Nikon: you owe us a n1 v4 NOW

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crisscross

Senior Member
I am 75 but still an active walker within my range, but found DSLR and 80-400 lens etc just too much to carry and despite enigmatic reviews got an n1 v3 just over a year ago; came with 10-30 & 30-110 lenses to which I added 70-300 lens (for wildlife) and clip on viewfinder. A decision I haven't regretted until just now, when the shutter broke a week after warranty and Nikon UK workshop are taking weeks to get it sorted.

As Nikon prioritized the D series of fixed lens cameras for the newer bsi-CMOS sensor and there was a good deal on n1 j5, I got one to see how much improvement there was in the sensor. Considerable, especially on colour balance, which was always a bit iffy on the n1 v3. But NO VIEWFINDER at all.

OK you can't have a 70-300 lens swinging loose, and using a cheap loupe as a workaround is not an ideal solution, and pretty dumb as it is as big as the camera.

The investment in the 70-300 lens and clip on viewfinder for the n1 v3 was twice as much as for the camera body and kit lens. It seems grossly unfair of Nikon to leave me and other owners of this kit with no successor to what appeared to be the top-of-range Nikon 1 series camera.

I wonder if there enough others in my position to get together a petition to Nikon for a n1 v4 and SOON.

Is the Nikonites site able to forward it? (Will also try dpReview, but Nikonians seems a bit, well.., why am I here)

I offer my website Chris Morton's Photo Galleries at pbase.com as credentials as a serious photographer
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
crisscross said:
How would you feel Paul if there was no chance of an improved camera for most of the lenses in your kit bag, but D750 sensor was monoplised for some point-and-shoot range instead of D750 and D810 successors?
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I can understand your dissatisfaction that's the reason i decided to buy the FX 70-300 instead of the CX for my V2,i lose a lot of the fancy facility's of the V2 but didnt want to invest the money in a lens that could be near the end of body development.I think the chances of you getting Nikon to do anything Nikon doesn't want to do rates along side snowball in hell,just hope the DL range doesnt spell the end of the 1 series as the 28-500 may be billed for wildlife but its not got the reach.
 
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crisscross

Senior Member
mikew said:
I can understand your dissatisfaction that's the reason i decided to buy the FX 70-300 instead of the CX for my V2,i lose a lot of the fancy facility's of the V2 but didnt want to invest the money in a lens that could be near the end of body development.I think the chances of you getting Nikon to do anything Nikon doesn't want to do rates along side snowball in hell,just hope the DL range doesnt spell the end of the 1 series as the 28-500 may be billed for wildlife but its not got the reach.
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My main motivation for going to Nikon 1 range was to reduce weight, so using DX or FX lenses with converter wasn't going in the right direction.

You may be right about the snowflake, but think it might be worth giving it a whirl. As all the reviews said Nikon didn't seem to know who 1 range was for, can't do any harm to give them a tad of feedback. Until quite recently rumours forecast launch of a n1 v4 at about the time the D range actually happened - so much for rumours.

I like your birds, should add some here myself as its the current theme
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
crisscross said:
My main motivation for going to Nikon 1 range was to reduce weight, so using DX or FX lenses with converter wasn't going in the right direction.

You may be right about the snowflake, but think it might be worth giving it a whirl. As all the reviews said Nikon didn't seem to know who 1 range was for, can't do any harm to give them a tad of feedback. Until quite recently rumours forecast launch of a n1 v4 at about the time the D range actually happened - so much for rumours.

I like your birds, should add some here myself as its the current theme
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.
Recently added the Sigma 50-500 so i could use it on the V2,hoping to get my first chance tomorrow
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Do you think this would fit the J5

$_57.JPG
 
C

crisscross

Senior Member
mikew said:
Do you think this would fit the J5
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I think so, but prefer the £6 Goliton I already have as it detaches so easily (perhaps too easily) and I tend to change from wildlife (70-300) to landscape/ grand-daughter pics (10-30) very frequently. I think where I may be heading, assuming Nikon do eventually repair my v3, is have the 70-300 permanently on that and the 10-30 permanently on the J5. Just need to improvise a protector for the 10-30 for in the bag.
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
crisscross said:
I think so, but prefer the £6 Goliton I already have as it detaches so easily (perhaps too easily) and I tend to change from wildlife (70-300) to landscape/ grand-daughter pics (10-30) very frequently. I think where I may be heading, assuming Nikon do eventually repair my v3, is have the 70-300 permanently on that and the 10-30 permanently on the J5. Just need to improvise a protector for the 10-30 for in the bag.
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Have you a link to it.
 
M

mauckcg

Senior Member
crisscross said:
I am 75 but still an active walker within my range, but found DSLR and 80-400 lens etc just too much to carry and despite enigmatic reviews got an n1 v3 just over a year ago; came with 10-30 & 30-110 lenses to which I added 70-300 lens (for wildlife) and clip on viewfinder. A decision I haven't regretted until just now, when the shutter broke a week after warranty and Nikon UK workshop are taking weeks to get it sorted.

As Nikon prioritized the D series of fixed lens cameras for the newer bsi-CMOS sensor and there was a good deal on n1 j5, I got one to see how much improvement there was in the sensor. Considerable, especially on colour balance, which was always a bit iffy on the n1 v3. But NO VIEWFINDER at all.

OK you can't have a 70-300 lens swinging loose, and using a cheap loupe as a workaround is not an ideal solution, and pretty dumb as it is as big as the camera.

The investment in the 70-300 lens and clip on viewfinder for the n1 v3 was twice as much as for the camera body and kit lens. It seems grossly unfair of Nikon to leave me and other owners of this kit with no successor to what appeared to be the top-of-range Nikon 1 series camera.

I wonder if there enough others in my position to get together a petition to Nikon for a n1 v4 and SOON.

Is the Nikonites site able to forward it? (Will also try dpReview, but Nikonians seems a bit, well.., why am I here)

I offer my website Chris Morton's Photo Galleries at pbase.com as credentials as a serious photographer
Click to expand...
Nikon doesn't owe any of us anything. If Nikon has decided the 1 series was a mistake, there isn't a whole lot we can do about it. By now you should have come to the conclusion life is seriously unfair, which going back to my second sentence, we might not be able to do anything about this.

But. Just like the D500, Nikon threw the kitchen sink technology wise into the DL series. I can see a case where they tech could/should/would end up in the 1 series. The only issue will be differentiating the two lines. The AW line and ILC is enough I think to keep the DL's and 1 series different enough to justify both. If anything the DL line shows Nikon has recognized the danger the competition now represents at this level. It stands to reason they recognize they need a mirrorless ILC line too. Whether the 1 series comes back like it did, or gets a revamp remains to be seen. If they don't revamp, that's a lot of potential revenue they are ignoring.
 
Eduard

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
I wouldn't have spent full price on the CX 70-300, but used I consider it a steal. The V3 without an integrated EVF was IMHO a mistake. I too would love to see a V4 with the image quality of the J5. If not, I'll continue to use my V2 for specific situations for the foreseeable future.
 
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crisscross

Senior Member
I have now taken about 600 frames with the n1j5, about half with the 70-300 lens, and my n3 is just back from repair. The j5 results are among my best bird pics (including D7000 + 80-400DX) and I have got used to handling the camera with the Goliton loupe on the back. It is now the v3 that feels clumsy with the clip-on evf perched on top, the aperture adjustment on the front, relatively fiddly on-off switch and extra weight. As a bonus the £6 Goliton makes it possible to tripod mount the 70-300 lens for rather less than the £50 official adaptor.

If a v4 came out tomorrow, I am not sure I would now bother! Obviously depending on other positive changes.

Looking at it less steamed up, a lot of the DSLR features whose loss I was feeling are arguably unnecessary anyway. No mirror, so you don't need 'mirror up' and remote; 90% of images taken in the field need a little crop or tilt, so is the viewfinder so essential; the exposure metering does what it should ie just avoid blown highlights, so does one need 'highlights' in the review display; does one need dozens of focus points when a finger-tip on the LCD choses the right place for a single focus point in a fraction of a second?

Obviously a 1" sensor with present resolution is poor and allows very little crop, but I doubt the technology has hit the buffers. But a kit covering 27-810 35mm equiv weighing 1310gr is no mean weight reduction, especially for us greyhairs.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
mikew said:
To me the V2 was a perfect design,i just love using it,the same design with a new sensor would be in my bag.
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I agree, but, they need to have ISO choices between 400-800, that drove me nuts! Especially considering the ISO challenges of a small sensor, could never understand that!
 
C

crisscross

Senior Member
Rick M said:
I agree, but, they need to have ISO choices between 400-800, that drove me nuts! Especially considering the ISO challenges of a small sensor, could never understand that!
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I am possibly in a minority having subject interests from building interiors through landscape to birds, but when I need to change ISO, it is usually by a large margin to get shutter speeds way up. With a 230gr camera it is a matter of exploiting the many virtues, rather than wringing hands about a few omissions; there have to be some. I also commend DxO optics for PP; really potent noise controls, far better than Nikon internal ones
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
I think no option between 400-800 is a pretty significant oversight when 800 is its upper limit for decent IQ. Is that still the case with the J5 as far as I so choices?
 
C

crisscross

Senior Member
Rick M said:
I think no option between 400-800 is a pretty significant oversight when 800 is its upper limit for decent IQ. Is that still the case with the J5 as far as I so choices?
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J5 does have ISO in 2x steps except at fine end there is 160. I have used it at ISO 1600 for indoor candids and would do so again. Thom Hogan does standard tests and predictably says not up to DSLR standard
 
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