Nikon 1 J1 Mirrorless Advanced Camera Review by MacWorld With Rating 3/5

On September 21 2011, Nikon announced the iconic Nikon 1 system, which represents a new category of camera that challenges conventional thinking, emphasizing a pocketable form factor with unbelievable speed, combined with the high image quality. The Nikon 1 J1 is an advanced camera with interchangeable lenses with the new 1 NIKKOR lens system that comes with a fast new hybrid Autofocus (AF), and fast speed with continuous AF. Users can capture a high quality image while simultaneously recording Full HD 1080p movies, together with the new Motion Snapshot mode that combines moving and still images. The J1 camera features the new Nikon developed CX-format, 10.1 Megapixels High-Speed AF CMOS sensor, supports ISO range of 100-3200 (6400 Hi-1), 73-point AF system, continuous shooting at 10 fps (or 60 fps with AF locked) at full resolution, and can capture Full HD movies at 1080p 30 fps, or 1080i 60 fps, with additional 30/60/400 and 1200 fps modes for super slow motion effects. 

"Nikon made some hefty claims about the J1's performance and, for the most part, those claims are justified. Autofocus, particularly in good light, is fast thanks to a hybrid AF system that utilizes phase detection or contrast detect AF, depending on the lighting conditions (in low light, contrast detection is used because it activates an AF illuminator). Unfortunately, it sometimes locked AF in the wrong place, but most test shots were accurately focused. Continuous shooting starts at 5 frames-per-second at full resolution with autofocus, but can zip along as fast as 60 frames-per-second (with AF locked at the first frame). The Smart Photo Selector, similar to Nikon's Best Shot Selector, captures a burst of up to 20 frames and then selects the five best shots. Users can opt to save all five or only one. I found that the J1's images looked best when captured under bright lighting conditions. I shot with three kit lenses and, on average, most shots produced respectable detail. Color rendition was good, with relatively rich and saturated colors. Unfortunately, the tiny flash didn't help much in low light, even after going into the menu system to increase the flash's intensity. The Nikon J1 did not fare well in Macworld's lab tests. Given the camera's relatively small sensor, image noise was an issue. Pixel peepers will spy shadow noise at its lowest ISO (100) but it's not bad. Increase the ISO and noise levels rise, of course, so it's best to keep it lower than 800. The best bet is to shoot in Raw and process the images to reduce noise, but if you don't want to hassle with post-processing, turn off the camera's noise reduction to avoid extra smearing.

Video quality isn't great, particularly in low light, but is more than sufficient for entertaining family and friends, particularly when shared on the computer. And, despite its ability to capture stereo sound, the audio track wasn't stellar. Given the strong competition in the compact interchangeable lens category and the smaller sensor size, the Nikon 1 J1 may not hit a home run for all buyers. But it's a fun camera to shoot with and, in many ways, the little J1 can hold its own, particularly when it comes to performance."