Nikon 1J5

manhattanboy

"...I use the J4 as a travel camera a lot now as it fits into a pocket."

That's a helluva pocket you got there. ;-)

I've been told that ladies love big things in your pants
In all seriousness, the J4 with a 10 2.8 or even the kit 10-30 collapsing lens is pretty tiny. For those times I would have left my DSLR at home, I find I bring the J4 along without too much fuss. The wifi allows me to be in the pics should I choose, and the built in flash is helpful indoors.

Here are the specs of the J4:
3.9 x 2.4 x 1.1 in.

For comparison the specs of the iPhone 6 plus are:
6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28

Unfortunately the J5 has gotten a little fatter and heavier with age:
3.9 x 2.4 x 1.3 in.

Spy_Black

I have a J4. No way in hell that thing will fit in my pocket. I wear a painter's/fisherman's/photographer's vest, which has a pocket large enough to carry the J4 with it's 10-30. That's the only way I can "carry that in my pocket".

manhattanboy

What software are people using for RAW?
I use DXO but there are no modules to convert the RAW images for now.
Resorted to using Nikon's software for the time being.
Can anyone confirm that Lightroom can handle the RAWs?
Thanks!

Ironheart

Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) version 9.1 supports it. You need to be at Lightroom 6.1 to support it natively in LR, otherwise you could use ACR to convert to DNG.
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html

heartyfisher

Watching a romcom drama series with the Nikon 1 J5 in it as a "product placement" good drama and the N1J5 was a nice surprise :-)

Hammie

Anyone have one or use one lately?

Is the Nikon 1 V3 that much better?

Thoughts? I might want to try mirrorless next.

Ironheart

I love my V3, it has a ton of buttons and features the other Nikon 1s don't. However the J5 has the BSI sensor to die for. Whatcha wanna know?

spraynpray

I'd like to know what it is like for nightscapes Ironheart? BSI sensors are supposed to be so superior for that.

Hammie

I would be using it mostly for street shooting. I often go at night.

How is the performance at higher ISO levels?

manhattanboy

I would be using it mostly for street shooting. I often go at night.

How is the performance at higher ISO levels?

At night you need as large a sensor as you can get and a VR lens. That said, the J5 USING THE FLASH takes very good pictures at night. I am not sure what kind of pics you are taking, but hope that helps.

manhattanboy

There are rumors on the main page that the N1 line may be replaced by a series of fixed lens Coolpix 1" cameras. As N1 users, what are your thoughts?

Here is what I think Nikon should do with the N1 line:
Nikon should just convert the N1 line into a CX-mount DX mirrorless line. Very similar to what Sony did for its crop and FF mirrorless, the "old N1" will be the 1" in sensors, while the "new N1" will have the DX sized sensors. The mount will be the same: the CX mount. And to maintain usefulness, the old 1" CX lenses will work in crop mode on the new DX N1 cameras. If you want to tie all the recent rumors together with Occam's razor, then the recent CX lens patents may be reworking optical formulas for a larger sensor and the Samsung rumors may be Nikon licensing Samsung's DX BSI sensor with on chip PDAF for use in this new N1 camera line.

PB_PM

It would be impossible to use the CX mount for a DX sensor, the mount itself is simply not large enough to allow enough glass cover the DX image circle.

manhattanboy

It would be impossible to use the CX mount for a DX sensor, the mount itself is simply not large enough to allow enough glass cover the DX image circle.

That's not actually the case. Have a look at the DX sensor inside the 1V1:

Nikon's own engineers said that they designed the CX mount bigger than required for this very reason.

For comparison, here is how the 1V1 looks now with the 1" sensor:

PB_PM

Notice how the lens contact pins for CX lenses are basically within the DX image circle, kind of a problem no? Yes the DX sensor would physically fit, but I don't know if you can use an existing CX lens with it as a result, since the CPU contact pins would need to be moved.

NSXTypeR

I am no engineer and I don't claim to know anything about manufacturing, but from what I remember hearing, the CX lens imaging circle doesn't fit DX, so it'll be the same as using DX lenses on FX, you'll vignette a lot if not worse.

If you're truly worried about getting out of date gear, I would say wait a month or two, but if you really need gear, just get it now.

heartyfisher

I had a look sometime ago at the DX lenses and CX lenses that I have. it looks to me that the CX mount was made to fit DX lenses. The DX lenses that I have(4 of them) have the last element small enough to fit inside the CX mount lense barrel of the CX lenses that I have.

donaldejose

Putting a DX sensor into a Nikon 1 body would be a great and easy "fix" for obtaining higher IQ, especially at higher ISO. If it would work I think Nikon would have done it long ago. Sadly, I think CX body and lenses are not able to handle DX sensors or DX lenses.

Hammie

I would be using it mostly for street shooting. I often go at night.

How is the performance at higher ISO levels?

At night you need as large a sensor as you can get and a VR lens. That said, the J5 USING THE FLASH takes very good pictures at night. I am not sure what kind of pics you are taking, but hope that helps.

No flash would be used. I'm no Mark Cohen... LOL!

Shots like this are what I usually do:

manhattanboy

No flash would be used. I'm no Mark Cohen... LOL!

Shots like this are what I usually do:

Have you thought about one of the Fuji's (a lot of them are on sale right now)? If you primarily shoot B&W the extra luminescence data from the Fuji sensor theoretically would give you cleaner shots at a given ISO (but BIG caveat here is that I have no experience shooting with a Fuji).

TriShooter

While we all want the shoot at a high ISO without losing detail, and seeing unwanted noise for stopping action we sometimes forget what the Nikon 1 system does very well.

The VR in the Nikon 1 super wide generates at least 3 F Stops, and probably as much as 5 Stops if I brace myself, which equates to shooting at ISO 400 instead of ISO 3200, and higher, on current Nikon dSLRs. I will take the image at ISO 400 from a Nikon 1 for detail over the ISO 3200, and higher, dSLR image all day long, and never look back.

This can obviously be equalized to some extent with the lenses like the 2k plus 24-70mm with VR. Just saying if you have not shot with the Nikon 1 full line of lenses you might not realize how well it all works when used as intended by Nikon.

The 2.7 crop factor on the Nikon CX is another advantage in good light for shooting small wildlife. Swap cameras, and my D800 with the 600mm lens becomes a 1500mm plus lens which can make a real difference in capturing an image. I also carry a D7200 for 900mm in 35mm equivalent format.

Glamour shots with the Nikon 1 32mm lens under studio lights are good enough to take a knowledgeable pixel peeper time to separate from my D3S shots with the latest version of the 70-200mm VR, and the old tried, and true 24-70mm lenses focus calibrated on the D3S.

The Nikon 1 system has a lot of advantages for me. I love it as much as my FF cameras for what it does now !

heartyfisher

Yup... couldn't resist.. got a second hand J5 with Kit lense + 18.5 f1.8... Should be fun :-) I will compare it to my old N1V1 :-) but initial impressions are good :-)

heartyfisher

what a fun little beast.. the sensor output is very impressive much better than my old N1V1 ! yes very pleased !!

With Kit lense


with 18-140 dx

TriShooter

Beautiful images @heartyfisher. I love the little J5 too.

purpwaltz

Hi all,

I have had the J5 for a year now, and based on my experience with this camera I have written a field report. The link is:

https://purpwaltz.wordpress.com/2017/08/09/nikon-1-j5-review-a-field-report/

Hopefully it provides useful inputs to anyone thinking of buying the J5. Please let me know if you have any feedback.

Mahesh