Thread: Nikon v1 worth it at discount?

Hello,

How are you?
Today I saw the Nikon v1 with the 10-30, new, at the price of 260 euros.
That is half the price of the rx100 and cheaper than any other advanced compact.

I currently have no camera and shoot only casual shots with the iPhone 5.

I lost interest in photography and the whole process of digital workflow and editing and all that.

After trading my 20d, 5d and lenses for a m43 setup, because I thought it was the bulk and weight that kept me from shooting, I also sold all my m43 gear and decided to take a break on photography.

This was about 5 months ago.
But now, the v1 for the price has me wondering...

Is it a good camera? Should I buy it? Or will I just get tired of it again after a couple weeks?

Cheers


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I bought it because of the low price and I was curious about the model also. I have found it to be a super little tool and fun to use. No regrets either. In fact I have plans to buy another lens shortly.
The VI is very well built too. The low price and the great build means for once i am not going to worry to much about bumping it about and grubby conditions. Ok there are a few issues. But I can live with them or get over them. If I had cash to spare I might even get another body. Don't hesitate. Buy it now.

It is a good camera with the latest prices, but I think it will be similar size to m43 set up. So you have to answer if you can live with that or not...

I have RX100, always in a pocket, maybe too small for some people, but that is the best IQ compared to similar sized Canon S95 that I have. Lately I am also getting lazy with the editing so I put a few Istanbul street shots directly from the RX100 jpeg:

Istanbul Streets Photo Gallery by Serhan at pbase.com

Also Olympus XZ10 is coming, but I am guessing it is not cheap like XZ2. LX7 might be a good option if you get a deal, but again it is going to m43 set up size... For a little bigger lens size you can also get a nex-5r/6 with the new 16-50 pancake. Then that is the ultimate P&S:) Again it depends on your budget and size limits. You can go to a shop and check.

For me it's not worth the initial release price but far more than the sale price.

I think you need to decide if the key features that set it apart from the rest are important to you, if not then you will most likely be dissatisfied.

Focus acquisition speed - in good light it's nigh on instant. In poor light it can struggle though so rule it out if you favour low light shooting

Continuous shooting speed and buffer - great for fast action shooting or even portraits of the kids. Spray and pray works pretty well when you can't predict the precise moment. Camera is ready to shoot again very quickly also.

Excellent metering and accurate white balance. Might not be that rare but it's the best I've seen and this is a time saver when it comes to post processing.

Impressive lenses at sensible prices - also small and light. Never thought I'd be saying that about Nikon gear!

That's about it IMO. All the other good points are replicated by many other cameras. I think if you buy now and don't like then you'll still be able to sell on without much loss.

To date I have found mine annoying

easy to move the small wheel accidentally

no dedicated button to change ISO speed

Battery only good for about 80 shots - my two Nikon batteries anyway

slow to start up once it has gone into switch down mode

have to take Nikon grip off every time you want to change the battery or remove the CF card

It is well made and a good weight and size - but I not sure that I will ever be happy with a camera with an (electronic) EVF or a camera were you need to go into the menu to change the most use functions, (i.e. I prefer dedicated buttons - or at least buttons that you can customise)

but at the price today ..... difficult to see how you can go wrong!!!!

If you are an inveterate traditionalist that likes to control the variables of shooting (shutter, aperture, ISO, focus) with physical dials with silky smooth helicoids and satisfying detents then the V1 is not for you. I bought mine used and cheaply and am thus willing to overlook its "here, let me do that for you" foibles, trying to adopt myself to the camera, not the other way around.

Bill is right about the click-click-click required to change the ISO. He's right about the fussy grip too. And while I don't doubt that he's had awful battery life, I'm clicking off 1500 shots without breaking an ion.

For me, it's got some features that I like and need, like DSLR-level AF, intervalometer, and approximately 6 million frames per second RAW shooting. The new Nikkor 18.5mm f/1.8 makes the camera usable indoors under natural light too. And it does have a satisfying heft to it.

Do I love the camera? No. It's not a kitten (that would be the Pentax Q) or an ugly puppy (that would be the Pentax K-01). Do I like it for what it is - a cheap, fast AF mirrorless? For sure.

I've blogged about the camera too, if interested - What Blog is This?: V1

So why the return to photography? The Nikon stuff is not going to be that different from the m4/3. Maybe you need a better cell phone?

How is the size of the Nikon and lenses against something like a NEX 5R or 6?

Cheers!

If you select the link below, you can see the size difference btw nikon v1 vs nex 5r/6:
Compact Camera Meter

Originally Posted by gdourado

How is the size of the Nikon and lenses against something like a NEX 5R or 6?

Cheers!