Technology
Nikon promotes the camera with the supposed fastest autofocus in the world. I can not measure it, but felt that Nikon is indeed fast. A timing can not be traced and objects in motion are quickly and reliably focus. I know that so far only of SLR. Also the electronic viewfinder with its 1.44 million pixels can summarizes forget that you just NO SLR camera holds in his hands. The picture is not pixelated still flickers or jerky. Nor can virtually see any replay lag of the viewfinder image.
Anti Shake is integrated in 1 system into the lens. Nice to have also been the standard zoom is so equipped. The Anti Shake to work effectively and reliably, to me are in the middle focal length range shooting with a shutter speed of 1/4 second managed out of hand.
You can choose between a mechanical and an electronic shutter with the Nikon. With the help of the electronic shutter, up to 60 frames per second record in full resolution. That's no mean feat! An interesting option is the Smart Photo Selector. The camera already makes 20 high-resolution images, even before pressing the shutter button. The camera electronics evaluates the images and then stores the 5 best shots eventually wear out. This works very well and is extremely helpful when it comes snapshots of moving objects, for example, to make children.
A flash is not installed. The flash connector is proprietary and can be used at first only with the Nikon SB-N5. This flash has just guide number 8.5 - which is making no more than the built-in flashes of many compact cameras. A lightning adapter, which allows the connection of other Nikon system flashes, is in preparation.
Handling
The camera does a pretty solid impression, which is also due to the metal housing and the associated saturated weight of the camera. The design of the camera is quite minimalist, there are few controls. This unfortunately also follows that most of the settings have to be made from the menu. The only knob serves merely to switch between photo, movie mode, Smart Photo Selector and the "moving snapshot", a small gimmick, in addition to a photo and a short movie clip is recorded. Unfortunately, just this knob is very smooth and therefore often disguises himself unintentionally.
The camera is a little smaller than my Samsung NX100. Compared to her, she is not well in the hand. I always look with your left eye through the viewfinder. Since the eyepiece almost centrally located in the V1, my nose makes the space on the back of the camera with my right thumb in dispute. This is quite unpleasant and even happened to me with any other camera. Further, the V1 can not last long comfortably in one hand. The weight of the camera in conjunction with their small size, easily lead to the fact that my hand cramped. Grip the smooth housing is not really.
Photo / Video Quality
To evaluate the picture quality I have photographed the same motives in comparable settings each with the V1 and the Samsung NX100. Contrary to my usual custom, I have this photograph in jpg format as the used by me Lightroom the time of this review the RAW format of the 1-system can not read yet and I did not want to develop with different programs the RAW data. In full-screen viewing on my be measured 24-inch monitor, the pictures seem quite good, especially very sharp. But on some edge sharpness looks unnatural. If you enlarge the image something, you realize that the camera electronics has sharpened strongly here. Regarding sections of enlarged photos more, noticeable that the V1 many details embezzles that the NX100 can still represent significantly.
The Nikon V1 roars frighteningly strong. Even at ISO 200 you can perceive in the shadow areas of light luminance noise. The Samsung NX100 is a similar noise until ISO 800. In between there are at least two stops / light values. This shows quite clearly then the advantage of the larger sensor, the Samsung.
In Video mode, the Nikon trumps correctly. Here it provides very good shots in Full HD with stereo sound. Even with fast pans occur no interference and the microphones pick up little intrinsic noise of the camera on. I'm interested in cameras only the photo quality, but who much like filming and can be really happy with this camera. The scenes have been incidentally not artificially limited in length. Only after 20 minutes it's over, due to the file size limit of FAT32 file system of 4 GiB.
Conclusion
The camera inspired initially by its simple design and its solid appearance. Also it is equipped with plenty of high-tech, which enables eg fast focusing and high frame rates. Mir is the camera a bit too small and not enough grip. In particular, but I demand from a camera in this price range better picture quality, for example, larger posters or enlargements possible. That the small image sensor comes up against its limits, is clear, but also does not explain everything. The recordings my Nikon P7000 (which has an even smaller sensor) I like better. And against a Samsung NX100 with its APS-C sensor, the V1 can not keep up even more. Given the price, I can only awarded 3 stars here. Pity!
Update as of 21.12.2011:
Meanwhile, my impression has strengthened that the camera is extremely poor in the Hand. Nikon has omitted here for reasons of design on the usual gripping bead on the right side of the camera. In addition, the camera has a handy "leathering" missing. It summarizes here's bare metal. At the latest with sweaty hands, the camera is barely manageable.
Recently, I have the camera borrowed over the weekend a friend, without him share my impressions before. He gave it to me with the words back: "Sorry, I do not know how to keep it!"
Therefore, to all prospective buyers My advice: Do not buy the camera without having it previously had at least once in his hand!
