Am I wasting my time coming to the 1 series

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Alexander Meredith said:

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

Hello Alexander, welcome to the Nikon 1 forum. I don't have a V3, but have experience with the J1, V1 & V2. I've been thinking of buying a V3 for myself. Only you can decide if the V3 will be good enough for you. Try reading what Thomas Stirr has to say about his.

Thomas Stirr on the V3

I wouldn't pay full price for a V3. Buying a used one can save you plenty. If you can find one at a local shop try holding it & snapping a few frames off so you can compare the results with your D7100. You will love how light it is. If you pair it with the 10-100 you'll have a nice walk around kit.

Good luck, I hope someone who shoots a V3 comes & fills in the many blanks I've left.

PS I don't feel your wasting time.

You should find quite a few enthusiastic Nikon 1 fans here, and quite a few sample images. I'll leave the praise to them, except to note as a V1 and V3 owner that software like DxO Pro 11 is extremely effective in dealing with noise, so that's much less of a concern than it once was. The system is very portable. As for Nikon's plans, I don't think anyone knows, but if you buy a camera/system to use I think you'll have made a good investment (however, I'm one of those folks who buys a car every 10 years and drives it into the ground...).

Thanks for your great reply. I am not looking for D7100 IQ as most of my photos are for myself, family and friends.

If you enjoy making pictures, you’re not wasting your time.

If you want the best sensor, best this and that (except speed and fun) you’re wasting your time.

There might be no new N1 bodies or lenses, which doesn’t matter if you have the bodies and lenses you want. If you want to invest in a system, that you want to grow over the years, it’s probably better to look somewhere else.

But a V3 or J5 with a couple of lenses, is a great small combo.

On the other hand, if you considered the DL24-85, you might as well get a Lumix LX100. You won’t get the operational speed of a Nikon1, but a more conventional user interface.

I’ve wasted my time with Nikon1 for 5 years now and have no desire to change that. Best cameras ever to get the shot.

But I also use other cameras.

Alexander Meredith said:

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

Depending on your budget, I would recommend taking a look at the M4/3 System like the Olympus EM10-II with Olympus 14-150 II. it's very compact, excellent IQ and the system has vast selection of other lenses that might suit your needs in the future.

Size wise, the EM-10 II is almost the same size as the V3 with the external VF.


Olympus EM-10 II / Nikon V3 / Panasonic FZ1000 / Nikon D7100 body size comparison

One_Oldman_4U said:

Alexander Meredith said:

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

Depending on your budget, I would recommend taking a look at the M4/3 System like the Olympus EM10-II with Olympus 14-150 II. it's very compact, excellent IQ and the system has vast selection of other lenses that might suit your needs in the future.

Size wise, the EM-10 II is almost the same size as the V3 with the external VF.


Olympus EM-10 II / Nikon V3 / Panasonic FZ1000 / Nikon D7100 body size comparison

Click to expand...

Thanks for all the info and taking the time to reply...I will certainly check it out. A

i went with a panny gx85 and a few lenses.

still, i bought a refurb V2 with 10-100, but alas, it was defective. don't know if that's a sign, but i still want to get a J5 when the price comes down - if ever.

If you are looking for a future upgrade path, then yes, the system is dead IMO. But if you want a nice small responsive system that behaves like a mini DSLR then no, you may like it. Noise in the shadows? Yeah there is but I don't pixel peep. You have 10 years on me but I prefer the smaller lighter N1 system to my rarely used DX gear for the same reason, weight. I can carry a range of 18-540 mm in a very small Domke bag that weighs a third of my DX kit.

For what its worth in the past two months I sold two D700 bodies, A D70, a D40, A D7200 and a full Sony a6000 setup with a few lens. Plus 3 Nikon SB800 flashes and have two more for sale on eBay right now.

Then sold lens a 24mm 2.8, 35mm f2, 105 f2 portrait lens, 85mm 1.8, a 50mm 1.4, A 70-300 VR, a 100-300 f4 and a few others.

I have a D500 I am keeping and a few lens for it.

What I did buy is a used V2 kit with 10mm 2.8 and 30-110 and then a new CX 70-300 and now today a new 6.7-13mm.

Will be buying the J5 next I had one in the past.

I have neck and back problems from years of shooting and the image quality from the V2 and J5 are very good unless you are shooting at a wedding in a dark reception or other dark areas like indoor sports for all that I have the D500. After selling my photography business its time to shoot for fun and maybe shoot some for pay but not as a full-time business. I will be shooting using the 1 system the most.

Its small, its light and with just three lens you can cover from 18mm to 810. The images shooting raw look fantastic as long s you have ok sunlight.

For large web posted images you can not tell it from a high-end camera like my D500 same with prints for most normal print sizes it would be hard to see much difference at all except if you are shooting in higher iso settings.

If you are just shooting for fun then the 1 system has a lot to offer but you could shoot paid gigs with it to like outdoor sports and so on.

Even if the 1 system never has anything new come out as it is the image quality is just fine for most things but i do hope for a V4 some day

I bought into the Nikon 1 system last July with the J5 (the J5 is cheaper in India than in the US), and more recently with a used V1 in excellent condition from a merchant in Japan on eBay.

My camera system for the past few years has been the D7100, and for the past couple of years I have used the Tamron 16-300 DX lens as my all-in-one walk-about lens and a few other lenses. I head off on treks to the lower Himalayas in north India every now and then, and have found that the D7100 and its complement of lenses, while yielding great images, do get in the way of the overall experience of being in the great outdoors because of their sheer weight and bulk. Shedding weight was my primary motivation to move to a smaller system. I have tested the J5 and 10-100mm combo against the D7100 and Tamron 16-300 combo, and I can say unhesitatingly that the J5/10-100 combo more than holds its own against the much larger and heavier D7100/Tamron 16-300 - I will make time in the coming days to post more detailed thoughts on this comparison. I am heading for a six day trek to the state of Sikkim in India, and this will be the first time that I will leave the D7100 at home, and go with the Nikon 1 system. I am spending some time getting used to the V1 and J5 cameras and their controls (I was used to the D7100's excellent handling), but I now have no doubt that I will be able to get quality images without the gear weighing me down; or at least I will have the tools to get excellent images. ;-) The thing I will probably miss the most on the J5 and V1 are that both cameras do not have the auto bracketing feature, so for each shot in the bracketed set of exposures, one has to adjust the exposure settings manually. On the J5, I miss not having a viewfinder.

I did pick up the FT-1 adapter used from eBay as well, and love using the Nikkor AF-S primes on the V1 and J5.

Overall I am happy with the Nikon 1 system. I hope that with Nikon killing the DL line, they will shift their R&D focus to the Nikon 1 system and we continue to see newer models coming out of Nikon.

BTW, I recently did some tests to evaluate the sharpness of the Nikon 10-100 mm VR lens against some Nikkor primes (35 mm, 50 mm and 85 mm), and I have described the tests here:


Overall, the 10-100 mm is hardly a slouch! In other tests that I did against the Tamron 16-300 mm DX lens, this lens seemed to have better contrast and sharpness than the larger Tamron lens!

None of us know what the future is for N1, perhaps Nikon does not know either. So you buy based on what you see and how you like it. (Mind you I am not sure about the future of other camera companies either in the current downturn in camera sales)

I have had V1, V2 and V3. The V3 is vastly more competent than the others, although there is much to like about both V1 and V2. Some people deride the detachable (or addon) EVF and grip on V3. I suspect they have not used the V3 extensively. I find that both work well and are firmly attached (if the grip is properly screwed on), and I could always dismount them if I want a more compact rig (but actually have not)

The V3 has enough controls to satisfy me, the others need menu diving to adjust things.

In good light there is nothing between V3 IQ and M4/3. V3 focuses better, M4/3 may have the edge in low light. I have Panasonic GM5, which is smaller (too small) GX8 which is bigger, and handles well, and is weatherproof.

N1 has adequate lenses for me, 6.7-13, 10-100 non PD and 70-300cx are a great trio, there are faster primes as well. If you want macro you have to use tubes/auxiliary lenses or FT-1 with Nikon lens.

M4/3 has on paper a wider selection of lenses. However there is a lot of duplication and it depends if they fit for you. Theyn are certainly bigger than N1 equivalents.

For me, the IQ of a camera has to be sufficient and that of V3 is, the handling has to fit my old fashioned photography methods, my first camera was when I was at boarding school in 1950...work that out.... and I just have to bond with it. I do with V3, I do with GX8, I do with Fuji X30. I don't with Olympus OM EM10, or EM5.

I suggest you try to get your hands on as many options as you can and see what fits. IQ will be good enough whatever you get unless you are a pixel peeper.

Low light/shadow noise is bad on all digital bodies. To get decent results you have to expose properly and use the tools available to reduce noise..DXO Prime NR is great.

Good luck with your decision

tom

Alexander Meredith said:

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

Thanks to all for replying and giving me great advice. Certainly given me lots to think about. I would like the V3 but the thought of taking the EVF off to use other accessories, like external flash, gps unit while out and about seems like a major flaw. Sorry I find using the LCD at arms length is just not for me. I will do some research into the V2.

opiecat said:

i went with a panny gx85 and a few lenses.

Click to expand...

My wife did that, too!

opiecat said:

still, i bought a refurb V2 with 10-100, but alas, it was defective. don't know if that's a sign, but i still want to get a J5 when the price comes down - if ever.

Click to expand...

There is still life in Nikon mirrorless:

Paul Pasco said:

If you are looking for a future upgrade path, then yes, the system is dead IMO. But if you want a nice small responsive system that behaves like a mini DSLR then no, you may like it. Noise in the shadows? Yeah there is but I don't pixel peep. You have 10 years on me but I prefer the smaller lighter N1 system to my rarely used DX gear for the same reason, weight. I can carry a range of 18-540 mm in a very small Domke bag that weighs a third of my DX kit.

Click to expand...

Still hope for the Nikon mirrorless:

I have owned a V3 for almost 2 years. I would not recommend it for bird photography but it is fine for landscapes and portraits. I now use it mainly with the 18.5mm and 32mm prime lenses and the wide angle 6.7-13mm lens. I try to keep ISO no higher than 800 and use noise correction in software (I only shoot raw files). I prefer the free Nikon Capture NX-D software for raw conversion after adjusting white balance, noise and contrast and then edit TIFF files in Lightroom. I used DxOptics Pro for several months for raw conversion and editing but get better results with NX-D and Lightroom. I used to own the 70-300mm lens for the V3 but AF was too slow for birds in flight. The 70-300mm lens is very good for stationary subjects in good light. I use the Nikon D500 and 300mm PF lens with 1.4X TC for bird photography now and it is vastly superior to the V3 and 70-300mm lens. Bottom line, if I were buying now I would not buy the V3 as all signs are that Nikon has abandonned the N1 line. I would consider Sony and Lumix cameras with 1" sensors.

goactive said:

For what its worth in the past two months I sold two D700 bodies, A D70, a D40, A D7200 and a full Sony a6000 setup with a few lens. Plus 3 Nikon SB800 flashes and have two more for sale on eBay right now.

Then sold lens a 24mm 2.8, 35mm f2, 105 f2 portrait lens, 85mm 1.8, a 50mm 1.4, A 70-300 VR, a 100-300 f4 and a few others.

I have a D500 I am keeping and a few lens for it.

What I did buy is a used V2 kit with 10mm 2.8 and 30-110 and then a new CX 70-300 and now today a new 6.7-13mm.

Will be buying the J5 next I had one in the past.

I have neck and back problems from years of shooting and the image quality from the V2 and J5 are very good unless you are shooting at a wedding in a dark reception or other dark areas like indoor sports for all that I have the D500. After selling my photography business its time to shoot for fun and maybe shoot some for pay but not as a full-time business. I will be shooting using the 1 system the most.

Its small, its light and with just three lens you can cover from 18mm to 810. The images shooting raw look fantastic as long s you have ok sunlight.

For large web posted images you can not tell it from a high-end camera like my D500 same with prints for most normal print sizes it would be hard to see much difference at all except if you are shooting in higher iso settings.

If you are just shooting for fun then the 1 system has a lot to offer but you could shoot paid gigs with it to like outdoor sports and so on.

Even if the 1 system never has anything new come out as it is the image quality is just fine for most things but i do hope for a V4 some day

Click to expand...

Great post! I think Nikon ought to be hiring you to try and put confidence back into their customers!

Alexander Meredith said:

I have just sold my D7100 with 18-300 Lens. I am 72 years old and just find it too heavy. I stopped carrying a bunch of lenses years ago. So...I am reading on dpreview that the V3 has noise in the shadows ( I think maybe most small sensors do) at iso 160. I did have a Lumix fz1000 a couple of years ago, which I liked very much...but again fairly big.

Can you recommend the V3 or is the Nikon 1 series just about Kaput. I was hoping like a trillion folks that the DL series would eventually come to market....but alas , not going to happen. I may go back to Panasonic, but fancy a go with the V3.....thanks for any suggestions.

Click to expand...

I think you need to really explore the N1 strengths, and see if they address what you need. I'll only offer one example of the thought process you should follow - you'll often see the phrase "can you build a system on one lens?" referring to the 70-300cx. For many N1 owners, that answer is yes, but if that and the other strengths are not enough, then you might want to look around a bit more. I financed my CX system by selling a fairly extensive FX system, and it does 95 percent of what I ask of it, but that last 5 percent, mostly low light hi-iso, is a stretch, and you need to work for it. I think another lens to build a system around is the 32 1.2, but it's a much narrower niche than even the 70-300. If it's a dead end system then so be it, but it'll be working just as well in a few years when I decide to ditch it for a new toy as it is now.