
Review Summary
2013-07-08T21:00:00
Great camera, easy to use!
JB
2013-05-21T21:00:00
I wanted a simple on-the-go point & shoot type camera for casual outings with friends that don't render lugging around a big dslr. All of the powershot and coolpix types I've had before always seem to have a quickly-deteriative auto-focus which is kind of important to casual pictures with friends. So I'd say it's worth spending double to get double the quality and double the lifetime and it's not as bulky/cumbersome as the dslr!
Karen D.
2013-05-13T21:00:00
The camera is great. It takes great pictures. It has great features. The access to specialized settings tend to buried a few menus deep though. I like to change up the image size I'm capturing in different situations but it's not easy to get to. If you like playing with your aperture, shutter speed, or ISO settings those are also not very convenient. It's a very fun camera though.
bvesco
2013-05-13T21:00:00
Great travel camera. Bought this refurbished - great value!
pm
2013-04-30T21:00:00
I love traveling with this camera. The low-light features are better than my wife's high-end Nikon Cool-Pix. We can do city shots at night, food-blogger photos in a dim restaurant, and capture performances in a darkened circus tent. I love the motion-capture-video with the Motion Snapshot feature. It takes a couple seconds of video and plays it back at slow speed. I have some great pictures of a guy juggling knives on stage. The Motion Snapshot feature makes it look really cool. This feature reminds me of the moving-photographs in the Harry Potter films. The pictures look like magic! Getting technical: The 10 MP sensor is outstanding in this camera. It is a "CX" sensor and is a bit larger than what you get in the Cool-Pix. I like how Nikon stopped at 10 MP and didn't try to put more pixels on the sensor. It's better to have fewer pixels because it means each pixel can have better light-gathering capacity. Imagine each 'pixel' on the sensor is a light-gathering-bucket. If the area of the 'bucket' is larger, it has a better chance of capturing photons in low light. Consumers are sold on the idea that more megapixels is better, but it isn't necessarily the case. More megapixels generally means more noise and smaller space-per-pixel on the image sensor. Nikon has done it the right way around here: They put a high quality lens on the camera and focused on the light-gathering capabilities of the sensor by putting fewer, larger pixels on the sensor. Plus they equipped the camera with a larger sensor. Nikon has gone the less-is-more route with megapixels and it really pays off. I really love my Nikon J1. It was definitely worth the money and I would recommend the camera to any of my family members. I use the camera on trips and it is easy to carry. It is not heavy or bulky as a digital SLR and the image quality is fantastic for my needs.
AHREN R.
2013-03-06T19:00:00
This is just a great overall camera. I was looking for a compact camera to rival my Nikon d3000 without the added bulk and weight of the d3000....and this camera fits the bill. Although I have only had it for a week now...I am discovering features with the J1 that I had not even considered before. I have discovered the slow motion feature...which works like a charm. Also, the camera allows me to take time lapse photography as well. I love the simplicity of the camera dial (only 4 settings)...yet the complexity of the menu system offering manual, A, S, P settings and much more. Although there is not a viewfinder, the screen is bright and has not been a problem capturing those outdoor wildlife shots that I enjoy. And the photo quality rivalsl my d3000. Way to go Nikon...another winner.
Alan L.
2013-02-12T19:00:00
I wish it was 16 megapixels. Oh wait they just announced the J3!!!
Big D.
2013-02-11T19:00:00
bought this for my son who is a photo student, very good for his purposes -image quality is better than the sensor size would suggest -would be nice to have a hot shoe but it's not really necessary
Jon
2013-02-09T19:00:00
takes very nice pictures. love the continuous option. will buy another if anything happened to mine. will also buy additonal lens. thanks
ribbittse
2013-02-04T19:00:00
This camera is a great alternative to lugging around an SLR, and I like it better then most P&S I've owned and used.
THOMAS K.
2013-01-20T19:00:00
I put over simplified as a con but my comment itself is oversimplified. The camera is so not intimidating you can hand it to anyone for a snap. They don't turn pale and tremble when you do. Of course those of us who want to can dig deeper. I like having a nice convenient camera with a real zoom I can carry around and not feel like my photo quality is doomed. I bought this for astrophotography but it will be my all occassion camera. Love it.
ROBERT M.
2011-11-18T19:00:00
I have been looking for a small compact camera that gave me the quality of a DSLR. This is it!!!! I am so in Love with this little guy. I call it Mike. Mike is a guy I love unconditionally. I found that love in this NIKON product. i have take it every where and have come up somr of the most amazing Photo's. The only thing is the Raw is not the same raw for for photoshop and light room. I have to shoot in a large Fine J Peg and convert it over to raw. That's the only draw back I see. Other wise. if your lookinf fo a camera that gives you great qulaity images. Small enough to carrier in your pocket. THIS IS IT!!!!!!!!!!! Love it woth every dime!!!
Shell
2011-11-04T21:00:00
Don't believe the naysayers and camera snobs - this is a wonderful little camera. I've shot SLRs forever (Nikon F6 and D70 and Minolta before that) and like the image quality and control that those cameras offer. Compacts just don't cut it, particularly in autofocus performance. This camera is different: 1) it's small enough to carry in a jacket pocket 2) autofocus performance is on par with DSLRs 3) the sensor and lens are big enough to produce good quality images. The combination of high ISO, VR on the lens and the large sensor allow the camera to take sharp, well-exposed pictures even in poor light. You'll get used to this quickly. The gripes you read about in reviews of this camera are overblown. It's true there aren't lots of control nobs and you'll need to go into the menu to change, say, from Program mode to Shutter mode. But I usually stay in P all the time anyway so it's not a big deal. Plus since the camera is quite small to begin with it's ok that there are relatively few buttons. The camera does go to sleep, but you'll soon get in the habit of tapping the shutter button as you bring it up to eye level to wake it up. As for the lack of an electronic viewfinder, if you want that, buy the V1 and put up with the bigger body and lack of built-in flash. The LCD on this camera is good enough to compose on in even in direct sunlight. I like this camera a lot because it's almost as small as a compact but has nearly all the performance of a DSLR. Right now the main gap with DSLRs is the lack of an ultra wide lens (equivalent say to the 11-16 Tokina DX lens), but I'm hopeful that will be rectified over time. When the F-mount adapter is released, there will be no end of options on the long side of the spectrum.
Photojohn
Digital camera with interchangeable lens
Nikon 1 mount
Approx. 2.7x lens focal length (Nikon CX format)
10.1 million
13.2mm x 8.8mm
CX
CMOS
12 million
Image sensor cleaning
Still Images (3:2 aspect ratio): 3872 x 2592, 2896 x 1944, 1936 x 1296
Smart Photo Selector (3:2 aspect ratio): 3872 x 2592, 2896 x 1944, 1936 x 1296
Movie Mode (16:9 aspect ratio): 3840 x 2160 (1080/60i), 1920 x 1080 (1080/30p), 1280 x 720 (720/60p)
Motion Snapshot (16:9 aspect ratio): 3840 x 2160
Compressed 12-bit NEF (RAW)
JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx 1:4), normal (approx 1:8), or basic (approx 1:16) compression
NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape, Selected Picture Control can be modified, User-customizable Settings
SD, SDHC, SDXC
1 Secure Digital (SD)
Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)
EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
PictBridge
LCD
Electronic Shutter
1/16,000 sec. in steps of 1/3EV
1/3 second
Up to 1/60 sec.
Yes
Single-frame [S] mode, Continuous, Electronic [Hi], Self-timer mode, Delayed remote, Quick Response Remote, Interval Timer Shooting
Electronic [Hi]: Approx. 10, 30 or 60 fps
Other modes: Up to 5 fps (single AF or manual focus, S Shutter- priority auto or M Manual exposure mode, shutter speed 1/250 sec or faster and other settings at default values)
5 frames per second 10, 30 or 60 fps using Electronic (Hi) shutter
2, 5, 10 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled
Delayed remote (2 sec), Quick-response remote
TTL metering using image sensor
Matrix
Center-weighted: Meters 4.5 circle in center of frame
Spot: Meters 2 mm circle centered on select focus area
Programmed Auto with flexible Program (P), Shutter-Priority Auto (S), Aperture-Priority Auto (A), Aperture-Priority (A), Manual (M), Scene Auto Selector
Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Close-up, Auto
Still Image (3:2), Smart Photo Selector (3:2), Movie (HD 16:9), Movie Slow Motion (8:3), Motion Snapshot (16:9)
+/-3 EV in increments of 1/3EV
Luminosity locked at metered value with AE-L/AF-L button
100-3200
6400
On, Off
Hybrid autofocus (phase detection/contrast-detect AF), AF-assist illuminator
Single-point AF: 135 focus areas, Auto-area AF: 41 focus areas, Subject tracking, Face-priority AF
Focus is locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button or lightly pressing shutter release button in (S) AF
Auto (AF)
Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
Single-servo AF (AF-S)
Continuous-servo (AF-C)
Full-time Servo (AF-F)
Manual Focus (MF)
Yes
i-TTL flash control using image sensor available
Fill-flash, Slow sync, Red-eye reduction, Slow sync with red-eye reduction, Rear curtain with sync, Rear curtain with slow sync
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 EV
Lights when built-in flash unit is fully charged
Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Preset Manual, All except preset manual with fine tuning
TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Matrix
Center-weighted: Meters 4.5 circle in center of frame
Spot: Meters 2 mm circle centered on select focus area
MOV
H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
AAC
Built-in stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
Optional external ME-1 stereo microphone
HD: 1920 X 1080/60i
HD: 1920 X 108/30p
HD: 1280 x 720/60p
Slow-motion: 640x240/400fps
Slow-motion: 320x120/1200fps
Motion Snapshot: 1920x1080/60p (plays at 24p)
Audio file format: ACC
Movie file format: MOV
3.0 in. diagonal
460,000 Dots
TFT-LCD with brightness adjustment
USB: Hi-speed USB
HDMI output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Spanish, Finnish, French, Italian, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Czech, Norwegian, Thai, Turkish
Yes
Yes
EN-EL20 Lithium-ion Battery
230 shots (CIPA)
EH-5b AC Adapter
Requires EP-5C Power Supply Connector
1/4 in. (ISO1222)
32 to 104 deg. F (0 to 40 deg. C) Less than 85% humidity (no condensation)
4.2 x 2.4 x 1.2 inches (106 x 61 x 29.8mm)
8.3oz. (234g)
018208275618







Awesome camera
By Photojohn
Don't believe the naysayers and camera snobs - this is a wonderful little camera. I've shot SLRs forever (Nikon F6 and D70 and Minolta before that) and like the image quality and control that those cameras offer. Compacts just don't cut it, particularly in autofocus performance. This camera is different: 1) it's small enough to carry in a jacket pocket 2) autofocus performance is on par with DSLRs 3) the sensor and lens are big enough to produce good quality images. The combination of hig...
View full Review
"I Love this Camera"
By Shell
I have been looking for a small compact camera that gave me the quality of a DSLR. This is it!!!! I am so in Love with this little guy. I call it Mike. Mike is a guy I love unconditionally. I found that love in this NIKON product. i have take it every where and have come up somr of the most amazing Photo's. The only thing is the Raw is not the same raw for for photoshop and light room. I have to shoot in a large Fine J Peg and convert it over to raw. That's the only draw back I see....
View full Review
The Nikon 1 J1 Mirrorless Digital Camera is a compact and easily portable digital camera. The mirrorless design allows the camera to be extra-small and lightweight, while still retaining all of the best qualities of a mirrored model. Featuring a CX-Format High-Speed AF CMOS Sensor and an EXPEED 3 dual image processor, this small device packs some punch.
The sensor enables great photos even in low light, while the EXPEED 3 enables superior system performance, high-speed processing, advanced phase detection autofocus and high-speed data transfer rate.
The J1 camera has an interchangeable lens system, allowing you to select from 3 optional 1 NIKKOR lenses in addition to the included one. There's even a lens designed specifically for movie filming. Swapping lenses is quick and easy, enabling you to stay at-the-ready at all times. Aside from the 10-30 mm focal length of the included lens, you may choose a single focal length of 10 mm or a 30-110 mm telephoto. A highly responsive autofocus and a fast shooting speed ensure that you never miss a moment. You get 10 fps continuous shooting speed in autofocus mode, so your camera won't lag behind the action.
An impressive 73 point AF array gives you amazing clarity, even when capturing fast-moving subjects. A large 3.0" LCD color screen features a 460k-dot resolution and an anti-glare coating for easy viewing, even in bright sunlight. Enjoy one-touch Full HD (1080p) movie record mode-and the ability to capture stil l images while recording! Add a slow-motion effect to make your imaging more dramatic. Experience the Motion Snapshot One-Touch Photo Animation Experience to bring your photos to life. This feature essentially creates a picture slideshow where there would otherwise be merely a single image.
Thanks to Smart Photo Selector, the J1 chooses the best of the images you've taken, so all you have to focus on is getting the shot you want. Let the camera do the work for you while you do what you love and stay in the moment. Enjoy easy access to advanced features with a menu that is easy to follow, no matter how much photography experience you've had.
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