Month: August 2013

26/08/2013 / / Nikon V1

Ever wonder why Nikon 1 cameras and lenses are the way they are? Curios why a comparatively small 1″ sensor was chosen and why N1 cameras have powerful double-core Expeed CPUs and a large buffers under the hood, and why the control interface is simple and geared towards beginners? You will find the answers to these and many more questions in the following video interviews. πŸ™‚

Part 1 – N1 Hybrid AF

24/08/2013 / / Nikon V1

As every Nikon V1 user knows, the camera has many strengths, but also many flaws in the handling and controls department. A DPReview forums regular, SimpleCams, has posted an interesting image of a V1 concept with revised controls and user interface. PASM dial on top, standard flash hot shoe, Β exposure compensation dial in a position where you can easily reach it with your thumb, functional f-button and ISO-button, and many more improvements. Here is what it looks like. πŸ™‚

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I tried to photograph some of these stray cats with a DSLR, but as soon as the mirror claps most of them run away. This doesn’t happen with the Nikon V1 and Nikon 18.5mm f/1.8. As soon as the electronic shutter is enabled, the camera is silent. If you close the aperture, there is a faint noise of aperture blades closing, right before the images is being captured. If you stay at f/1.8 however, the camera makes no noise whatsoever. The loudest sound is the finger tipping the shutter release button. πŸ˜‰
Unbenannt

I’m not a big landscape shooter. I usually don’t have the patience to carry a tripod, mount my camera and use the remote. Often I shoot landscapes “from the hip” or out of a driving car. At this day and age, where almost every serious camera has more than 16MP, the V1 is not what would one would consider a resolution monster. And resolution is one aspect which is pretty important for landscapes. Years ago I used to have a Nikon D40, which only had 6 Megapixels, so I’m not bothered with only having 10 on the V1. One thing that bothers me though is the corner performance of the Nikon 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 at wide angle. Otherwise it’s an excellent kit lens, but the corners at wide angle are nothing to write home about. Nikon should most definitely up the corner performance of this lens in the 2nd edition/revision or release a faster, IQ-wise more serious, standard zoom. Both the wide and telephoto ends of the 10-30mm are great when taking photos from up close, and the lens does focus really, really close for a kit zoom. Take a look at some of my macro shots with the 10-30mm. Landscapes are however still possible with the kit lens. Like any Nikon the V1 has excellent WB, metering and color out of the box. All images are available on Flickr in Full HD. Just click on the image you would like to view larger.

Unbenannt

The Nikon V1 with the Nikon 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 or 18.5mm f/1.8 is such a small package that you can take it anywhere. I sometimes even take it with me when I’m BBQing or going out with the fellas. Some of my friends don’t like to be stalked with a camera, they however are far less likely to make a fuss when I’m using my V1. The smaller camera doesn’t seem to intimidate people and make them go into defensive mode nearly as much as the big guns do. I, on the other hand, am far more likely to shoot motifs which I usually don’t consider interesting, like food, when not having to lug a heavy camera for long periods of time. πŸ™‚Unbenannt

 

I really like the Nikon 18.5mm f/1.8 for portraiture. It gives me a nice balance of DoF and sharpness. With some lenses for the larger formats, I have the feeling that I constantly need to think about how much I should close the aperture, to obtain sufficient DoF for human faces. The 18.5mm has enough DoF at wiede open, f/1.8. When shooting people I never close the aperture with this lens. IMO bokeh is nice, and the colors are what you expect from a Nikon. Awesome skin tones. But look for yourself. πŸ™‚Β Unbenannt