A Nikon 1 review is a great place to start when you are looking for information on the Nikon 1 camera system and deciding whether or not this camera is the right one for you. But where to start?
How about we start with the fact that the Nikon 1 is quite definitely a hobby camera? While it has many of the features that pro-photographers like, it is, quite simply, designed for the amateur photographer. Most all of the features have pre-selected settings that are automatically controlled (unless you know how to override them). This is great news for those who are not professional photographers because it means that finally there is a camera that is not takes awesome pictures, but is user-friendly and can’t be messed up by mom hitting the wrong switch or by a child pointing it in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
In fact, this is a great all-purpose camera for the whole family, for not only does it take crystal clear still pictures and scenic shots, it also focuses fast enough to take fast-action pictures, meaning that you can snap pictures of your child’s soccer game or ballet recital and catch every nuance of movement as clear as if they had been standing absolutely still.
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The Nikon 1 is what is known as a compact system camera. What this means is that it does not have a reflex mirror or optical viewfinder but it can take interchangeable lenses so that you can adjust your width and depth of field and view. While the pixel count is only 10.1 MP, the pictures taken are not as weak as you might expect from letting in so little light. In fact they are very clear; surprisingly so.
One of the surprising things lacking on the Nikon 1 is that of a built-in flash. You would expect a compact beginner’s camera to have a built-in flash, but the V1 does not come with one. Instead it comes with a receptor port that allows you to attach Nikon’s SpeedLight SB-N5 flashgun. This of course means that you have to buy the flash separately; an added expense that most purchasers interested in this model will not welcome, but understandable in that you want the very best light exposure for the situation.
Unusually, the Nikon 1 has both an electronic and mechanical shutter so that the person using the camera can choose which they would like to use. The benefit of the electronic shutter means that you can shoot faster continuous pictures with up to 60 fps available in some conditions, which means that you will get great “still” pictures even when the subject is in movement.
In addition to all the nifty features already mentioned, the Nikon 1 also has Full HD 1920 x 1080p video recording which allows the user to record video at 29.97fps or even 59.94fps meaning that you will get excellent clarity and projection. Additionally you can record slow motion video.
Another interesting feature of the video mode is that of its Motion Snapshot mode. In this mode the camera can take a segment of the full HD footage and replay it much slower creating a still image complete with music.
While this is not a full DSLR camera, it does, as mentioned, have many of the features of a professional camera and can very definitely make the difference between okay pictures taken by an amateur photographer and gorgeous pictures that could rival those done by someone with years of professional experience.
Of course for those who prefer to manually adjust their cameras, the Nikon 1 is going to be frustrating, for the pre-set options include automatic exposure modes as well as automatic aperture priority and shutter priority though they do have manual exposure modes if you know how to set the camera properly.
Whether you are a professional photographer, an experienced photographer or an absolute beginner, with so many built-in features it is hard to imagine a situation where you could actually mess up in using the new Nikon 1. Instead of having half-formed pictures or fuzzy pictures and videos, you can instead have the opportunity to enjoy the quality of pictures that usually come from far more experienced photographers.
Of course you will have those professional photographers who claim that this is not ‘real’ photography but is allowing the user to ‘cheat’ by letting the computerized parts of the Nikon 1 to adapt to your situation for you instead of using your own ingenuity and know-how, but for the beginning photographer – or the user who is only looking for great pictures and is not interested in developing individual technique, you are looking at a product that will provide them with everything they need to create excellent pictures.
Comparing this Nikon 1 review to similar camera models with comparable features, you will find that the Nikon 1 is very definitely a model to look out for and can provide all the features you need.
