Is this the J4 or the V3?

Yesterday the Dutch website Digitfoto posted sketches of a camera design Nikon has patented a while back. By the looks of it, it seems to be either a beefed up J-series camera or a cut down V-series camera.

 Nikon-1-design-a Nikon-1-design-b Nikon-1-design-c Nikon-1-design-d Nikon-1-design-e

The sketches show a camera with three, possibly four dials, eight buttons, an integrated flash, a Nikon 1 proprietary accessory shoe, BUT without an EVF. In other words, this is a camera with too many dials and buttons (= manual control) for a J-series camera, but without the EVF typical of V-series cameras. It is also odd that there is no standard flash hot-shoe, considering that according to the latest rumors the V3 was supposed to have a standard flash hot-shoe. Furthermore this camera has a vertical dial on the front, also found on the Nikon Df, which is a camera aimed at photography purists and loaded with manual controls.

If you ask me, forgoing an EVF is a terrible decision considering the amount of manual control and the target market of this camera.

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Ivan Written by:

5 Comments

  1. Jan
    05/02/2014
    Reply

    Odd. Both Nikon and Canon have targeted their mirrorless cameras at the asian market more than anything else, and primarily at people moving up from phones rather than traditional cameras.

    I have a hard time seeing this design appeal to someone moving up from a smart-phone.

    • Ivan
      06/02/2014
      Reply

      This design won’t appeal to anyone. People who like dials and buttons, in other words manual control, also like having a viewfinder. It’s a bit like producing an off-road vehicle with super-strong chassis and suspension but with a 50 horse power engine.

      • Jan
        07/02/2014
        Reply

        My sentiment exactly. I don’t get it.

  2. Frank Turner
    08/02/2014
    Reply

    There are always people to whom this design will appeal, but I have mixed feelings about this concept. I love the extra dials and buttons. I don’t like the fact that there’s no EVF. I think Nikon should have sticked with the EN-EL15 battery for the 1 series. Also, I think it’s time for an articulating screen. I’m not sure what the strategy is (if there is any) for the 1 series. Nikon pumps out one model after the other and none of them are truly great. I’ll stick with the V1 for a while.

    • Ivan
      10/02/2014
      Reply

      I love the extra dials and buttons.

      Me too.

      I don’t like the fact that there’s no EVF.

      Me neither.

      I think Nikon should have sticked with the EN-EL15 battery for the 1 series. Also, I think it’s time for an articulating screen.

      Yeah, there is no reason to complicate things for existing Nikon users who are interested in the V-series. The older battery had more capacity and was compatible with Nikons bigger guns. It’s stupid and greedy to take that away. As for the articulating screen: I’m neither a fan nor a hater, I have no use for those. If my camera had one, I would not make use of the feature and that’s that. I would also not complain on forums.

      I’m not sure what the strategy is (if there is any) for the 1 series.

      I think Nikon is focusing on the AW1 and plans to reduce investment in the J and V-series and concentrate on the AW Nikon 1 cameras and lenses. Look at this commercial, especially the end, where you see the AW1 in the middle and closer to the camera, while the V2 and J3 are to the side further back. I think that’s how Nikon sees the future of the N1 system. More nice, more specialized.

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