Nikon Refreshed 1 System

2013.01.08

At CES 2013, Nikon launched two new mirrorless cameras and two CX lenses for its Nikon 1 system. Both the Nikon 1 S1 and Nikon 1 J3 enter as entry-level offerings. This shows an emphasis on getting new users to buy into a mirrorless system.

The Nikon 1 S1 enters below the J-series with a simplified user-interface and the original 10 megapixels high-speed CMOS sensor with built-in phase-detection. This sensor can shoot continuously at up to 60 FPS without autofocus or at 15 FPS with.. Its electronic shutter allows it to reach shutter-speeds of 1/16000s, something unmatched by even the best DSLRs and useful for freezing ultra-fast motion.

The Nikon 1 J3 supersedes the recently announced J2 with a minor interface upgrade while keeping the new 14 megapixels CX sensor which is still capable of 60 FPS shooting and 1/16000s shutter-speeds.

A new lens with a relatively compact design turns any Nikon 1 camera into an ultra-zoom. With a native focal-range of 10-100, which is equivalent to 27-270mm, wide-angle to telephoto is covered by a single lens. This one has a mechanical zoom link, unlike the previous 10-100mm lens, which makes it much more suitable for photography.

A 6.7-13mm lens, equivalent to 18-35mm, brings ultra-wide-angle capabilities to the Nikon 1 system. Its collapsible design make it very small when put away. This focal-range was a huge gap in the Nikon 1 system up until now because of the 2.7X multiplication factor which makes lenses much longer.

Both cameras and the ultra-zoom lens are expected to ship next month. The S1 carries a suggested retail price of $529 USD/CDN including a 10-30mm lens, while the J3 is being announced for $629 USD/CDN. There will be additional kits with the 10-100mm or with both a 10-30mm and 30-110mm one. The Nikkor 1 10-100mm alone has been announced for $579 USD/CDN. Finally, the 6.7-13mm ultra-wide-angle lens is expected in March for $529 USD/CDN.

• Digital Camera
• CES