V1 owner upgraded to P7100

Now that I have your attention

Recently, local prices on the P7100 have dropped to the sub $300 point that it was too tempting not to try and I was glad that I did. First let me be clear that the P7100 complements my V1, not replaces it. That said, my thoughts from initial tests:

- the P7100 takes shockingly good images compared to the V1. In fact, I would say that the images are better than the V1/V2 at ISO 400 and below. Lack of grain at non-high ISO settings and pixel level sharpness at 100% is jaw-droppingly good, even when compared to a 1 inch sensor.

- using the P7100 makes me sad about the V1 and V2 and what could have been when it comes to external controls and shortcuts, and I'm not talking about the PASM dial. For example, just having an external EV+/- dial at thumb's reach which dynamically allows you to preview the exposure change with a live histogram makes a HUGE of difference in nailing exposure in real life use. And then theres the two dials and two user defineable function buttoms.

- the flip-down LCD is a joy. I'm not a fan of LCD's that flip out to the side (like the P7700) because they double the width of the camera and make the camera body cumbersome to handle.

There are a ton of other features that make the P7100 a lot more fun to use than the V1 so you get the idea. While IQ is important, I also enjoy the process of photography itself. I would say that unless you really need the high speed AF, superior video, and better IQ at ISO 800 and above (not that P7100 high ISO is bad) , the discounted P7100 should be on your short list. Even though the P7100 is a hair larger than the V1 if you ignore the V1 lens, the weight difference is quite noticeable, even when the V1 only has the pancake 10mm. The P7100 built-in 200mm lens is nothing to sneeze at for versatility.

Any other N1 owners with P7100? (the P7000 was too buggy and slow for consideration, while the new P7700 flip out LCD does not appeal to me, nor is it time to buy at current prices).

Size comparison:

http://camerasize.com/compare/#123,170