More Nikon V1 sample images from today with the 10, 30-110 and 10-100

58 Comments

1. Steve wrote:

   I think if and when Nikon comes out with some really nice lenses for this system, as in FAST primes, then we will REALLY be getting somewhere.

   ———-
   So the fast portrait f 1.2 is coming … then what?

   An f 2.5 (or faster) long telephoto would be nice for nature shots (125mm f/2.5). The small size of Nikon 1 lenses would mean fast long telephotos of reasonable size. This would beat the adapter plan for those of us looking for small and light.

   The big question is ….. how big is the market for such a lens?

   Is the new wide angle zoom going to impede any coming fast wide lens (say a 7mm f/2 )=(19mm equivalent 35)?
   ===================

   Perhaps the current system with just two zooms covering 10-110 is good enough to sell to all those Facebook users wanting to post pictures and videos that are better than cell phone quality.

   ===================
   I still need to buy the 18.5mm f/1.8 and a flash for my V1. (for use this summer)

   Again how much money will a user put into a second system?
   I guess that depends a lot on how much the second system gets used.

2. Hi Steve,

   I am wondering if can help me decide what do. I am debating of getting the Nikkor 18.5mm f1.8 ($190) for portraits or getting an adapter($190) and use the regular 50mm f1.4 ($450). I think the 50mm would give me nicer glass and bokeh for portrait but I kinda like the compactness of the 18.5mm. What do you think? Is this the case that you can’t have it all. If you want nice glass and bokeh you have to pay 3 times for it?

   Thanks and keep up the great work
   Hai-Ho

3. Hello, everybody, Happy New Year! Can somebody answer, please. On photos with flying pigeouns, how can one make not blury moving objects (is it possible), maybe dslr or another mirrorless could do it whithout(less) defects? I’m new to photo. I had a Panasonic gf3, it didn’t fit me in low light, I sold it. Now thinking again about new mirrorless camera, sony nex 5r, oly e-pl5(e-p3), nikon v1…Thank you.

   • Hi there – you need to select a faster shutter speed, the faster the shutter speed the more moving objects are captured ‘still’. As you increase shutter speed so your camera will open the aperture more in order to let more light in, this will narrow your depth of field throwing objects out of focus in front of and behind the subject you are focused on. This is basic exposure stuff so I think it would be a good idea to buy yourself a beginners book on photographic techniques, you will really enjoy understanding your camera better. Have fun, we all had to learn this when we started out :0)

4. This site is so useful and informative. It lets you see the pictures in full size. That is why I can make up my own mind as get some good comments from Steve and other readers who are more knowledgable than myself. And this is my opinion on the Nikon V1. The colours were brash and unpleasing. The colour feel is not quite in line with other Nikon digital. For me V1 is disappointing. Body is retro but the lens designs are like Samsung.. did Nikon think this combo will work? Its neither an enthusiast camera nor ordinary joe doe’s. I think I’ll skip this camera.

   • The only reason I got this camera because of its capabilities and the reduction in price. I got it for $450 with a couple of lens. The body and lens are making in China–not in Japan like we used in the past. And there is a difference people. I bought after-market rubber glue-on piece and attached to the front to give it a better grip. I am happy with the set up I have now.

5. Thanks for the review of the V1. I bought one from B&H, delivery Monday. I got tired of carrying my D3s around on cruises and trips abroad. I bought it exactly for what you described, good quality images and a camera system I can put in my vest pocket. I don’t expect the same images from the V1 as the D3s but I’m tired of carrying that big thing around with two lenses. I enjoy reading your website. Keep up the reviews. As for the nay-sayers, we will always have them.

6. A sample images that has been heavily photoshop / altered. Sometimes when i read your reviews i left wonder what is the actual image the camera capable of. Seems like you are showcasing your post-processing artistic side more rather than what the camera itself. I would suggest posting raw/ooc-jpg and your post-processing side by side and let reader see the honest capability of the camera itself and what one can take to enhance further.

   My 2cents.

   • Th images here have NOT had PP. EVERY IMAGE here was converted form RAW and during the RAW conversion things were adjusted such as contrast, exposure, and B&W conversions. Thats it. No PP, No Photoshop, just RAW conversions. The 1st shot of the field is RIGHT from camera with no RAW adjustments either. What you see is what you get.

     • Yes i said photoshop OR altered may it be post processing in raw converter. What i am suggesting is an out of camera jpg / pure raw without any adjustment for viewer to see what the camera would give as it bare.

       • nice that you added a legend beside each photo wether its altered or not. thx

         • If I post JPEGS I get complaints saying I should show RAW files. If I shoot RAW I get complaints saying I should show JPEG’s. Ive posted JPEGS in other articles from the V1, but these here are all from RAW. Thanks. BTW you said HEAVILY ALTERED. None of these were heavily altered.

         • “Heavily altered” is my personal subjective opinion. I dont usually clip that much black and add that much contrast on converting B&W. Hence i state the word heavily.

           Your personal rampage against people complaining make no sense at all. They are entitled for their opinion. You cant satisfy every reader. But what matter is they consider their time to contribute to this website be it bad or good. It means your website make an impact. Which is good thing.

           Personally i enjoy reading your website. Sometime simple everyday word and your personal hands-on perspective / opinion as an enthusiast is quite a getaway from those professional reviewer website. Just a reminder for myself if technical review is what i am after then i will look elsewhere.

           Keep rocking! 🙂

7. Steve, very simply, stick to your guns. You do a fine job of giving the straight story as you see it. On this review I totally agree with you. I do own the V1 and have used it for a week. I am just getting around to processing the images but the ones I have processed have been very exciting. I also have the X100, Pany GF1, and D700 all of which I really love but this V1 could become my second great photog love. The V1 is faster focusing for sure than the X100 and it doesn’t have the quirkiness of the X100 (which I enjoy too). Stay the course Steve and be true to yourself. Haters will always be haters.

8. Steve – thanks for your excellent work – you are always interesting and easy to read (even though I don’t always agree with what you say!) – I have been buying cameras for over 40 years now and I know that every camera is a compromise and the perfect camera for each individual will never exist.

   My favourites? Nikon FM2 and best of all the Contax G2 – as near to perfection for me as it will ever be.

   I now have a Panasonic GF2 which I am not keen on as it does not sit easily in my hand and the touchscreen is just a nuisance. However the 20mm lens is awesome and a tremendous bargain. The V1 looks really good to me but I know you have to handle a camera before buying it! I might just give it a try this weekend and who knows I may return to the Nikon fold after a 5 year gap.

   Keep up the good work pal – from an English fan – Phil

9. Steve – I think you wrote a strong “user” review. Your experience is similar to Kirk Tucks and strangely, his readers didn’t go crazy negative when he said the camera was good. I think there was a view that this would be the Pentax 110 redux and easily laughed off, but it appears not to be that. I applaud your hard work, but don’t think you need to defend or even explain what you did. The review stands on its own. Hope even the haters clicked through your Amazon and B&H links. Keep ’em coming.

10. Jeez, maybe you should have taken up being a political commentator. Politics seems pretty tame compared to all the hoopla you have stirred up on this one. It’s starting to sound like one of those hard core Leica sites. Too bad some people are so narrow minded concerning something that’s supposed to be an enjoyable and creative persuit. Narrowmindedness never really seems helps creativity very much.
    Well, anyway, most of us are always interested in what you cook up, especially (speaking for myself) the Daily Inspiration.
    Keep that pot cookin, kid…..

11. I did not like it, but only because it was not the camera I wanted Nikon to make. wanted them to make a mirrorless version of the D3100.

    I have learned to live with many such little dissappointments in life.

    • I am starting to think that NO camera manufacturer will make THE camera that we ALL really want. The new Fuji X looks interesting but will it have slow AF, funky menus and the need for an ND filter to shoot in bright sun? The new Leica may be perfect but at what cost? The new Panasonic GX1 looks GREAT but no built in VF, which really is inexcusable IMO. Fuji and NIkon have done the built in EVF now so no excuse for Oly and Panny to NOT do it. One day that perfect camera may come in. Id like to see Nikon make a large version of the V1, M9 shape and size, but that is unlikely to ever happen.

      • Someone once said “the perfect camera is the one you are using right now”! But yeah – a big V1 sound like it would be great – but little lens of course, always little lenses.

12. I would stop reading the trolls Steve, as soon as you notice the rant best to skip to the next comment – has served me well in years of researching important subjects on the Web! If I read all the hate comments I would never be able to make a sensible decision :0) But I shall I tell you what I do hate – I hate that these camera manufacturers don’t produce just the camera and lens combination I want!!! I mean, how much would it cost to make a camera just for me! :0)

    I want the compact, rangefinder style, mirrorless, interchangeable lens system camera not SLR (tick Olympus PEN, Panasonic GF/X series, Sony NEX, Fuji?) I would like a sexy slightly retro look and feel (tick maybe Fuji but the new ILC leaked seems it’s a bit clunky to my eyes, maybe Olympus?) I want a built-in high quality EVF (tick Sony NEX, but not Fuji – I don’t want an optical viewfinder) I want small lenses, well at least in relation to the system they are on (tick Olympus/Panny?) but I also want that shallow depth of field from really fast glass (got to be APS-C at least then so back to Sony NEX?) I want in camera stabilisation (tick Olympus) I want a great range of lens (tick Olympus/Panny combo) but I also want that that shallow depth of field from really fast glass (hmm, well, that’s minimum APS-C and legacy glass then) so where am I after all that!? Nowhere! The Sony glass has some way to go in my perfect world and the NEX-7 doesn’t look like it handles legacy lenses as well as the 5n. Panasonic and Olympus glass is getting very interesting, let alone the legacy opportunities – but that damn sensor is still too small, isn’t it? Or is there some other reason we can’t get that shallow depth of field we want from it?

    So – that’s me done to date… last time I got this confused I sold my Olympus 510 (realised I never took it anywhere) bought the Canon G10 and that little brick has delivered over and over again, 1,000’s of images, great IQ and I can fix the noise if I need to in Lightroom. But now I want some more flexibility that interchangeable lenses give me – and I really want to try that legacy glass, the colours and rendition I see on here Steve and elsewhere are often something else… hmm… it’s looking more and more like the Sony NEX-7 as offering the least compromise. So no in camera IS (ok I can lean against a wall) and it isn’t exactly retro, looks more like a walkman than a camera (but the walkman was a classic so that’s ok) the lens might get smaller (what is this law of physics I keep reading about that says large sensors need large lenses – we need to get scientists onto this quick!?) and well that’s it then… so can you just make sure Sony tweak that big old 24MP sensor to suit legacy glass Steve and I am in on the Sony NEX-7 – when it arrives, eventually, maybe next year! By which time I shall have another 3 cameras to compare it with – boy I just love photography when do we ever get the time to take any pictures :0)

13. hi steve,

    nice to see your review of the nikon V1, most people are bashing it without ever using it your review reminds me of the one made by kirk Tuck on his blog, he got the same comments by some weird people. I was with a friend at a shop and the guy reckoned he had not tried it (though he had one in stock) but he said it was no better than a p7100 or G12, funny to see how some people react to that product, it seems like clever marketing (adresses the needs of a lot of people) and good tech, what’s to hate if you are in the target ?

    keep on the good work
    cheers

14. It’s a little bit too small for me (a G3 is my limit) but HATE is such a strong word!

15. I was inspired by your thorough,hands-on, review. I went to a camera store and had an opportunity to play with an example of the V1 and found it to be an acceptable camera. I was particularly impressed by the low noise of the shutter and the fact that it includes the time-lapse photography feature. When/if it drops to $699.00 I will buy one. $899 after tax is a grand. The camera is not worth a grand.

16. Take photos if you can, forget the labels and be honest with your ability! A true drummer can make beautiful music on paint buckets. Once we blame the tools we are no longer artists. Negative reviewers of cameras should always provide a link to their images.

17. Part of the anti-V1 “stuff” is, I think, tied to how easy Nikon have made it to dislike them. Their inventory policies, repair and warranty policies, and pricing policies have won no friends of late. Additionally they seemingly have abandoned the enthusiast base that built the company’s reputation. Even though the D7000 is pretty good, it’s buffer runs out of gas too quickly, and a number of key dx lenses are missing, particularly a fast wide dx prime and a couple fast zooms. The D300 is old and the up date was the (s) which added mediocre video but didn’t really upgrade anything else. Nothing new came out this year and there’s no real time table for a replacement. Pros will get their D4 (eventually), but the enthusiast base has pretty much been told by Nikon that they aren’t important and will get whatever is left over whenever Nikon get around to it. I think some of the base is pretty pissed at that and part of it wanted Nikon to at least make an enthusiast level mirrorless, some fm2n jewel without a mirror. The smallish sensor, protect our DSLR range, to hell with the enthusiasts, we want to sell lots and lots of cameras to the hoipoloi J1 & V1 became the easy object of their rage and if you like it you are the friend of the enemy.

    And then again maybe that’s all a load of feltercarb and they’re just Rons from Missouri (morons for those of you not from here). 😉

18. I’ve handled the V1 at a store twice now, comparing it against whatever available competition was on display from Sony, Panny, Oly and Canon (sort of, in the form of the G12 and S95). Ignoring IQ entirely, the li’l Nikon is a true pleasure to hold, operate and especially to compose with. I had zero expectations beforehand but it won me over as a very compact, solidly built, well laid out camera with lightning quick reflexes. It’s a shooter’s camera.

    Based on sample photos from Steve and others, image quality is pretty darn good, too. I’m bugged by the proprietary accessories and the lens selection of course is limited, but I could easily see having one around, anyway.

19. hey Steve… I just want to say thank you for all your reviews… just don’t listen to those who are talking without even knowing the camera… I visit this site every day and I trust everything you write… I wish I could change my current big D300s for something smaller and less intrusive… I hope some day I’ll be a ragefinder shooter… for now my D300s works well… It would be a dream to shot with the M9 but the price range makes it out of the earth for me… maybe my dream camera would be something like a mix of the Nikon 1 system, the Fuji X100 and the M9.. let’s put all these cameras in a blender and let’s see the results! once again a big thank you and you deserve my trust!

    Cheers!

    • I think Steve may avoid reviewing your dream camera – a mix of these cameras would be poison chalice indeed.

      Cheers!

20. I’d always respected your reviews. I found it to be candid and easy for laymen to understand. I don’t have to always agree with the assessment but I always find your approach to be refreshing. Your growing readership tells me I’m not the only one.

    For the most part, I found the people on this forum to be civil (from the comments I read). With some of the strong negative lash-backs surrounding your Nikon 1 review, you would think you just committed some sort of sacrilegious or something.

    Well, in all I see it as a good thing. Consider it the price of fame. Your review touch and influence growing number of people…and when your community start to expand that quickly…kinda like fast growing metropolis…bits of trash and other unsavory elements also drift in.

    Congratulation ^^

21. I think these personal attacks on you, which I have seen on the photography forums, is very sad and rather pathetic. These people should get a life, get out more and maybe take some pictures for a change – there is room for all types of cameras, and one should be able to choose a format which suits your style of photography without being criticized in this rather infantile brand loyalty frenzy.

    Nice review of the Nikon V1, which I found very interesting and I am sure it will be a big hit for Nikon, and give lots of pleasure to many different types of people who just want to take pictures, without being worried whether they have the right sensor size – and after all it will be a Nikon!

    Will you be reviewing the Ricoh GRD 1V soon – very interested in this one as I already have the GRD 111, and mulling over whether to upgrade – interested in your opinion.

22. The Nikon 1 hating phenomena is quite bizarre. There are a lot of deeply disturbed, insecure, bitter people in the world, and you and other V1 reviewers are getting dumped on by them. Kirk Tuck, who also likes this little cam, has apparently also had run ins with the haters, judging from his comments.

    The funny thing is these haters are so delusional they actually think what they babble means diddly. The jokes on them 🙂

23. Hi, just wanted to say that it is a joy to read your reviews and thoughts and don’t let the haters get you down. The shoots here are great especially those with the pigeons.

    I got the J1 because I wanted the smallest possible size. It is also a cheaper than the V1, but still great fun to shoot with even though I’ll probably miss the view finder sometimes. I got the kit with the 10-30 and 30-110 and actually I don’t think the price is too high considering what a nice kit it is.

    I set it to Vivid and 2 steps towards amber for outdoor shooting and use Neutral or Standard for people indoors with and without flash.

    At first I thought the popup flash looked riduculus, but now I can see the advantage of lifting so high – it is quite hard to get red eyes at this position. Also the flash arm is not as fragile as it seems at first because it is enforced with a metal rod on the inside.

24. I’m trying out the V1 right now since my Nex-5N is off getting serviced. Enjoying it quite a bit.

    Steve – Will you be buying the 10-100mm? I know you prefer small set-ups, but it looks like you are enjoying this combo.

    • Hey! Glad to hear you are enjoying it. What is it about the V1 that YOU enjoy? Just curious. As for the 10-100…it is LARGE on this camera but when I shot it next to the 30-110 yesterday it did have a bit better IQ…BUT then again, it is $749 and I do not do a ton of video so as much as Id like to have it just to have it, I probably can’t afford to buy it but will hang on to the 30-110 I think.

      • I like the V1 for it’s smaller size lens, especially the 30-110mm. The 55-210mm for the Nex is huge compared to it. I might have considered the 10-100mm if it had vastly superior IQ, but that doesn’t sound like that’s the case.

        Thanks for your reports on this cam. Anyone who ACTUALLY tries it out can easily see you’re not blowing smoke.

25. Steve – are you really surprised that people are attacking a review? We have fanboys on the internet. People will complain whether there is a reason or not. When the 1 series was released, many of us were upset that Nikon tried to protect their DSLR business instead of innovate. However, I always stated that the 1 series is great for regular people.

    Example – after showing my father pictures taken with the outstanding canon 85 1.2, “Why would someone pay so much money for a lens that can only put one person in focus?” Of course I laughed at him, but the truth is that most people want everything in focus, most people don’t crave for the shallow DOF we love.

    Example 2 – My sister in law says – “Jonathan – I need a camera that is fast enough to get pictures of my kid and they run so fast.”

    So, for the vast majority of people this camera system does what they want, take sharp pictures with fast AF, eliminating the need for DSLRs for the masses

    • Well, on my site I always try to stay away from the silliness and nastiness that exists on other forums and sites. Been doing a damn good job for 3 years and then this, so I was a liitle surprised that there are people out there that are so bitter and negative in life that they spend hours and hours online just so they can bash something they have never tried. So many out there just do NOT have an open mind 🙂 One hardcore Leica guy told me how this Nikon was “Bad for photography” which is insanity. Does that mean every other camera besides the M9 is bad for photography? Really??? I just do not get the crazed loyalists. Sure I am a Leica die hard fan but I am not a Leica only guy. I like all technology and when I see a camera that has new tech, and it works well, I will write about it! Some people act like if I like a camera then I am saying “drop your Leicas and buy this”, which is silly. Period.

      But your two examples hit the nail on the head for the market of the V1. So many buy a DSLR at Best Buy and only use it for snapshots. How many times do we see the guy at the Zoo with a Canon Rebel, a long zoom and a huge flash attached while he snaps pics of the zebras and his kids. The V1 would be a much better choice for that guy. Smaller, sleeker, faster and results that HE will love. Same goes for the family man at disneyland….or at a kids birthday party…or whatever!

      • Well put, Steve. I am happy Nikon has a winner here, and I actually would like to try this out. People like different cameras for different reasons. One reason is just as raid as the next, and choosing a camera is a very personal event. You have to like the camera, find the features you need, and then make the compromise on what is most important. For the mother who has children, it’s the speed of the AF. For others is could be the Nikon name and quality. So many cameras to play with and so little time. I say enjoy the lovely gear coming out as they are all nice in their own way. It just depends on what is your way.

        • Oops, typo. “One reason is just as valid as the next.” My iMac likes to fix my screw ups and it aint pretty sometimes.

26. I wish I took the same time taking photos, the Trolls take trollin’ 🙂

27. I really love that first picture, of the sun-drenched field of grasses! Wonderful!

28. Thank you for the great review and great image samples. Your articles pushed me to go for V1 for daily snapshot as replacement of E-P3 and lenses, and I have already purchased NEX-5N for indoor, low light photo with high ISO. Unfortunately I wanted to buy the V1 from B&H but Nikon doesn’t provide international warranty for camera body itself. Strong Japanese Yen and the price of B&H is quite attractive for all of Japanese, but, I’m afraid that we can’t help you in this case. However I could buy lenses from B&H through your website since they have international warranty program only for lenses. I am going to make a purchase after demand of zoom lenses grew.

29. AF: Always Focused 🙂

30. Why the surprise the camera is doing well? There’s a market out there that just wants a small camera that can capture fast moving subjects regardless of bokeh or graininess at high ISO. I was at Best Buy playing with a J1 when a mother and her 2 year old showed up to look at the J1. She’d “heard” that there was a new “Nikon” that had fast AF and took photos at high speed but wasn’t a big camera. She wanted to take photos of her 2 year old overcaffeinated boy! Because I was playing with the camera, I ended up showing her how to get to the settings for high speed shutter. Then we did a test asking her boy to run around. We took photos of him and most were in focus. Within 5 minutes, the mom bought the J1. Her only complaint is that she had to special order the red color one. Moral of the story? One, there’s a market for this camera. Two, Nikon markets its products very well. Three, the camera is actually very good for its intended purpose. And for the haters … why even bother reading reviews of the Nikon 1 if it’s just going to get you all riled up? Just go out and shoot some photos with your camera of choice and be happy.

    • I think you hit the nail on the head here Armanius – as an enthusiast I don’t see the need for a Nikon 1 series, but there is a big bunch of people out there who will. Particularly when they are $200 dollars or so cheaper.

31. I am surprised people are attacking the review. You, as always, talk about the camera frankly with lots of comparisons and experience to back it up. This is not a camera I would buy, one because of price and the limited (nonexistent) bokeh situation because of small lens apertures and the sensor size…but I am very surprised to see this camera listed (as of this typing), on the Amazon Best Sellers in Compact Systems List at number 10 with the J version at number 11 (the order is reassessed hourly). I am really surprised…because of the cost of the camera and what is offered by the competition in the way of sensor sizes and lens choices for much less money. I guess it shows that name brand and reputation are REALLY important factors in the market.
    http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Camera-Photo-Compact-System-Cameras-Lenses/zgbs/photo/3230476011/?tag=rumors0a-20

32. When the Nikon 1 series was announced I immediately understood that it’s one of the most advanced camera system in the market – and expected that it will be a joy to use. I see this confirmed by Steve’s review. The only thing to complain about the 1 is it’s current price level – I wait for, say, a five as the leading number. Remember, the D5100 was released at 899 US$, and dropped by 100 US$ within a month! The Olympus Pen EP2 was introduced at about 1299 US$, dropping to 700 US$ within about a year.

33. Woah. Danny Trejo on #4? 😀

34. Steve,

    Can I add to the compliments you are receiving from your band of loyal followers. I do appreciate your straight talking reviews. I sense that you might be a little less in love with the M9 and a bit more enthusiastic about smaller sensor cameras and I do understand that perhaps we are moving away from the holy grail of the 35mm sensor. However, everything I read suggests to me that we need to wait – probably not for very long. First, let’s be clear. The advantage of the rangefinder in general, and the Leica in particular, is as much about psychology and ergonomics as anything else. I do not believe in the Leica “glow” because I remain unconvinced that anyone can truly tell which camera took a particular picture (and here I am ignoring the Noctilux which is unique in its rendering). Great camera though it is, I do understand the desire to be able to carry around an alternative to this £5k little brick. But nothing so far has convinced me that we have found the holy grail of a second/back up body. The Fuji X100 is close but the autofocus is really poor. I love the Leica X1 but its autofocus and price are worse still. You say good things about the X10 and the Nikon V1 but you do mention noise even at base values so I can only conclude that you cannot successfully enlarge to A3 or A2 prints. The Lumix GX1 sounds promising but the Sony Nex 7 sounds flawed and, in any event, the lenses all seem far too big.

    So my guess is that we need to wait another year. We really seem quite close and, particularly if there is an X2 or an X200 with decent autofocus, we should just about be there. For now, my guess is that those buying the current crop of small sensor cameras (even though they vastly outperform their P&S forebears) as an M9/Canon 5D backup will regret not waiting a further twelve months.

    Thanks for a great site. Thanks for allowing all of us into your life and your family. I cannot think of a more intimate and personal photography site. You definitely seem like one of the good guys. Keep it up (and sorry if this was so long).

35. well, while the V1 is not mean to be an dslr replacement, the 4/3rds are…for most common folks.
    The 4/3rds bokeh are decent is a middle ground between dslrs and whats not and with a sensor that is so much bigger than the Nikon 1 system, i can understand why some will find these reviews not appreciated.

    After all, one of the images seems to pitch a small sensor vs Ep3 and winning at IS0 3200, while its not really an accurate comparison given that Ep3 could easily use a better lens and if the shot was taken with IS deactivated. Common sense would dictate that 4/3 image quality should win easily over puny sensors in lowlight.

    Is the V1 images really that great given such a small sensor? there are cameras like ZR100 casio and fuji EXR300 with amazing AF and very nice output, but all falls apart when lowlight scene is given.

    On the other hand Steve is right, ironically, u cant compare until you have handle one, unfortunately not everyone has the opportunity to grab one and test or have them sent to your house for review.

    • I think that the J1 and V1 are certainly excellent, but given their little sensor… They are way to big (and the price way too high) ! So it is not really an alternative to smaller P&S and, for more ore less the same size, m43 or APS-C camera are much more interesting choices (especially lens choice & shallow Dof). So the Nikons are kind of… hybrid 🙂

    • Are you claiming that the comparison is misleading? Have you ever used an EP3 with a PL25/1.4 at 3200? Even when I shoot RAW and then denoise it during PP, the IQ is still lacking. That’s in spite of the awesome lens. While I haven’t used the V1 at 3200 yet, it really doesn’t take much to best the EP3’s old sensor when it comes to high ISO IQ. Common sense doesn’t always make sense. The M9 has a full sized sensor. Yet at its highest ISO sensitivity of 2500, the noise is worse than the K5, with its APS-C, at 6400.

      • I have the M9.
        Although the iso is just 2500, folks using APS-C finds it weird that i could shoot
        using ISO 250 indoor while their canon APS-C needed ISO 1600. So is 2500 enough?
        As for noise, i have no idea what ur rant is on, i don’t have the K5, but i do have GXR to compare with and i see no advantage in higher iso’s which i don’t even need in the M9. Well again, i didn’t mention lens stats did i?

36. Thanks for the continued real-world info about this camera Steve, I must admit I’m more interested by it now although I will wait to see if they bring out a fast high quality prime for it, I’ve been spoiled by my GF1 + 20mm f1/7 combo 🙂

37. Haters just gonna hate Steve – good on ya for being honest as usual. It’s amazing how much we pixel peep and forget that photos aren’t based on stats.

    That said, I do agree – if the system had fast lenses I’d consider it as I know how a responsive camera makes a huge difference. Hoping the next gen of MFT sensors (GX1?) will best both this sensor size + AF response though …

38. The one before last ( garden ) i find the colours bluish
    What is your opinion?
    nice pics

39. As always Steve, I enjoy seeing your shots – and what better way to stimulate some creative juices than testing some new/different gear?

    what’s the crop factor on this sensor? the results are more than good enough for this size viewing on the web.

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