Author Topic: Nikon announces Nikon 1 system (Read 8013 times)

PaulieWalnuts · « **on:** September 21, 2011, 12:08 »

I'm scratching my head on this one. Not sure what Nikon is thinking here.

Seems like a very expensive entry-level-spec camera targeting novices stepping up from a P&S.

I'm not seeing anything here that would even remotely get me to move from my Panasonic GF-1. And Sony is about to release the 24MP NEX-7 for not much more money.

Who would buy this?

http://dpreview.com/news/1109/11092120nikonlaunch.asp

ETA: Okay, I read the more detailed specs and the 73-point AF system with 10FPS is pretty slick if it actually works well. The tiny sensor is a concern unless Nikon came up with a breakthrough design for better image quality.

SNP · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2011, 12:13 »

so this is the big Nikon fall announcement? that's a major disappointment.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2011, 12:19 »

there is still another announcement!

http://www.iamcomings.com/

don´t understand if there is something or just messing around

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2011, 12:31 »

Dpreview added a supplemental piece about "why the smaller sensor"

http://dpreview.com/articles/9716229576/why-make-a-small-sensor-mirrorless-camera

If the idea is to avoid cannibalizing their own DSLR sales then Nikon, and even Canon, are stuck in a pretty bad lose-lose situation.

Sony is very aggressively pursuing this small camera market. The NEX-7 may not yet replace DSLRs but what happens in the next year when they release an NEX-8 that could compete directly with a D3, 5DMII, or even D3X? So Nikon is going to avoid eating into their own sales and will instead let Sony eat their sales?

Xalanx · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2011, 12:42 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 21, 2011, 12:31

Dpreview added a supplemental piece about "why the smaller sensor"

http://dpreview.com/articles/9716229576/why-make-a-small-sensor-mirrorless-camera

If the idea is to avoid cannibalizing their own DSLR sales then Nikon, and even Canon, are stuck in a pretty bad lose-lose situation.

Sony is very aggressively pursuing this small camera market. The NEX-7 may not yet replace DSLRs but what happens in the next year when they release an NEX-8 that could compete directly with a D3, 5DMII, or even D3X? So Nikon is going to avoid eating into their own sales and will instead let Sony eat their sales?

I don't see this happening. Mirrorless cameras are still a far cry from DSLRs regarding image quality and high iso performance. When they'll fit a full frame sensor inside, then we'll talk about trying to take on Canon and Nikon on more serious ground. But even their flagship, A900 is still at the rear of the pack.

leaf · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2011, 14:07 »

Quote from: Xalanx on September 21, 2011, 12:42

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 21, 2011, 12:31
Dpreview added a supplemental piece about "why the smaller sensor"

http://dpreview.com/articles/9716229576/why-make-a-small-sensor-mirrorless-camera

If the idea is to avoid cannibalizing their own DSLR sales then Nikon, and even Canon, are stuck in a pretty bad lose-lose situation.

Sony is very aggressively pursuing this small camera market. The NEX-7 may not yet replace DSLRs but what happens in the next year when they release an NEX-8 that could compete directly with a D3, 5DMII, or even D3X? So Nikon is going to avoid eating into their own sales and will instead let Sony eat their sales?

I don't see this happening. Mirrorless cameras are still a far cry from DSLRs regarding image quality and high iso performance. When they'll fit a full frame sensor inside, then we'll talk about trying to take on Canon and Nikon on more serious ground. But even their flagship, A900 is still at the rear of the pack.

There are full frame mirrorless cameras out there (or perhaps only a couple)
The Leica M9 which is full frame (same size as the Canon 5D mark II) and the Leica X1 which has an APS-C sensor like the Canon 70D

luissantos84 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2011, 14:24 »

Quote from: leaf on September 21, 2011, 14:07

Quote from: Xalanx on September 21, 2011, 12:42
Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 21, 2011, 12:31
Dpreview added a supplemental piece about "why the smaller sensor"

http://dpreview.com/articles/9716229576/why-make-a-small-sensor-mirrorless-camera

If the idea is to avoid cannibalizing their own DSLR sales then Nikon, and even Canon, are stuck in a pretty bad lose-lose situation.

Sony is very aggressively pursuing this small camera market. The NEX-7 may not yet replace DSLRs but what happens in the next year when they release an NEX-8 that could compete directly with a D3, 5DMII, or even D3X? So Nikon is going to avoid eating into their own sales and will instead let Sony eat their sales?

I don't see this happening. Mirrorless cameras are still a far cry from DSLRs regarding image quality and high iso performance. When they'll fit a full frame sensor inside, then we'll talk about trying to take on Canon and Nikon on more serious ground. But even their flagship, A900 is still at the rear of the pack.

There are full frame mirrorless cameras out there (or perhaps only a couple)
The Leica M9 which is full frame (same size as the Canon 5D mark II) and the Leica X1 which has an APS-C sensor like the Canon 70D

exaclty, there is just the price

sharpshot · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2011, 14:40 »

I could understand this if the camera was more compact than those with larger sensors but it looks quite bulky. Perhaps nice for those that can't live without the word "Nikon" on their cameras or people with a lot of Nikon lenses that don't mind the big magnification increase but I can't see a good reason for anyone else buying one.

I think Nikon and Canon will lose a lot of market share in the amateur and semi-pro sectors. They need to make sure they hold on to the pros and the videographers. I'm surprised they haven't come up with a decent alternative for the Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Samsung EVIL cameras. That looks like a monumental mistake to me.

Elenathewise · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2011, 14:42 »

Leica M9... sigh... can I have that for Christmas, please?

Xalanx · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2011, 15:07 »

Quote from: Elenathewise on September 21, 2011, 14:42

Leica M9... sigh... can I have that for Christmas, please?

Yea, that's the price of a small hatchback.

Tyler, Leica is in another league, so to speak. Sony has yet to reach Canon and Nikon levels.

rinderart · « **Reply #10 on:** September 21, 2011, 20:24 »

Quote from: Xalanx on September 21, 2011, 15:07

Quote from: Elenathewise on September 21, 2011, 14:42
Leica M9... sigh... can I have that for Christmas, please?

Yea, that's the price of a small hatchback.

Tyler, Leica is in another league, so to speak. Sony has yet to reach Canon and Nikon levels.

Exactly. no one upgrades to sony.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2011, 22:00 »

Quote from: rinderart on September 21, 2011, 20:24

Quote from: Xalanx on September 21, 2011, 15:07
Quote from: Elenathewise on September 21, 2011, 14:42
Leica M9... sigh... can I have that for Christmas, please?

Yea, that's the price of a small hatchback.

Tyler, Leica is in another league, so to speak. Sony has yet to reach Canon and Nikon levels.

Exactly. no one upgrades to sony.

The point isn't to upgrade. It's to move laterally. If the 24MP NEX-Whatever does everything you need at a fraction of the cost, isn't it "good enough"? Good enough that it will make you leave your DSLR at home most of the time. I used to carry my 5DMII everywhere but only use it for studio stuff now that I have the GF1. Does it replace my 5DMII? Absolutely not. Is the GF1 good enough for me to confidently leave my 5DMII at home? Absolutely.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2011, 22:05 »

Dpreview posted a "First Impressions" that covers some of the whos-it-for.

http://dpreview.com/articles/3281713418/nikon-1-system-first-impressions

Now it makes sense. Like I said earlier it's targeted at people moving from a P&S. This isn't a DSLR companion. The market potential for novices must be huge compared to enthusiasts and pros.

Who's it for?

Perhaps the most important point to understand about the 1 system is the type of customer Nikon is aiming for. It's most certainly not designed as a second camera for SLR users, but rather as an entirely different type of system that users intimidated by the size and perceived complexity of SLRs can upgrade to when they outgrow their compacts. Nikon says that its customer surveys worldwide reveal that such users value small size, ease of use, and operational speed as much as outright image quality - and the 1 system aims to strike a specific balance between these demands.

The DSLR market is still growing, says Suzuki, but equally the mirrorless market it growing as well. 'We learned from our mirrorless competitors' he says, about how to distinguish the '1' system from F-mount. He considers the Nikon 1 to be different from the existing offerings, instead describing it as 'a new class of camera.'

In fact, the company has even coined a new acronym to match: A-CIL, for 'Advanced Camera with Interchangeable Lenses'. We're not sure quite how far this idea holds up in reality, but the point is clear. The 1 system is supposed to sit between compact cameras and SLRs, and not directly compete with either. And, if the company's market research is correct, there's every chance this market sector's expectations are very different from those of the enthusiast photographers who are currently scratching their heads and expressing their dissatisfaction about the new product.

This targeting, plus the sensor's high speed capabilities, results in a very different look to the camera's interface, exemplified by its mode dial. Gone are the scene and PASM modes familiar to SLR users (although these can still be selected through the menu), replaced by four positions which represent different applications of high speed stills and movie recording. The 'Motion Snapshot' mode combines a slow-motion movie with a simultaneously-recorded still image, while the 'Smart Photo Selector' mode takes 20 full-resolution images from a single shutter-button press (including some captured before the button is fully depressed), then analyses them,saving what it judges to be the best five (even recommending the very best of the bunch). There's just a single position to cover all aspects of conventional stills shooting, plus one more for movies.