Nikon 1 V1 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera System with 10mm and 10-30mm VR 1 NIKKOR Lenses,3.0 out of 5 stars Not good for Low Vision Yet, November 12, 2011

I really like this new Nikon design, but it doesn't look, feel, or work like any other Nikon I have ever used!

I have been a Nikon user for all of my adult life. I was introduced to Nikon products by a college professor in the early 70s. He had a Nikkormat. When I began working, I bought a Nikkormat FTn with an f1.4 lens to replace my Exakta SLR (great cheap East German camera). Ever since, I have loved Nikons and appreciated their design and quality. More recently, my vision has changed with age and I find that cameras with a live screen work better for me. Unfortunately, Nikon hasn't really gotten it yet! I tried the D300. I love the camera but the live screen feature doesn't work well for me because often the camera moves during the actual shot. That's not the case with my credit card size Casio.

I ordered the new Nikon 1 VI hoping it would do the job. It almost does. It seems to have the Nikon quality but the design still has some serious flaws.

First, Nikon has included an automatic feature that switches between the electronic viewfinder and the screen. It is supposed to detect whether your eye is up to the viewfinder. It's simply too sensitive! The screen and viewfinder flash on and off at will! With my bifocals, I have to get too close to the camera and it switches within 5 or 6 inches from the camera. If there is no light between me and the camera, it switches even if I hold it a foot in front of my face. Forget using it wearing a ball cap! You can't shade the screen outdoors with your hand either. They could fix this by adding a choice to the display button locking the camera in either screen or viewfinder mode. The viewfinder is quite good but I find the screen better when things are moving.

My second comment is only an observation. This is not a shirt pocket camera by any means! It's far too heavy and thick for that. It would fit well in most backpacks or a coat pocket, however. Even with the 10mm lens, it's too heavy for the shirt pocket.

Although I usually take natural light pictures without flash, I really object to having to fork out another $150 for a special flash - especially when I already own a drawer full of perfectly good Nikon flash units. Even if an adapter shoe were available, I suspect adding the old flash unit to the top of the camera would cause it to be unstable when trying to hold the camera for a shot. It needs to be held by the fingers (not the palm) to avoid blocking any of the sensors if you have hands on the large side. A small built it flash would be welcome. Even a PC cord connection would be useful for those occasions when you must have extra light.

If you have never used a great camera, I suspect you'd really like this one. It is truly a great camera even with my criticisms!


Review by R. Richardson