Nikon 1 J4 w/ 10-30mm Lens for $239.00

ChicagoRaymond · Dec 19, 2016

Hello all, I have a Nikon D800E & Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G Lens that I love.
I want to get something inexpensive to throw in my messenger bag with I am not able to carry the D800.

I saw that the Nikon 1 J4 is going for a great price online for $239.00.
Any thoughts on this camera?

The camera on my Galaxie Note 4 broke and will not get another smart phone until next year, at that time I will probably get the LG G6 (20 MP Camera).

As I said I need something small to throw into my messenger bag when I’m out and about.

What say you?

Marti58 · Dec 19, 2016

It's an good price and I do like it for what it is, I only bought the body as I had all lenses that I liked already,

carolowe · Dec 19, 2016

Have J4, like it, especially teamed w/ cx 18.5. Using kit lens I find bounce flash often useful. Main downside of J4 to me is menu, although admittedly I haven't seen others complain as much as I do. I've gotten some excellent, sharp details using this lightweight, carry everywhere J4 and even some very pleasing candid "portraits." If I didn't already own the 30-110 that I got w/ my V1, I'd add the 10-100 non PD just for this camera.

Nung · Dec 20, 2016

If you're ok with the J4's ergonomic then I'd suggest to go for a V1. Yes it's older and it's only 12M but you get base iso100 and can use the same battery as your D800E. It's still a brilliant camera, you also get a EVF, although there's no build in flash. Having said that, $239 for a J4 set isn't bad at all!

ChicagoRaymond · Dec 20, 2016

Thank you all for the information, much appreciated!

I found the Nikon 1 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 VR Lens on eBay for between $160.00 to $250.00.
Nung, I will look into the V1, I like that it uses the same battery as my D800!

Nung · Dec 20, 2016

The 30-110 is actually quite a nice lens. Although I wouldn't pay $250 for it. $160 sounds reasonable. The 10-30 however is probably the worst N1 lens in the entire system. Mind you almost all N1 lenses are really good.

Stefan BW · Dec 20, 2016

ChicagoRaymond said:
Thank you all for the information, much appreciated!

I found the Nikon 1 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 VR Lens on eBay for between $160.00 to $250.00.
Nung, I will look into the V1, I like that it uses the same battery as my D800!

It's worth to look for offers of used Nikon1 gear. In particular if someone auctions off his used V1 together with lenses etc - such offers will often be very affordable.

In late September (during Photokina 2016) when the "N1 is dead" chorus was loudest, someone offered the following for the fixed price of Euro 160:

Nikon1 V1 camera

1Nikkor 30-110

1Nikkor 10 Pancake

Nikon battery

GPS-receiver GP-N100

Hoya UV-Filter

Hoya Polarization filter

remote control

Strap

User manual, & CDs

I fear these sweet days of hystery will never come back.

Anyway, good luck!

CX Bob · Dec 20, 2016

The 'newer' 10-30 lens that comes with the J4 has no filter threads.

I'm mentioning this because it's one of those rather extreme situations.
Some people couldn't care less, while for others it's a total deal-breaker.

ChicagoRaymond · Dec 20, 2016

Thanks everyone, much appreciated!

tomhongkong · Dec 20, 2016

Two other considerations about the 10-30 options.

The PD is significantly smaller, and with a small body makes a terrific (large) pocket walkabout set up. The 11-27.5 is also smaller than the original VR 10-30 and get good reviews for sharpness if the range is OK for you.

The PD does not have a hard lens cover. You rely on the very thin auto shutters which shield the lens when it is off. I am always concerned that if I mishandle it I can dent them rather easily.

Does anyone have any experience of this, or of a push on cover which would protect the front of the lens when it is in a pocket?

ChicagoRaymond · Dec 21, 2016

Thank you for your help, much appreciated!
After a couple of days searching the forums I think I might go with the Nikon 1 V1 and the Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

I am hearing nothing but praise from the people on the groups.

What do you all think?

Thanks,

Ray

Nung · Dec 21, 2016

Personnally, I love the V1. The IQ is quite good, very comparable to my old D90. Love the form factor. Sure there are many quirks but most of them can be worked around.

Steve Huff gave a pretty good account to what the V1 is capable of.

The Nikon V1 Camera Review – The camera I expected to hate! | Steve Huff Hi-Fi and Photo

The Nikon V1 Camera Review - The camera I expected to hate! By Steve Huff UPDATE: See my new Nikon V2 review and the new Nikon 32 1.2 Lens Review! Yes, this is a review of the new Nikon 1 series camera, the Nikon V1 - and yes it was a camera I expected to hate

www.stevehuffphoto.com

All in all, if you're looking for a mini DSLR, this is not it. But if you're looking for a small camera with very good IQ, able to swap lens, super fast AF and is great fun to shoot. This is it! V1 has character and is especially great with B&W photos!

tomhongkong · Dec 22, 2016

The V1 is a great little camera, with some quirks as noted.

It encourages a different way of photography, almost like a pre-settable point and shoot, as it is so hard to change settings quickly. That's not a bad thing, as it forces you to concentrate on composition and the moment, and leave the technical stuff to auto, which the V1 does extremely well (exposure, WB etc) I found I would set it up for the situation I was shooting and let it get on with it!

I prefer a bit of fiddling myself, as part of the enjoyment of photography, and went on the to V2, which is a little easier , and then the V3, which is great for settablity, but has its own quoibles.

So far as the V1 is concerned, I personally found it helpful to put a piece of tape on the mode dial to stop it rotating, although some people wrap dental floss underneath it, to make it stiffer. I did not find the forced review to be a problem. I did find the on/off switch to be confusing, and the start up time frustrating.

However, live within its limitations and you can get really nice shots.

Good luck

Tord S Eriksson · Dec 22, 2016

Can just concur with Tom and Nung!

It was Steve Huff's writing about the V1 that got me into Nikon 1 cameras in the first place, and that eventually led to a almost totally Nikon system (FX, DX and CX).

Really nice camera, but with its quirks.

In practical resolution it differs almost nothing with the other N 1 cameras, until the later V3, and J5 models.

I lock the dial with dental floss, plus have added a bigger thumb 'grip' and a Franiec grip on the front (essential for me, as I have very dry hands).

Loading…

www.kleptography.com

ChicagoRaymond · Dec 22, 2016

Thank you for the information guys, I just started to notice the Nikon 1 V3, I love the viewfinder, the 18.4MP sensor, touch screen and flippable screen.
The v3 is also small and would be easy to carry in my messenger bag while biking.

Some people dislike the V3 viewfinder as it means you can’t use the flashgun at the same time.

Stefan BW · Dec 22, 2016

ChicagoRaymond said:
Some people dislike the V3 viewfinder as it means you can’t use the flashgun at the same time.

It's only the high price that forced me to buy a used V2 (about Euro 200) instead of a V3 + Viewfinder + grip, the lowest offer I ever saw for the latter combo was Euro 400. And that was a rare exception, usually one sees only used V3 bodies for around Euro 350.

tomhongkong · Dec 22, 2016

Let's be clear, here. Your picture shows the built in flash raised with the EVF and it certainly does work.

What you can't do is use an external flash with the EVF. Personally I can not conceive ever using a more powerful flash than the built in model 'on camera'....it would result in horrible, flat, washed out images.

The way to use flash is to use the on camera flash (which may be fine for fill flash situations by the way) to trigger one or more off camera flashes and get proper lighting angles. Unfortunately the N1 does not allow proper automatic use of flashes this way, so you are stuck with manually adjusting the output of slave flashes (not hard, but sometimes tedious to get the correct output)

It's sad that I was using off camera flash this way 30 years or so ago with my Minolta 7000 SLR and Nikon has still not caught up with it.

It's also sad that buyers of Sony set ups, which inherited the Minolta optical connection protocol, do not understand how to use their gear.

Flash is fun and easy, and a wonderful alternative to seeking faster lenses for indoor work (which do not work, as DOF limits the benefit)

I encourage folks to give off camera flash a try

Happy Christmas to all

tom

Nung · Dec 22, 2016

The main problem I have with the V3 is the small battery which isn't compatible with Nikon's DSLR, which means, if I take both system on a trip, I'd need two types of battery. Huge inconvenient! 2nd problem is the micro SD card! I would need to buy another fast card. 3rd, not able to use EVF and external flash together is a huge annoyance also.

Apart from that, the V3 is great! Although from DXOmark, the sensor performance of the V1 is still the best out of the bunch, apart from high ISO performance.

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www.dxomark.com

The sensor in J5, however looks very impressive and if ever I were to replace my V1, I'd be looking for a V-series camera with the J5 sensor.

Loading…

www.dxomark.com

Tord S Eriksson · Dec 23, 2016

Nung said:
The main problem I have with the V3 is the small battery which isn't compatible with Nikon's DSLR, which means, if I take both system on a trip, I'd need two types of battery. Huge inconvenient! 2nd problem is the micro SD card! I would need to buy another fast card. 3rd, not able to use EVF and external flash together is a huge annoyance also.

Apart from that, the V3 is great! Although from DXOmark, the sensor performance of the V1 is still the best out of the bunch, apart from high ISO performance.

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Com...us-Nikon-1-V2-versus-Nikon-1-V1___947_849_745

The sensor in J5, however looks very impressive and if ever I were to replace my V1, I'd be looking for a V-series camera with the J5 sensor.

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Com...s-Nikon-1-V3-versus-Nikon-1-V1___1025_947_745

I'd love a V1 lookalike, with the J5 sensor, a normal hot shoe, bracketing (the more variants the better!), HDR, and a bigger viewfinder, say 2.3MP OLED.

Nung · Dec 23, 2016

Tord S Eriksson said:
Nung said:

The main problem I have with the V3 is the small battery which isn't compatible with Nikon's DSLR, which means, if I take both system on a trip, I'd need two types of battery. Huge inconvenient! 2nd problem is the micro SD card! I would need to buy another fast card. 3rd, not able to use EVF and external flash together is a huge annoyance also.

Apart from that, the V3 is great! Although from DXOmark, the sensor performance of the V1 is still the best out of the bunch, apart from high ISO performance.

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Com...us-Nikon-1-V2-versus-Nikon-1-V1___947_849_745

The sensor in J5, however looks very impressive and if ever I were to replace my V1, I'd be looking for a V-series camera with the J5 sensor.

https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Com...s-Nikon-1-V3-versus-Nikon-1-V1___1025_947_745

Click to expand...

I'd love a V1 lookalike, with the J5 sensor, a normal hot shoe, bracketing (the more variants the better!), HDR, and a bigger viewfinder, say 2.3MP OLED.

Nikon 1 J4 w/ 10-30mm Lens for $239.00

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