Nikon 1 compact system camera platform announced today

[Ian]

As we had suspected, Nikon has joined the Compact System Camera (CSC) club (started by Panasonic Lumix (G-Micro) and joined by Olympus (Pen), Samsung (NX), Sony (NEX) and Pentex (Q)) with its new Nikon 1 system. There are two camera bodies; the J1 and V1.

See the press release here:

http://dpnow.com/8288.html

It looks like the sensor is not APS sized but smaller than Micro Four Thirds and larger than the Pentax Q.

More details later today.

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 compact system camera platform announced today

So far this morning Nikon is being very coy about the sensor size used in the 1 system. Their standard CX mount kit zoom has a focal length range of 10-30mm. So for the time being I'm assuming that 10mm equates to 28mm in full frame terms, so that's a 2.8X cropping factor compared to 5.5x for Pentax Q, 2x for Micro Four Thirds, 1.5 times for APS-C and 1.6x for Canon's version of APS-C.

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 compact system camera platform announced today

I'm on my way back from a UK press briefing on the new Nikon 1 CSC and there were plenty of pre-production cameras and lenses for us to 'touch and try' - if not shoot with. some image samples have been provided and I will upload these shortly.

Interestingly, the J1 model, which is smaller and more affordable, has no focal plane mechanical shutter. The camera is totally reliant on the sensor to work as a shutter. This enables some interesting shooting modes (available on both models) like Motion Snapshot, which takes a sequence of images at high speed and lets you play the squence back like a slow motion video. This enables you to select the precise moment that you wanted to capture. There is an alternative to this where the camera takes a high speed sequence of shots (30 frames in 2 seconds) and it then analyses the images and rejects all but 5 and recommends the best of those, although you have the option of viewing all 5.

The V1 model does have conventional focal plane shutter, as well as a 1.44 milliion dot integrated electronic viewfinder. I'd have to say that despite the smaller than average sensor (2.7x cropping factor) the cameras and lenses are not quite as small as I had expected. The V1 is also seems quite solid and heavy when you pick it up. It does feel extremely well made, though.

Nikon explained that they have employed a hybrid AF system that supplements contrast detect AF, which most compacts and CSCs use, plus DSLR-style phase detect AF. Thanks to this and a remarkable 600 megapixels per second sensor read-out rate Nikon now claims to have the fastest AF of any camera system. The phase detect AF system uses the main imaaing sensor rather than a separate AF sensor module and so no complicated mirrors and prisms are required.

Photos from the press launch and other bits and pieces coming up...

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Nikon 1 compact system camera platform announced today

Here are some shots of the V1 and J1 next to an Olympus Pen Mini E-PM1:











Ian