm f/2.8 or 300mm f/4 with the FT1 adapter when I need extreme reach with a 2.7x crop factor!

Since the J5 has no EVF, I use this foldable LCD loupe when I need a viewfinder!
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Folding Viewfinder for Nikon 1 J5
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr
 
A couple new ones from the same park during Thanksgiving Day (went on a bike ride before dinner)! I'm beginning to think I'm one of the handful of people who shoot with this camera on a consistent basis, besides a few random compact ILC connoisseurs! Something about the small 1" 20.8mp sensor paired with the small primes makes it a fun camera to shoot with. I've probably shot with this camera more during the pandemic since it's ideal for hiking and bike riding! Plus the J5 can pull crazy DR and colors from the raw files. I actually prefer these files over the 20mp M43 sensor.

My biggest issue with the Nikon 1 is that the cameras + lenses are prone to flare with weird green blobs. Filter or no filter, it doesn't matter. I'd rather lens makers just let their lenses flare, wash out and let the sunstars shine when pointed to light sources. When they design lenses to suppress light, it just comes out ugly. Older Nikon lenses had the most exquisite flaring that you'll never see in modern glass!

All shot with the Nikon J5 and 10mm f/2.8:
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State Park Bike Ride - Los Angeles, California USA
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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State Park Bike Ride - Los Angeles, California USA
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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State Park Bike Ride - Los Angeles, California USA
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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State Park Bike Ride - Los Angeles, California USA
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr

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State Park Bike Ride - Los Angeles, California USA
by Jonathan Friolo, on Flickr
 
Can I play too? It’s a couple years old but also a V2 / 70-300.
I miss that combo., great for birds.

Russ

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These last two photos show why phones have decimated the small sensor market. One is taken with the J5 with a sensor similar to the RX100 IV. The other is taken with the Google Pixel 6 Pro

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The Nikon 1 system still has the benefit of lens choice, super zoominess, and fast AF. That's my intended use, not just food.
 
@john m flores John, regardless of image quality, whether real or AI, a phone still has the ergonomics of a phone, i.e. rubbish. Even my E-PM2 has some saving graces in that regard!

However, it's still amazing the IQ that is being squeezed out of phone cameras.
Yup. And cameras still have the connectivity of cameras, i.e., rubbish. I used to carry a small point-and-shoot or small M43 setup on motorcycle assignments for those chance shots. But I've stopped doing that because phone cameras are now capable of publishing-ready images.
 
Yup. And cameras still have the connectivity of cameras, i.e., rubbish. I used to carry a small point-and-shoot or small M43 setup on motorcycle assignments for those chance shots. But I've stopped doing that because phone cameras are now capable of publishing-ready images.
OiShare isn't too bad using WiFi from my E-M1 MkI & MkII to my tablet then posting directly here. Even with my non-WiFi E-PM2, an OTG cable is pretty straightforward. I'm not so vain and self-important that I desperately need to post a photo of my cup of coffee after every sip ... :rofl: .
 
My wife has the latest iPhone and it's pretty good in certain scenarios, but it's hard to beat the malleable files from the BSI sensor of the old Nikon 1 J5. In good light, I can pull out quite a bit of dynamic range from raw. Also the J5 has become my de facto bike camera! If I plan on a long bike ride, I just throw into a feeder/drink bag for easy access! I have two J5 bodies and with the lack of a mechanical shutter, hopefully they'll continue to keep on shooting! (y)

A few to kick off 2022:
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Verdugo Mountains Hill Climb - Los Angeles, California USA by inhousephoto, on Flickr

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Verdugo Mountains Hill Climb - Los Angeles, California USA by inhousephoto, on Flickr

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Verdugo Mountains Hill Climb - Los Angeles, California USA by inhousephoto, on Flickr

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Verdugo Mountains Hill Climb - Los Angeles, California USA by inhousephoto, on Flickr

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Verdugo Mountains Hill Climb - Los Angeles, California USA by inhousephoto, on Flickr
 
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