NIkon 1 J1, any good?
I currently have a Nikon D3000 and it's good to take pictures but since most DSLRs have HD video now I have been strongly considering getting a new camera with video. I've been thinking of getting the NIkon 1 J1, but people have been saying it isn't a great camera, I'm far from a professional photography, i take pictures for fun but I want something more than a point & shoot camera.
Do any of those people that say the Nikon J1 isn't any good actually ever own one?
Gotta be careful with people's opinions.
One issue that most if not all DSLRs have is rolling shutter distortion. That limits just how good of a video that they can produce. While this distortion can be corrected in post processing software, it is an extra tedious step you would have to perform.
This distortion occurs with any camera that has a CMOS sensor - which most, if not all DSLRs have.
For that reason, CMOS cameras are best used for non-action video, where rolling shutter distortion will be minimum.
The Nikon 1 cameras also have CMOS sensors, so the rolling shutter distortion would affect those as well as DSLRs.
The Nikon 1, J1 is for people who want to be able to stick their camera and two lenses in their briefcase or purse and have a camera that out performs a typical P&S camera.
You are going to have to spend some time in a camera shop comparing your fine D3000 with the J1
The big problem with the J1 (here in the UK at least) is that even with massive price cuts and heavy promotion it does not sell in the same sort of numbers that it's competitors from Sony, Fujifilm, Pana-Lumix, Olympus, and Samsung do (without that promotion or discounting).
It is surprisingly good at video though, thanks to the sensor technology it shares with Sony's A77 and A65 (though it uses a smaller sensor with Nikon specific modifications it is from that same family).
It really is a case of getting one in your hands and trying one. Which is usually the point at which people end up opting for Sony, Fujifilm, Pana-Lumix, Olympus, or Samsung.
The Nikon 1 J1 gets fairly good reviews by owners.
http://www.amazon.com/...WARPR8EH7/
Frankly, in this class of cameras, I'd get one of the Sony NEX series.
http://snapsort.com/...Sony-NEX-7
What I got was the Nikon P7000 (newer model is the P7100), but video wasn't a concern to me. It is limited to 720p HD, which is plenty good enough for me. But it does outperform the P&S cameras for still photography.
The J1 is a great little camera, but you do need to read parts of the manual. If you are someone who likes to capture the moment, this camera is very good in bright light. The colors (white balance) is very good, and in bright light the camera will focus more quickly than most cameras out there.