Mirrorless Camera News

Nikon 1 V2 Camera
The Nikon 1 V2 camera is powerful and highly versatile. Features include a 14.2-megapixel CX-format CMOS sensor, an EXPEED 3A image-processing engine, a traditional grip with a new Command dial, a 73-point AF array, and a high-resolution 3” LCD display. The 1 V2 has full Auto/Manual controls and the modes include Enhanced Motion Snapshot, Best Moment Capture, and Advanced Movie. It is compatible with all 1 Nikkor lenses and the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter. The suggested retail price is $899.95 with a 10-30mm kit lens.

Every year the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), a worldwide association of photo and imaging magazine editors, meets to pick the Best of Class in a wide range of photo categories. As the sole US member of the association, Shutterbug joins editors from Europe, Asia, and Africa in the nominating, judging, and selection process. One of the most exciting aspects of photography today is the constant advancement of technology and design, and this year’s Top Products reflect that spirit and those accomplishments, including new categories of Video D-SLR and Mobile App. Editor George Schaub joins all fellow TIPA members in congratulating those selected to receive the prestigious TIPA award. (To learn more about TIPA, please visit the website at: www.tipa.com.)

As advanced electronics continue to supplant more and more elements of camera function and design, often displacing optical and mechanical systems, the camera of the future is being redefined. To give you a clearer picture of the emerging technologies that are destined to change the shape of cameras to come, let’s take a closer look at the implications of some of the emerging new tech found in the latest models.

The diminutive Nikon 1 series of cameras, including the J1 reviewed here and the coming V1, introduces the new CX-format CMOS sensor to the interchangeable lens, mirrorless camera field, which we dub Compact System Cameras. The sensor is smaller than APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sensors, coming in at a 2.7x multiplication factor using standard 35mm focal length designations. The 10.1-megapixel sensor has a native speed of ISO 100, with speeds up to 3200, and 6400 with a 1 EV push.

Nikon 1 J1 Camera
The new Nikon 1 J1 is a compact system camera that features a 10.1-megapixel CX-format high-speed AF CMOS sensor. It has a dual core image processor and an advanced hybrid autofocus system that provides the user with fast AF with 73 focus points. The J1 can also capture 10 frames per second (fps) with a full resolution continuous shooting speed of 60 fps (AF locked). The camera comes with Short Movie Creator software and My Picturetown and features a Smart Photo Selector mode that allows the camera to select the best photo from a series of images based on a number of factors, including exposure, composition, focus, and facial recognition. The color choices with matching kit lenses include white, pink, red, silver, and black. The suggested retail price for the J1 10-30mm lens kit is $649.95.

The weirdest camera at the show, the GFAE, wasn’t even recognizable as a camera, not least because it was a view camera with the bellows left out in order to show its construction more clearly. We’ll come back to it later, but first, let’s look at some more conventional offerings.

“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.”—Walt Disney

It’s a photokina year and you know what that means; all of the camera manufacturers will be holding off their newest SLRs for launch at the big show in Germany this fall. While Canon was not at PMA, they officially launched the EOS-1D Mark IV...