Is the Nikon 1 dead?

spraynpray

@dougjgreen : Thanks Doug, that is all great info and just what I feared/thought! After I receive the camera (seller is on holiday), I will decide whether I like it and if yes I will buy an extension tube to try the 30-110 as a macro for fidgety butterflies. Have you any experience of that? I look forward to the big DoF of the small sensor and the greater working distance of the telephoto. I would like an FT-1 to use my 60mm G but I can't find one at a price I want to pay at the moment.

dougjgreen

Rather than using extension tubes, I prefer front-mounted achromat diopters for closeup work with the 30-110mm. There are many available, I recommend using any good one with as close a filter thread to 40.5mm and the proper step-ring. I use an Olympus IS/L A Macro adapter and Minolta Close-Up #2 that are 49mm thread lenses. I know other folks who use the Raynox DCR-150.

FYI, here's a good reference list: http://fuzzcraft.com/achromats.html

HankB

dougjgreen said:

Rather than using extension tubes, I prefer front-mounted achromat diopters for closeup work...

I am curious why you like the diopters? My experience — 2 diopter (500mm), 70-200 f/2.8, D7200 — was that the focus window (min to max focus distance) was so narrow that it was too annoying to bother with for insects on the move.

dougjgreen

That's a much longer lens. A 30-110mm lens has quite a bit more of a focus window than a fast 70-200mm ;lens does. I also would tend to use the 30-110mm at the shorter end of it's range in the 30 to 40mm range (FF FOV equivalent of 80-105mm).

spraynpray

@dougjgreen: I am surprised that you find adding glass to the front of the lens to be better than an extension tube Doug. Surely you get better IQ with an extension tube?

I have seen great results from the Raynox DCR-150 though and it fits a wide range of lenses so I could go for that but I need to be sure that the min/max focus range is enough for me to get well composed pictures of butterflies with wingspans in the range 1/2" - 3" at a long enough focal length to get a decent working distance of around 18" - 24".

So the 30-110mm has a filter diameter of 40.5mm? That is a pain, where did you get a step-up ring to fit that?

dougjgreen

No, Achromats that are designed to be corrected for close-up work, are superior to adding focus distance to lens designs that were not optimized for adding that distance. Achromats are high quality glass. I'm not talking about cheap, single-element close-up lenses. I'm talking about excellent, multi-element add-on lenses that are corrected for the purpose. The fuzzcraft list that I included in a link in my prior post is a good reference. They provide BETTER IQ than extension tubes, in almost every case, in my experience - the exception being that extension tubes are better when used with actual macro lenses designed for significant extension.

40.5mm step-up rings to other sizes ranging from 43 to 55mm are easily found for cheap on ebay. I've never paid more than $2 for one (I'm usually able to wait a few weeks for them to be shipped from China).

spraynpray

More good info thanks. Do you have any experience regarding butterfly photography and which achromat would be best with the 30-110mm?

dougjgreen

no specific experience on shooting butterflies, but based upon filling a frame with a subject that would likely be maybe 3" by 2", you'd ideally want a close up diopter of +2 or +2.5, probably not more than +3. Some good candidates in that range would be the Olympus IS/L A macro adapter (+2.5) Minolta Close-Up #1 (+2) or Nikon 4T (+2.9). I find the Olympus lens above to be a good general purpose diopter, which can normally be found on ebay for $15-25. The Minolta is similar, the Nikon might run slightly more.

Ton14

I had the Nikon 1 - V1 with the FT1 adapter in 2013 en made some tests, only shot 1500 photo's with it and gave it to my grand daughter.

Quick Test Nikon 1 V1 - 60mm f/2.8G: https://adobe.ly/2OZcqXA
Quick Test Nikon 1 V1 - AF-S 70-300mm VR 4.5-5.6: https://adobe.ly/2OSQi12
Quick Test Nikon 1 V1 - 70-200 f/2.8: https://adobe.ly/2P1O3sm

De Nikon 1 - 18.5mm f/1.8 is a super lens for the Nikon 1.

spraynpray

Thanks Guys, new gear enroute now.

dougjgreen

FYI, if you've been waiting for a US-based fire sale on the V3, Buydig is selling the full kit, with 10-30 PD lens, grip, and EVF, for $429. I just bought one. That's the price I had typically been seeing for the body and lens alone, absent the grip and EVF. The EVF alone sells for $300 on ebay.

Edit: Buydig just raised the price of this kit by $100 about 15 minutes ago - although they did send me a confirmation of my order at the lower price.

https://www.buydig.com/shop/product/NK1V31030RB/Nikon-1-V3-Mirrorless-184MP-Digital-Camera-with-10-30mm-Lens-Black-Refurbished

New Edit - The whole original ad was a Buydig screw up. Per their customer service, In fact, the kits they were selling do NOT have the EVF and grip. I just cancelled my order.

Topaazy

If it is not dead, it is certainly in a deep coma with life support provided by us books, those who keep buying what’s left from N1in stores. Once the inventory is gone, Nikon will pull the plug. This is what it feels like.