Nikon 1 - is it a good camera?

Is the Nikon 1 a good camera for photography? I'm no professional.

Can I take crystal clear photos?
How is the zoom? And image stabilizer?

Zoom depends on the lens fitted - it's an EVIL camera, and it's bad even by the standards of such things.

Instead of getting that just get a Nikon Coolpix much easier and better and cheaper

No, it's not. It's actually an insult to see the Nikon name on it.
It doesn't have a viewfinder that you can look through. Nor a hot shoe for a flash. The built in flash is so tiny it's good for about 5 feet.
Hold one in your hands. It's has a cheap feel to it and is hard to hold.
You'd be much better off with a Nikon D3100 / D3200 or a Canon Rebel T3.

Actually it is a very good camera - and this is from someone that owns one (Nikon V1). Most people that say it is not a good camera probably don't actually own one; and have relied on you tube video's or someone's opinion on the internet - and you know how reliable that is…

Is it as good as a DSLR? Of course not. But it is not intended to be, and it holds it's own with even M4/3 cameras that have a slightly larger sensor. And it is vastly superior to any compact camera. If you hold any credibility to the DxOMark ratings, the Nikon 1 cameras are better or on par with most of the M4/3 cameras.

I own two DSLRs, the Nikon V1, and several compacts, and my assessment is that it's quality is much better than a compact camera, but not quite as good as a DSLR. So my opinion comes from someone at least with some knowledge of cameras.

And the Nikon 1 excels in one area that even beats most if not all DSLRs - and that is focus speed. It is lightning fast. It uses a modified version of the phase detection circuitry that DSLRs use to focus.

However, the main issue with the Nikon 1 - as it is with any mirrorless camera - is price. When you outfit the camera with a couple of lenses, you have spent as much money as a DSLR. To me they are vastly over-priced. However, I bought the Nikon V1 last December when Nikon was discounting them for $299 (US).

I would recommend the Nikon V series over the J series as they have more functionality, including a viewfinder (although it is electronic). However, the J3 does not have an anti-aliasing filter - which means the photos are sharper - and even more sharper than some DSLRs.

However, the caveat is once you buy several lenses, you could have bought an entry level DSLR, which would give you much more functionality and flexibility. My advice is if you are not wanting a bunch of lenses, and can stick it out with one or two lenses, and if a lightweight and small camera is paramount, then the Nikon 1 is a good choice. But if you want the ultimate in cameras and lenses, then a DSLR is the best approach.

But I would also recommend buying the Nikon 1 with the 2 lens kit. Normally, the lens comes with a 10-30mm zoom, but you can buy the Nikon 1 with an additional lens, a 30-110mm lens for $100 more. This lens, when bought individually is $250, so you save $150 by buying it as a 2 lens kit.

And collectively, the 10-110mm range gives you an equivalent to a 11x zoom, which is decent enough.

I use mine as a backup camera to my DSLR, and also for travel as it is not as cumbersome.