Nikon Goes Mirrorless With New J1 and V1

Nikon V1
The Nikon V1 - by Nikon

In seven cities around Europe today, residents may have noticed giant statues of arms, bursting out of the ground holding one of the new Nikon System 1 cameras.

Offered in two flavors, the Nikon J1 and the Nikon V1, with the J1 being the color-coordinated basic model and the black V1 aimed at more advanced shooters. Even though there are promo photos floating around of the V1 in white, only the J1 seems to be offered in different colors. Other differences include an electronic shutter in the J1 and a vertical travel mechanical shutter in the V1, along with an optical viewfinder in the V1, which the J1 lacks.

The V1 also has a wider selection of add-on gadgets than the J1.  See our comparison of the Nikon V1 vs J1.

Under the hood the cameras are very similar, both sporting a 10.1-megapixel CX (13.2mm x 8.8mm), 2.7x crop factor CMOS chip, which is somewhat smaller than a micro 4/3 chip.

The Nikon 1 models have the features you’d expect in a mirrorless camera, including an advanced burst mode that can capture 5 fps at full resolution and continuous autofocus. Both record video at 1080 60i/30p output to H.264 in a MOV wrapper.

The ISO rating is a respectable 100 to 3200 and both have a 3 inch TFT-LCD on the back and enough manual controls to accommodate those who want creative control.

There are some interesting software additions, including something called Motion Snapshot, which combines a series of still images with a brief movie clip into something that resembles a Hogwarts painting, though one hopes they’re less creepy.

One Secure Digital card slot in each model and both accept SD, SDHC, and SDHX cards.

On the shelves in time for the holidays with the J1 starting at $649.95 and the V1 bumping in at $899.95.

Comparisons:

Nikon System 1 family
Nikon System 1 family - by Nikon

Nikon J1 specs

Nikon V1 specs

Popular Photography