[froeschle]

[...] Because Fuji did it first, hybrid phase AF isn't a Nikon exclusive and we're probably going to see more systems with this feature soon. [...]

Nikon at least has a patent on it: Image sensor, focus detection device, focus adjustment device and image-capturing apparatus
S180: generate data at focus detection pixel positions through interpolation processing [!] (Sheet 11)

[...] With a ~2/2" system camera [...]

Approx. 1" sensor -> Nikon 1

[...] Q is a much more friendly name [...]

Hausrind ? Wikipedia [Q and Kuh (cow) are pronounced the same way in German]

---

Last edited by froeschle; 09-22-2011 at 04:56 AM.

[mecrox]

Hmmn, the point of this camera seems to be the merging of stills and movies into a single image stream from which the user can extract whatever imagery they wish. And if the user can't be bothered to make a choice, then the camera will do it for you with its auto-select feature. And the message, or at least claim, with focus and exposure metering is that both are now down pat with such sophistication that, again, the user doesn't have to bother with settings of the PASM kind. Just press the button and go. Whatever you might feel about the design of this camera - and it looks pretty duff to me - the stuff under the bonnet is well worth pondering, I'd have thought. It is, I suspect, Nikon's bet on the future of all cameras, that the future is an image stream which can be expressed in any number of ways. The user decides retrospectively what to make of it and how to display it.

[froeschle]

Nikon 1 V1 vs Sony NEX-5N
(same source, Pentax Q)

About Us - Pocket-lint: "[...] the largest independent gadget news and reviews site in the UK [...]"

[ManuH]

Nikon 1 V1 vs Sony NEX-5N
(same source, Pentax Q)

I stopped reading at this "Viewfinders aren't something that every photographer uses in this day and age but, if you're from the DSLR school, then it's probably an important consideration for you. "

Do they ever take pictures in sunlight?

[RioRico]

Do they ever take pictures in sunlight?

Yes.

Bad ones.

[gazonk]

I also don't quite get why criticize Nikon for being the first to fill the gap between ~1/2" P&S/Q and 2.5/2" - 3.5/2" µFT-APSC system cameras. With a ~2/2" system camera. It was long overdue.

Filling that gap is fine, but it should have been possible to do with a Q-size camera with Q-size lenses. That big 10-100mm lens translates into a 18-180mm/f8-f10 on APS-C! And it's almost 20% heavier than the Pentax 18-250mm/f3.5-6.3!

[pinholecam]

Hmmn, the point of this camera seems to be the merging of stills and movies into a single image stream from which the user can extract whatever imagery they wish. And if the user can't be bothered to make a choice, then the camera will do it for you with its auto-select feature. And the message, or at least claim, with focus and exposure metering is that both are now down pat with such sophistication that, again, the user doesn't have to bother with settings of the PASM kind. Just press the button and go. Whatever you might feel about the design of this camera - and it looks pretty duff to me - the stuff under the bonnet is well worth pondering, I'd have thought. It is, I suspect, Nikon's bet on the future of all cameras, that the future is an image stream which can be expressed in any number of ways. The user decides retrospectively what to make of it and how to display it.

Its the perfect answer to the popular question :
"I want a camera that can take better pictures (for me) than my pns"

[rtpguy]

Hmmn, the point of this camera seems to be the merging of stills and movies into a single image stream from which the user can extract whatever imagery they wish. And if the user can't be bothered to make a choice, then the camera will do it for you with its auto-select feature. And the message, or at least claim, with focus and exposure metering is that both are now down pat with such sophistication that, again, the user doesn't have to bother with settings of the PASM kind. Just press the button and go. Whatever you might feel about the design of this camera - and it looks pretty duff to me - the stuff under the bonnet is well worth pondering, I'd have thought. It is, I suspect, Nikon's bet on the future of all cameras, that the future is an image stream which can be expressed in any number of ways. The user decides retrospectively what to make of it and how to display it.

Sure, it could become the path to real convergence. Why worry about 3FPS, 7FPS, once 24FPS or 60FPS are attained (assuming the same resolution). You could use a sliding buffer large enough to handle N seconds in full/hi-res - assuming the button is kept down, as frames slide 'out' of the buffer, check the video/still mode - if stills, discard them entirely, if video, downsample them into HD. A buffers worth of sequential bursted stills (or saved off) can always be converted into full HD224/60fps, while in buffer 'video' at full res could then be selected at will for a full res still image. Make it 'dummy-proof' for casual users, and use smile and bluer detection to 'pick best N' from a few shots to show to the user for confirmation (this is apparently what Nikon is doing now), and start filling the buffer whenever a finger goes onto the button, if it's depressed or not.

Sensor size -> IQ, ISO performance, etc. are all going to suffer. Maybe as someone may have said, they intentionally chose the sensor based on wanting to push the video/'smart image selection' over IQ...for whatever reason...or they knew they couldn't come close with a 16MP sensor.. ?

The marketing video is slick enough to gain interest in the consumer market...maybe. Small, decent video, and 'helps me take better pictures' = win (entry level consumer or bridge). Pricing, fail at this point. interchangeable lens = unknown. Good for enthusiast, but the rest of the camera doesn't say enthusiast, so which market is the target? They do seem to have a fully functioning adapter for the slr lenses though, including work auto-focus - something we can hope Ricoh/Pentax get sorted. Right now, I feel similar to the Q - like they were wishing there was the equivalent of the iphone $ market for p&s cameras, and somehow they lucked into it, meaning pricing into slr territory, but - with P&S sensor. Pricing is butting up to and > the sony NEX-5n, but I couldn't imagine buying either Nikon over the 5n for anywhere close to the same pricing.

Drop the price, up-size the sensor, and include a '90% lens' in the kit, and make an AF capable adapter available. The 90% lens can turn it into a bridge camera, while a bigger sensor and adapter can make it a handy 'backup camera' for the dslr owners (to me, this applies to the v1/J1, Q, and similar).

The J1/V1 do nothing for me at all, but they do make the GF2 and GF3 look pretty good.

I agree that it's probably a hint of things to come, though - EVFs are eventually going to become 'good enough' for more an more people, until they have more advantages than disadvantages over OVFs, and once we've got APS-C or FFs doing ~24FPS stills (not too far off now, no?), real video convergence and 'buffer games' are a nice bonus. We just need to wait to see it happen on cameras that are a bit more inspiring or interesting to many of us.

[froeschle]

Nikon says first-half sales beat expectations - The Economic Times

[...] Makoto Kimura said that [...] Advance orders from dealers for the Nikon 1 models, which go on sale on Oct. 20, are stronger than expected [...]