Nikon 1

The Nikon 1 camera system comprised 4 lenses, two mirrorless camera body models, one flexible small system flash, an adapter for Nikon AF lenses and a GPS decoder, when it was introduced in autumn 2011. It started with the Nikon 1 J1 and the Nikon 1 V1, both with 10 megapixel sensor, the latter with EVF. In 2013 the AW1 was introduced as first waterproof digital system camera. Another highlight was the S2 of 2012 which adressed serious photo amateurs with a slightiy larger but therefore highly ergonomic camera body.

It doesn't use an image sensor format like the Micro Four Thirds sensors of Panasonic and Olympus, the APS-C size sensors of Sony and Samsung, or the literally too small compact camera sensors used in Pentax's mirrorless camera system. The sensor size is smaller than Micro Four Thirds but significantly larger than the Pentax-Q sensor. Nikon 1 sensors match exactly the largest type of survey camera sensors. The Nikon 1 branding is associated with the 1 inch sensor size. Nikon names it CX (13.2×8.8 mm) joining the larger DX (APS-C, 23.6×15.7 mm) and FX (35mm, 36×24 mm) siblings in the lineup. The advantage of the cameras is the "hybrid autofocus", a mixture of phase detection AF and contrast AF. Another good point is the extremely fast shutter with speed up to 1/16000 sec. The first generation of Nikon 1 CSCs got its 1" sensors from Silicon-Valley-based sensor maker Aptina.

Only Samsung tried to match the Nikon 1 with its Samsung NX mini system of 2014, even reaching a similar high shutter speed. The main success of the Nikon 1 series was that it pushed the 1" sensors into the consumer camera market were they remained until today, not in system cameras like the ceased Samsung NX mini and the ceased Nikon 1 series, but in advanced premium quality digital compact cameras.

Nikon 1 lens mount image by Siim Vahur (Image rights)

Despite of smaller sensor the Nikon 1 cameras were not so much smaller than the Micro Four Thirds cameras that they had a decisive miniature size advantage like once the Minox, and the µ4/3 sensors finally became as powerful as the millenium's second decade's most successful CSC series α6000 with APS-C sensor. Thus µ4/3 and APS-C remained as sensor format in the market beside the full format (24×36mm) with its even more powerful sensors which wins more and more ground in the system camera market.

Adaptibility

Of course the small sensors of the system invite to think about lens adaptions that are not useful with larger sensors. Especially the C-mount lenses of 1" sensor survey cameras and classic 16mm movie camera lenses seem to be optimal to be tried adapted to Nikon 1 cameras. The Russian supplier Gfoto offers a C-mount adapter with electronic chip that eases use of these manual-focus lenses on Nikon 1 bodies. With simpler adapters, only the M mode (manual exposure settings only!) is open as way to use mechanical MF lenses, w/o any other focusing aid than the normal monitor view or viewfinder image.

Cameras

• Nikon 1 AW1
• Nikon 1 J1
• Nikon 1 J2
• Nikon 1 J3
• Nikon 1 J4
• Nikon 1 J5
• Nikon 1 S1
• Nikon 1 S2
• Nikon 1 V1
• Nikon 1 V2
• Nikon 1 V3

Lens

• 1 Nikkor 10mm F2.8, 27mm equiv. Pancake lens.
• 1 Nikkor 18.5mm F1.8, 50mm equiv.
• 1 Nikkor 32mm F1.2, 86mm equiv.
• 1 Nikkor 6.7-13mm F3.5-5.6 VR, 18-35mm equiv.
• 1 Nikkor 10-100mm F4-5.6 VR
• 1 Nikkor 11-27.5mm F3.5-5.6
• 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm F3.5-5.6, 27-81mm equiv.
• 1 Nikkor VR 30-110mm F3.8-5.6 lens, 81-297mm equiv.
• 1 Nikkor VR 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6, 27-270mm equiv. Powered zoom.
• 1 Nikkor AW 10mm f/2.8
• 1 Nikkor AW 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6

Misc

• WP-N1 underwater housing for Nikon 1 J1 or J2