A year after launching into the interchangeable-lens compact market, Nikon has updated one of its mirrorless snappers. The main new feature in the Nikon 1 J2 is a higher-resolution screen. There's also a new kit lens, but we're not sure that's really worth getting excited about.
Last autumn, Nikon made its publicity-fuelled début in the mirrorless camera market with a relatively basic 1 J1 for novice users and a bulkier 1 V1 with viewfinder for more advanced enthusiasts.
Logically, then, the 1 J2 has been freshly announced to replace the 1 J1. From the outside, it's hard to tell the two models apart, as there have only been a few minor changes. Screen resolution has been upped to 920,000 dots and a new "C" setting has appeared on the mode-selection dial for the new Creative mode. This offers fast access to creative filters and scene modes—a surprising omission from the J1.
Otherwise, there's nothing really new in the 1 J2, which has the same 1" 10-Megaixel sensor, Motion Snapshot mode and Smart Photo Selector as its predecessor. Note that PSAM modes can be accessed via the Fn button, but they don't feature directly on the mode-selection dial.
Nikon also announced a new kit lens for the 1 J2—an 11-27.5 mm lens that's more compact than the 10-30 mm model that came with the J1. With this new lens hooked up, the camera will therefore be about a centimetre slimmer.
No stabilisation in a kit lens shipping with a consumer-level camera? That's surprising, to say the least, especially for the sake of saving €20 (£16). UK prices haven't yet been announced for the 1 J2 and its bundles, but it's been announced in Europe at €479 (£378) with the 11-27.5 mm lens or at €499 (£394) with the 10-30 mm lens.
What's even more incomprehensible is that comparing the product visuals shows that the J2 + 11-27.5 mm lens will still actually be a little bit thicker than the Panasonic GF5 + 14-42 mm lens, which boasts a bigger sensor and optical stabilisation.
In the end, the J2 is a very similar camera to the J1. It's a very minor update that some may consider rather conservative. And, as far as we're concerned, that new lens just has too many drawbacks to be justified.
The Nikon 1 J2 is due to launch in September.
> Digital Cameras: SLR, Micro 4/3 and Interchangeable Lens Reviews
Nikon 1 J2
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Last autumn, Nikon made its publicity-fuelled début in the mirrorless camera market with a relatively basic 1 J1 for novice users and a bulkier 1 V1 with viewfinder for more advanced enthusiasts.
Logically, then, the 1 J2 has been freshly announced to replace the 1 J1. From the outside, it's hard to tell the two models apart, as there have only been a few minor changes. Screen resolution has been upped to 920,000 dots and a new "C" setting has appeared on the mode-selection dial for the new Creative mode. This offers fast access to creative filters and scene modes—a surprising omission from the J1.
Otherwise, there's nothing really new in the 1 J2, which has the same 1" 10-Megaixel sensor, Motion Snapshot mode and Smart Photo Selector as its predecessor. Note that PSAM modes can be accessed via the Fn button, but they don't feature directly on the mode-selection dial.
Nikon also announced a new kit lens for the 1 J2—an 11-27.5 mm lens that's more compact than the 10-30 mm model that came with the J1. With this new lens hooked up, the camera will therefore be about a centimetre slimmer.
The problem is that saving this centimetre of thickness comes at a price. The wide-angle is stuck at an equivalent focal length of 30 mm (compared with 27 mm for the 10-30 mm lens) and there's no stabilisation!
No stabilisation in a kit lens shipping with a consumer-level camera? That's surprising, to say the least, especially for the sake of saving €20 (£16). UK prices haven't yet been announced for the 1 J2 and its bundles, but it's been announced in Europe at €479 (£378) with the 11-27.5 mm lens or at €499 (£394) with the 10-30 mm lens.
What's even more incomprehensible is that comparing the product visuals shows that the J2 + 11-27.5 mm lens will still actually be a little bit thicker than the Panasonic GF5 + 14-42 mm lens, which boasts a bigger sensor and optical stabilisation.
In the end, the J2 is a very similar camera to the J1. It's a very minor update that some may consider rather conservative. And, as far as we're concerned, that new lens just has too many drawbacks to be justified.
The Nikon 1 J2 is due to launch in September.
> Digital Cameras: SLR, Micro 4/3 and Interchangeable Lens Reviews
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