Nikon V1 and J1 Hands-on Preview

	Nikon's 1 system represents the company's arrival in the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market. Like its rivals, the company says it is targeting the compact camera user who wants better quality but is put off by the size and complexity of a DSLR. We spoke to the company when the system was first launched and wrote about our first impressions. According to Nikon, the 1 system has been four years in the making. Tracking back, this means that Nikon started work on its new mirrorless system in mid-2007 - about a year before Panasonic launched the pioneering Micro Four-Thirds system with the Lumix DMC-G1. The result of all this work is two cameras, based around a completely new lens mount and a unique 'CX format' sensor. At 13.2 x 8.8mm, the 10MP sensor inside these new cameras (common to both models) is small by comparison with most of their mirrorless peers, and results in a 2.7x effective focal length multiplier (which sees a 10mm lens becoming an 'effective' 27mm). Now that the dust has had time to settle, it is fair to say that this decision surprised a lot of people, and disappointed many. It is very clear that, as far as Nikon is concerned, the J1 and V1 belong to a new market segment, distinct from the one targeted by Sony's NEX series or Panasonic and Olympus' Micro Four Thirds models.
	From the top, you can see that the J1 is slimmer than the V1, which is actually one of the chunkiest compact form-factor cameras of its type. From this perspective you can also see how much the V1's EVF housing protrudes behind the camera.
	The differences between the J1 and V1 are important - the V1 has a built-in 1.4M-dot LCD viewfinder, while the J1 does not. However, despite being the cheaper, simpler model, the J1 has a built-in flash which the V1 lacks. The V1 makes up for this omission with a multi-accessory port that can be used to mount a dedicated external Speedlight SB-N5 flashgun or GPS unit. The V1 has a higher resolution rear LCD screen and a mechanical shutter, which makes it a better choice for high framerate captures of moving subjects. The mechanical shutter also allows it to use flash at shutter speeds of 1/250th of a second, rather than the 1/60th that the electronic shutter limits the cameras to. Ergonomically though, with the exception of the V1's built-in EVF, both cameras handle in much the same way. Both lack a traditional exposure mode dial, and neither camera offers much in the way of customization. Both are - in essence - designed for multi-purpose point and shoot operation.
	The shooting experience The Nikon V1 is the more enthusiast-oriented of two cameras in Nikon's brand new 1-system. Ahead of a full review, click on the link below to read our first impressions.
	http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikon1system/