Nikon, are you kidding us?

[Paddy C]

I thought this sort of thread would have gone away by now.

If you are, for some reason, disappointed in the Nikon 1, it is due to your expectations, not Nikon's "mistakes".

The camera seems to perform quite well and looks like it will make many "soccer moms" very happy. That's obviously what Nikon wanted to do. They never had any intention of creating a digital SP so get over it.

I won't buy one but I love the design, think cameras can be too small (regardless of sensor size), and know that a Nikon 1 would solve a lot of my wife's photo problems.

 

[dave lackey]

Dude,
You need to lighten up. I've read your posts recently and they are all seem to be so... tense and 'chip-on-your-shoulder'-y.

This post got started with nothing but my personal opinion about a camera. Your views are diametrically opposite of mine, and we both are no less nor better because of it.

Enjoy your beer... and start another discussion about good soulful photo taking, please 🙂

Yeah, I will even buy you a beer.🙄 I am sure everyone on the Nikon RF forum would as well.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Nikon probably did an online research study and found, by reading all the Leica-bashing, and extrapolating from it, that their market really has a profound disdain for design and a love for bricks 😀

::ducks::

 

[gavinlg]

Suddenly, sensor size does not matter when it's a Nikon...

Haha.. so true. I remember so many people on the forum saying that the m4/3 was just 'too small' for serious photography. Now nikon makes a tiny sensor camera that is larger than any m4/3 body, and people have completely changed their tone.

I agree that:
a) the camera looks like a bar of soap
b) the sensor is too small for the comparative size of the camera and lenses
c) the lenses are the most boring lenses I've seen for a system
d) the lack of manual control is pretty terrible
e) the auto-everything wonder modes aren't revolutionary - they work no better than any other automatic camera (from a reliable source of mine)

However, I have to say that it looks like the sensor being used in that camera, despite being quite small, is very good. All the comparisons I've seen indicate it's at least as good as the current m4/3 sensors in noise/dynamic range/color. But that's probably a reflection of how far behind the m4/3 sensors are (especially the 12mp one - not so much the 16mp one which IS better)

 

[Ken Ford]

I walked to the camera section at Fry's last week and I noticed the new Nikon V1. I've seen pictures of it but I'm not one who goes to camera stores to try out new stuff, so I picked it up and just realized how thick it is.

Next to it, an Olympus E-PM1.

The difference between those two in size, ergonomics, looks, and form factor is ridiculous, it's like a brick (the V1) next to a sculpture (the E-PM1). And the V1's sensor is smaller too plus it's more expensive.

All I can think at that moment was: "Nikon, are you kidding me?"

See, I feel just the opposite - I've never found a m4/3 camera body that I could live with, they're all ergonomic nightmares in my hands. And I'm willing to consider the fact that sensor size isn't the be-all end-all of compact digital at this stage in the medium's evolution. For this kind of camera, I'm willing to give the new technology a try.

Horses for courses.

 

[jonmanjiro]

From what I've heard, the new Nikon is selling well in Japan. The buyers probably don't hang out at RFF though 😉

As for the little sensor not being able to do "bokeh", well that's all done in PP by the software now. The days of the sensor (film or CCD etc.) just recording what the lens projects onto it are long gone. Get with the program folks 😀

 

[Shade]

Well I honestly think Nikon got the target segment right, but not the design. I think the mounting is way too large for it and the camera itself is also comparably larger than other cameras with larger sensors ie the olympus and Sony. Sure the built in viewfinder is nice, but I still think they could have pulled off with a smaller camera system with that size of a sensor.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

From what I've heard, the new Nikon is selling well in Japan. The buyers probably don't hang out at RFF though 😉

Probably busy taking pictures.

 

[Ken Ford]

Well I honestly think Nikon got the target segment right, but not the design. I think the mounting is way too large for it and the camera itself is also comparably larger than other cameras with larger sensors ie the olympus and Sony. Sure the built in viewfinder is nice, but I still think they could have pulled off with a smaller camera system with that size of a sensor.

I don't understand the constant push for smaller, smaller, smaller in cameras. I just returned an X10 because it's too stinkin' small for my hands - a fantastic camera otherwise, it just didn't work for me in the ergonomic department due to size. The N1 V1 meanwhile fits me perfectly.

The current smaller is better craze reminds me of this:

 

[BillBingham2]

.....well that's all done in PP by the software now. 😀

So what you are saying is .......

There's an App for that!

FWIW I'm happy with my GRD III. While I wish I could afford a D40x/60, or dreaming about a GRD IV-T, I'm doing OK.

B2

 

[ray*j*gun]

You see, this is where people use wrong logic to begin with. Nikon had no "golden opportunity" because they already control 40% market share in the enthusiast + pro segment. Thus anything fancy and powerful would eat into their own share. Now why would they do that? Entry level segment is very strong and established, a full featured mirrorless would just start canibalising it.
The golden oportunity is for underdogs, you should chance them for your dream camera. Sony and Fuji are doing it, good for them. Pani put out a decent product with a healthy roadmap. Now Oly and Pentax are indeed the ones that are kidding. They should be the ones taking risks coz they don't have much to loose, Nikon does. And on case people are still dreaming - no, Nikon doesn't care about RFF market. "Nikon SP", heh, which century do you live in.

BTW 10mm = 27mm, not a "normal" lens in my book.

Well said!

 

[shadowfox]

I thought this sort of thread would have gone away by now.

If you are, for some reason, disappointed in the Nikon 1, it is due to your expectations, not Nikon's "mistakes".

The camera seems to perform quite well and looks like it will make many "soccer moms" very happy. That's obviously what Nikon wanted to do. They never had any intention of creating a digital SP so get over it.

I won't buy one but I love the design, think cameras can be too small (regardless of sensor size), and know that a Nikon 1 would solve a lot of my wife's photo problems.

In your honor, the next time I start this sort of thread (TM), I will put "Personal Opinion, please don't read if you can't stand the idea" on the title...

I won't buy it and you won't either, but you just have to disagree with me on why 😛

 

[shadowfox]

Hey, nothing personal. I didn't mean it as a direct comment about your particular thread but the general wave we get here sometimes when a camera that is not targeted at RFF demographic gets launched. Can you imagine these forums if everyone starts complaining how Coolpix doesn't suit their needs?

As far as being tense, hmmm, I mostly read travel forum and the photography book threads, and I enjoy those. You probably read the comment about how I don't care about the death of film 🙂

Back to beer and scanning (I hate developing, so I'm postponing it one more day 🙂 ).

Peace, brother.
Beer is good for scanning, a book and chips would make it awesome 🙂

 

[Shade]

While I agree that you dont have to always go smaller, then lets Put it this way.. They shouldve had a larger sensor stuffed in there..

 

[urban_alchemist]

I took a look at it at a camera store in Zurich. Once I put them down, a guy came up and held it in his hand.

The sales assistant - a really nice, knoweldgeable kid, took him through the camera. Then he brought down the µ4/3 duo and a Sony NEX. He walked the guy through every single benefit of the rival systems; he even got a gasp when he took off the lenses and showed the relative sensor sizes.

But...

They guy still bought the Nikon.

I guess that name, for some, is worth more than we will ever understand...

 

[Nikon Bob]

I don't know what Nikon was thinking but I do know that the EVF is kinda good and it seems to focus fast from a very brief play at the camera store today. It did not feel foreign in the hand and what ever it is covered with is nice and grippy. It just might make a good small camera system to play opposite a DSLR.

Bob

 

[J_L]

My niece asked me about "the new small nikon you can change the lens on"

So I reply "What interests you in that camera?"

"It comes in white so it matches my iPhone and iPad"

I suspect Nikon knows there is a ton of that sentiment out there.

 

[Ken Ford]

While the naysayers are grinding away, I'm happily enjoying my new V1 and three lenses...

Such negativity. You'd think Nikon was caught in flagrante delicto with sheep or something.

 

[Danlo]

Well, if you want a small camera with a silent electronic shutter and superfast autofocus.. what is there to choose from really?

Nikon has actually made something really different from the others. The perfect digital street-camera.
I´ve been evaluating all the different mirrorless cameras for about 6 months..
And then it hit me, what was the most important features in a camera for me?
SSFA - Small Silent Fast Autofocus.
Is there any camera that can compete on these things with Nikon 1?

As for the sensor. It seems most people that bitch about how crappy the Nikon 1 cameras are have not tried and compared the raw-files with m43. The raw-files from the Nikon 1 cameras is on par, and often better (lower noise, better dr, better/softer highlight-to-blown rendition asf) then the m43 sensor -rawfiles.

Yesterday evening, I ordered the J1+ 10-30 and 10mm pancake. It will revolutionize my street photography.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Held and shot one in the store. Looking at it on the counter, I was un-impressed. Shooting off a couple of frames, I was impressed. No perceptable shutter lag, quiet. Multiple exposures, it picks the best one.

I was impressed.

This may be the end of "mine is bigger than yours."