• Design and handling
• Features
• Conclusion

Photo: raneko / Flickr

The Nikon V1 is one of two new interchangeable lens camera offerings from Nikon released earlier this year. Amidst a whirl of anticipation, the V1 has a proved to be worthy of the Nikon name and will be popular with amateurs and those looking to take the next step towards a more professional camera system.

Design and handling

The Nikon V1 has been given a sleek, minimalist design that will prove popular with buyers. It is one of the smallest in its category and is incredibly lightweight but despite its size it has a solid and sturdy feel to it and its large rubber grip makes it comfortable to hold.

While the Nikon V1 does have a large number of buttons on the back the functions on the mode dial are fairly limited and modes like aperture priority are annoyingly hidden away in menus. Although this is probably to keep the design as minimalist as possible it makes changing modes harder than it needs to be.

Features

One of the best features on the Nikon V1 is the built-in eye detection feature which will switch the camera on as soon as you bring it up to view. It is also one of the fastest interchangeable lens cameras around and the autofocus locks onto your subject with impressive speed.

The continuous shooting mode is also as fast as advertised and you can rattle off shots as fast as 60 frames per second with ease. The shutter response is fantastic but does slow down slightly when using a telephoto lens. The Nikon V1 comes with a Nikkor 10-30mm lens and there is an array of compatible lenses already on the market. You can however pair the V1 with your F-mount lenses with the use of an adaptor.

The amazing Smart Photo Selector mode will allow you to shoot 20 frames while you hold the shutter button down and once you release it the camera will automatically select the best five images, according to red-eye and open eyes etc., so you can get the best images possible.

Conclusion

The Nikon V1 has certainly proved itself as a strong contender in the interchangeable lens market and although some may find the mode searching and minimal function design a bit difficult as first it looks to become a firm favourite.