Nikon 1 J1 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera System with 10-30mm VR and 30-110mm VR 1 NIKKOR Lenses (White),4.0 out of 5 stars Its a compromise with GREAT color and FAST autofocus., November 12, 2011

I've had my new Nikon J1 with 10-30mm lens for one week and have taken about a 1000 test shots with it. A decent compromise between the dSLR and the point and shoot, and I get video. The color is superb. The auto focus has NO problems. The image review has been very accurate. If the images did not get enough light then they were darker on the review screen and I re-shot them. There is some amount of vignetting at the corners, especially at each end of the zoom range. At f/9.0 everything is very nice and clear. I believe there is some distortion at the 10mm end, but perhaps the 10mm /2.8 lens will not have this problem. I also purchased the 30mm-110mm lens and have been very happy with the quality of the pictures. Like any new camera there is an adjustment period and learning how to shoot it. I have learned to shoot in A-mode outdoors and S-mode indoors to get the type of images I want. I wanted something light than my Sony A700 that still took good pictures, especially macro work, and this lens delivers for that. For landscapes, the jury is still out on that one due to possible distortion issues. I don't normally shot in RAW mode, so adjusting the images in Photoshop has not been a problem. Video seems to work nicely. I was strongly considering buying the Sony Nex-5N, especially since I could use my A-mount lens on it, but decided against it because it requires a separate microphone for sound and has no attached flash. This made the camera less easy for capturing in the moment photo shots and video and more gear to carry around. Purchased the White body and lens and loving it. Glad I bought it? After getting familiar with it - YES.

Update: After using the camera a little longer I would say one disadvantage is the shadow cast by the lens when using the flash up close. You can not use the flash when you are standing close to the object or there will be this little brown shadow at the bottom of the picture. To compensate, just step back and zoom in and no shadow. I purchased my camera kit from a local store and paid full price of $899, which is irritating when I see the sell prices from some of the online stores. I found a piece of lint in the front glass of the 30-110mm lens. I took it back to the store and they promptly replaced it, no problem. I actually took an Olympus PEN camera home to try out and took it back the very next day. It did not hold up in comparison to the Nikon J1 at all. The video works great on the J1, it focuses constantly and keeps a sharp image.

Review by Kentucky Rose