I bought a V1 10 years ago, after 4 years I sold it. Last month a friend gave me a J1 and I liked it so much I bought a secondhand V1 body. I really like the colors and the softness from the 10mp sensor. Even in 2023 a V1 is a nice camera to use, glad I have one again.
Marc
April 21, 2021 4:00 am
Hi Nasim,
the Nikon V1 is since 2012 my grab & go Gear, Camera. I use it with the PD 10-30 VR Zoom, which is way small Pancake-esque, and handy.
I could upgrade this to a Nikon Z50 with 16-50 VR, but why? Of course better performance, but much more Money. People are always behind the Latest & Greatest, i don’t see the Point.
It’s way more important, to learn & handle your Gear, than always thinking, better Gear would automatically produce better Images here.
I still like my V1 a lot, the Battery lasts a long time, and the EVF (albeit 1.44 MP only) is excellent, sometimes i am also using my 18.5/1.8 Prime on the V1. Added the Kleptography Richard Franiec since 2012, and the Combo is way pleasing to hold.
I agree, also have a V1 + 10-30 PD and use extensively. 10MP is more than enough, and the system as a whole holds up even in 2021. Superb travel camera.
Just right. Especially with the V1, i can swap batteries with my D7000, so it’s always handy on the go, or onto a photo walk. Really like this combo.
Taura A
October 7, 2015 4:38 pm
A friend recently gave me her “old” Nikon 1 V1. I have recently gotten into birding and digiscoping. I have a Vortex Razor spotting scope and, as a total novice to photography, am trying to figure out what type of camera to use WITH the spotting scope. I have adaptors to attach a camera. I have a POS Sony but don’t want an auto zoom lens w/the spotting scope any my sony only has an LCD viewer screen vs. an eyepiece. Which is why my friend gave me her Nikon 1 V1 to see if that worked better. It has an eyepiece plus the zoom is manual. Vortex recommends a 50mm fixed lens. Can I make this V1 work? Or do I give up and start over with a new camera w/a 50mm fixed lens for my spotting scope. I want to take pictures of birds at my backyard feeder (distance about 15 feet from my patio table)….OR at the beach in Bodega Bay for shore birds…where I definitely need my scope. Any ideas?
Ajay
July 12, 2013 3:08 pm
Great website/blog and lots of very insightful and useful information – thanks. I am considering the Nikon N1V2 for a trip to Tanzania. In the past have used a Minolta SLR (film) with a 70-210 telephoto lens. I just don’t have enough space for a large camera on this trip and so thought I would get the N1V2. Any advice or comments on this choice for wildlife photography using the 30-110 mm lens? Your opinion or from others would be much appreciated.
Firstly, the Nikon V1 is an excellent camera, solid and well built. The exposure system is very acurate, focus is lightning quick, and Nikon lenses are excellent. 110mm is about equivilent to 270mm in 35mm camera format. , so is quite a long focal length lens. I’m a retired pro photographer and have several Nikons including a V1. I can use all my Nikon lenses on the V1, I have the adaptor. The electronic viewfinder is excellent. I personally think that the days of DSLR cameras are numbered. No moving parts means less to go wrong and no vibration, and less bulk. The image pieline is fed from the chip; split to the viewfinder and the memory card. Very efficient.
It is refreshing to have a camera body that doesn’t have buttons and dials plastered in every conceivable possible place on the body. It sometimes is a job to remember which button or dial does what! The menu system is faster to use than buttons and dials, and despite, the critics saying it is not easy to adjust setting, I find it to be the opposite – extremely easy and fast.
Wildlife covers a very wide range from macro of insects to shooting tigers at long range! I would think the 30-110 mm lens would be very good for photographing birds, etc.
I would recomend getting a circular polarising filter.
Kenn
April 18, 2013 12:07 pm
This is the most thorough in depth review of the Nikon 1 system . Wish I had seen it before I bought the V1…but it doesn’t matter…I use my V1 for 2 purposes…for street photography I use the V1 with the 10mm 2.8 and I set the shutter to silent mode turn off the autofocus assist lamp…and I can be 2 feet from a subject and they are totally unaware that I am photographing them…it is a very unobtrusive setup …and I also like to shoot rugby…the v1 with the 30-110 on it is amazing in freezing the action…I bought this when the price really dropped…I feel very fortunate that I was able to get one…I have another mirrorless camera…the E-PM2…which I use to shoot indoor ice hockey…it is another phenominal camera…I did have a nex 6 but sent it back…I just did not like the softness of the images…better lenses are coming which is what the nex system needs…but I am happy with the V1…and my Olympus Pen -mini2
nick
January 20, 2013 3:55 pm
hallo and thank you for the very thorough review, i have one question: by activating the intervalometer function, does the nikon v1 use its af before each shot, is it an option to be on or off? thank you
Joni
December 20, 2012 9:03 pm
I too would love to know about any links or recommended reading for working with the Nikon V1 that I just bought. Thanks!
Loy
December 20, 2012 7:38 pm
Hi,
I am newbie with a 2 months exposure on my Nikon D5100 ( with zoom lens and 35mm/F1.8)- . I ordered my V1 kit with 2 zoom lenses and the Flash to be delivered next week (Its a steal right now on B&H-though I have to drive to US to pick it up). Im going on my 3 month of comprehensive reading . I find your review to be the best review for Nikon 1. Is there any link or reading material you could recommend for a starter like me specially for Nikon V1 shooting techniques.Thank you.
Loy
Joni Solis
December 7, 2012 9:38 pm
“It will be interesting to see how Nikon will continue to develop the Nikon 1 system. I hope that the issues pointed out above will be addressed through firmware updates and better and richer features will be delivered in upcoming Nikon 1 cameras. We should be seeing more lens choices very soon” — so it is a year later. Has Nikon make any firmware updates or new fast lenses for the Nikon 1 V1 camera?
This might be a silly question, but how does one update the firmware for the camera and lens or figure out if it needs to be updated in the first place? Thanks for any help.
To find out if new firmware is available you have to check relevant websites, such as the manufacturers website or relevant blogs. Or just search for, for instance, “Nikon 1 V1 firmware update” once in a while.
In the camera’s menu you can select to view the device’s firmware, and will then see exactly which the camera and/or lens is running on. Furthermore, the update process is described on Nikon’s website. You certainly don’t have have to update, but some nice updates are released once in a while :)
I bought a V1 10 years ago, after 4 years I sold it. Last month a friend gave me a J1 and I liked it so much I bought a secondhand V1 body. I really like the colors and the softness from the 10mp sensor. Even in 2023 a V1 is a nice camera to use, glad I have one again.
Hi Nasim,
the Nikon V1 is since 2012 my grab & go Gear, Camera. I use it with the PD 10-30 VR Zoom,
which is way small Pancake-esque, and handy.
I could upgrade this to a Nikon Z50 with 16-50 VR, but why? Of course better performance, but much more Money. People are always behind the Latest & Greatest, i don’t see the Point.
It’s way more important, to learn & handle your Gear, than always thinking, better Gear would automatically produce better Images here.
I still like my V1 a lot, the Battery lasts a long time, and the EVF (albeit 1.44 MP only) is excellent, sometimes i am also using my 18.5/1.8 Prime on the V1. Added the Kleptography Richard Franiec since 2012, and the Combo is way pleasing to hold.
Good Light.
I agree, also have a V1 + 10-30 PD and use extensively. 10MP is more than enough, and the system as a whole holds up even in 2021. Superb travel camera.
Just right. Especially with the V1, i can swap batteries with my D7000, so it’s always handy on the go, or onto a photo walk. Really like this combo.
A friend recently gave me her “old” Nikon 1 V1. I have recently gotten into birding and digiscoping. I have a Vortex Razor spotting scope and, as a total novice to photography, am trying to figure out what type of camera to use WITH the spotting scope. I have adaptors to attach a camera. I have a POS Sony but don’t want an auto zoom lens w/the spotting scope any my sony only has an LCD viewer screen vs. an eyepiece. Which is why my friend gave me her Nikon 1 V1 to see if that worked better. It has an eyepiece plus the zoom is manual. Vortex recommends a 50mm fixed lens. Can I make this V1 work? Or do I give up and start over with a new camera w/a 50mm fixed lens for my spotting scope. I want to take pictures of birds at my backyard feeder (distance about 15 feet from my patio table)….OR at the beach in Bodega Bay for shore birds…where I definitely need my scope. Any ideas?
Great website/blog and lots of very insightful and useful information – thanks. I am considering the Nikon N1V2 for a trip to Tanzania. In the past have used a Minolta SLR (film) with a 70-210 telephoto lens. I just don’t have enough space for a large camera on this trip and so thought I would get the N1V2. Any advice or comments on this choice for wildlife photography using the 30-110 mm lens? Your opinion or from others would be much appreciated.
Hi Ajay
Firstly, the Nikon V1 is an excellent camera, solid and well built. The exposure system is very acurate, focus is lightning quick, and Nikon lenses are excellent.
110mm is about equivilent to 270mm in 35mm camera format. , so is quite a long focal length lens.
I’m a retired pro photographer and have several Nikons including a V1.
I can use all my Nikon lenses on the V1, I have the adaptor.
The electronic viewfinder is excellent.
I personally think that the days of DSLR cameras are numbered.
No moving parts means less to go wrong and no vibration, and less bulk.
The image pieline is fed from the chip; split to the viewfinder and the memory card. Very efficient.
It is refreshing to have a camera body that doesn’t have buttons and dials plastered in every conceivable possible place on the body. It sometimes is a job to remember which button or dial does what!
The menu system is faster to use than buttons and dials, and despite, the critics saying it is not easy to adjust setting, I find it to be the opposite – extremely easy and fast.
Wildlife covers a very wide range from macro of insects to shooting tigers at long range!
I would think the 30-110 mm lens would be very good for photographing birds, etc.
I would recomend getting a circular polarising filter.
This is the most thorough in depth review of the Nikon 1 system . Wish I had seen it before I bought the V1…but it doesn’t matter…I use my V1 for 2 purposes…for street photography I use the V1 with the 10mm 2.8 and I set the shutter to silent mode turn off the autofocus assist lamp…and I can be 2 feet from a subject and they are totally unaware that I am photographing them…it is a very unobtrusive setup …and I also like to shoot rugby…the v1 with the 30-110 on it is amazing in freezing the action…I bought this when the price really dropped…I feel very fortunate that I was able to get one…I have another mirrorless camera…the E-PM2…which I use to shoot indoor ice hockey…it is another phenominal camera…I did have a nex 6 but sent it back…I just did not like the softness of the images…better lenses are coming which is what the nex system needs…but I am happy with the V1…and my Olympus Pen -mini2
hallo and thank you for the very thorough review,
i have one question:
by activating the intervalometer function, does the nikon v1 use its af before each shot,
is it an option to be on or off?
thank you
I too would love to know about any links or recommended reading for working with the Nikon V1 that I just bought. Thanks!
Hi,
I am newbie with a 2 months exposure on my Nikon D5100 ( with zoom lens and 35mm/F1.8)- . I ordered my V1 kit with 2 zoom lenses and the Flash to be delivered next week (Its a steal right now on B&H-though I have to drive to US to pick it up). Im going on my 3 month of comprehensive reading . I find your review to be the best review for Nikon 1. Is there any link or reading material you could recommend for a starter like me specially for Nikon V1 shooting techniques.Thank you.
Loy
“It will be interesting to see how Nikon will continue to develop the Nikon 1 system. I hope that the issues pointed out above will be addressed through firmware updates and better and richer features will be delivered in upcoming Nikon 1 cameras. We should be seeing more lens choices very soon” — so it is a year later. Has Nikon make any firmware updates or new fast lenses for the Nikon 1 V1 camera?
Firmware 1.20 for Nikon J1/V1 became available in fall 2012 :) New firmware for the Nikon 1 lenses (!) has also been released.
This might be a silly question, but how does one update the firmware for the camera and lens or figure out if it needs to be updated in the first place? Thanks for any help.
Hi,
To find out if new firmware is available you have to check relevant websites, such as the manufacturers website or relevant blogs. Or just search for, for instance, “Nikon 1 V1 firmware update” once in a while.
www.nikonimgsupport.com/eu/BV…6lang%3Den
This link shows the firmware update for V1 on Nikon’s European site. Also, the next link shows the firmware update for the standard 10-30mm VR lens:
www.nikonimgsupport.com/eu/BV…6lang%3Den
In the camera’s menu you can select to view the device’s firmware, and will then see exactly which the camera and/or lens is running on. Furthermore, the update process is described on Nikon’s website. You certainly don’t have have to update, but some nice updates are released once in a while :)
Thank you kindly for these links and info; you are wonderful help.
it is down to 299 now.
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pro…/KBID/6400