Nikon 1 V1 Summary

The Nikon 1 V1 is a compact SLD with a unique 10 megapixels sensor which provides ultra-fast Phase-Detect autofocus, continuous shooting up to 60 FPS and full 1080p HD video. The V1 also squeezes in a large 0.47" EVF with 1.4 megapixels for a clear eye-level view while shooting and filming. This digital camera is the flagship model of the new Nikon 1 system which was launched with 4 native lenses and the nearly identical Nikon 1 J1
Nikon 1 J1 which excludes the EVF and mechanical shutter but replaces the proprietary accessory connector with a built-in flash.

The 2.7X crop sensor of the V1 delivers high quality images with low image noise, excellent exposure, realistic colors and great white-balance. Additionally, the autofocus performs extremely quickly in good to moderate light levels, making it one of the very few SLDs to compete with DSLRs when it comes to autofocus. When light dims, autofocus performance drops noticeably but no worse than its competitors. For such cases, the Nikon 1 V1 has electronically-controlled manual focus while the EVF and LCD are sufficiently sharp to confirm focus.

The interface of the V1 is somewhat unusual and designed for beginning photographers. While this camera offers full manual controls, including PASM modes and custom white-balance, changing these require a trip through the menu system. Still, the V1 always remains responsive and rarely gets in the way of taking a shot.

Nikon really pushed things here, giving the V1 the smoothest and most seamless integration between stills and video on any digital camera to date. The V1 is always ready to shoot both images and video with an imperceptible lag and always previews the correct framing for both. The camera includes an audio input as well as a built-in stereo microphone.

Neocamera detailed review Read the Nikon 1 V1 review here.

Nikon V1

Nikon J1

PROS	CONS
Low image noise until ISO 800	Slow autofocus in low light
Usable up to ISO 6400	Limited dynamic range
Excellent metering system	Shot-to-shot times longer than average
Realistic image colors	Limited selection of lenses
Good white-balance	Few external controls
Ultra-fast autofocus with moderate to good light	AF and MF sounds get recorded during video
Quick and responsive	Adjustment of EC not shown until set
Excellent EVF with Eye-Start sensor	Not Exposure-Priority on EVF or LCD
Sharp and crisp LCD	Short battery-life
Nearly instant lag for stills and video	Proprietary accessory port for external lighting
Extremely quiet
Very solid build quality
Good Good