Nikon 1 J2 Review

Summary

The Nikon 1 system has an interesting story to tell. When Nikon initially launched its first mirrorless system, it positioned two cameras for different segments – the Nikon 1 J1 for beginners and those who wanted to move up from a point and shoot, and the Nikon 1 V1 for photo enthusiasts and advanced photographers, who would look at the V1 as an everyday camera to complement their heavy DSLRs. Interestingly, the Nikon 1 J1 did relatively well (according to Nikon), especially in Asian markets, where the mirrorless market has grown significantly over the last couple of years.

But the Nikon 1 V1 certainly did not sell as expected. I wrote a quick analysis on what went wrong with the Nikon 1 V1 a couple of weeks ago, but in summary, Nikon screwed up with its marketing strategy. It priced the product too high for a sensor that was smaller than most of the competition. A bold move, when there are better and more mature products on the market, with more features, bigger sensors, and lower prices. And certainly not a good idea when targeting advanced photographers that know their gear and do their homework before investing in a camera system.

As a result, Nikon slashed the price of the V1 from $900 all the way to $300. A necessary step to move a dust-covered product off the shelves. At the end of the day, if more people adopt the Nikon 1 mount, it will open up more opportunities to sell lenses and accessories in the future. So Nikon is desperately trying to gain more market share in the mirrorless market globally – by slashing the prices down at or below cost.

The Nikon 1 J2 is still an overpriced camera. At $550 for a single lens kit, it just makes no sense to buy it. Not when the V1 kit is $299 and not when excellent Micro 4/3 and Sony cameras are priced at $500 and below. In my opinion, the J1/J2 cameras should have been introduced at $299-$399 price range, while the V1 should have been at $499-$599. Then it would have been easier for Nikon to push more of its mirrorless cameras out to the market.