Nikon 1 10-30 mm PD Zoom Lens
A new Nikon 1 10-30 mm f/3.5-5.6 PD zoom lens comes bundled with the camera. I tried shooting both stills and video with it and I found the power zoom somewhat difficult to control precisely as it jumps in increments and there is some lag when the zoom ring is adjusted. The lens does not accept filters which in my mind puts it in a lower-end, strictly consumer category. As such it is a mismatch with the V3 ‘flag ship’ of the Nikon 1 line which is targeted at enthusiasts and more sophisticated users. I suppose for some casual photographers who own an ‘S’ or ‘J’ model Nikon 1 camera this lens may be adequate for their needs.
Nikon has filed a patent for a Nikon 1 9-30 mm f/1.8-2.8 VR zoom lens. This would be a much better lens to match up with the Nikon 1 V3 or a future V4.
MicroSD card use and performance
The use of microSD cards in the Nikon 1 V3 was a concern to some people, fearing that these diminutive cards would be easy to lose. I did a number of tests to see if these fears were justified. What I discovered was that I had to work reasonably hard to get a microSD card to fly out of the card slot on the V3. Even when the card door was pointed down at the floor, in the vast majority of cases when I activated the spring ejection mechanism, the card would not fly out of the camera. It was only when I only pressed on just the edge of the corner of the microSD card that I could actually get it to eject completely out of the camera.
The SanDisk Extreme PLUS 32GB card supplied with the Nikon 1 V3 test camera performed reasonably well. I did a number of tests to see how many images I could get in AF-C burst mode and how long it would take for the images to write to the microSD card. It didn’t seem to matter whether I shot in Jpeg fine + RAW, RAW, Jpeg fine, or Jpeg normal. In all of my tests I was able to take 40 images, i.e. a 2-second burst at 20 frames per second. The card writing times varied considerably as expected with the Jpeg + RAW files taking about 45 seconds, the RAW only files taking just over 20 seconds, and either type of Jpeg file taking about 10 seconds to write to the card.
Battery life
The rated battery life of the Nikon 1 V3 is 310 shots. Since I’ve found that I can easily get more than double the number of rated images with my V2 I wondered how many shots I could get with the V3 if I only shot still images, used the EVF exclusively, and did not turn on the rear display panel at all. To my amazement I was able to get 2,730 images before the battery ran completely down! If I hadn’t done this test personally I would not have thought that this was possible.
Detachable Battery Grip
I did not like the detachable battery grip at all. It was a bit finicky to install and I found that it loosened up a few times during my time with the V3, causing a lack of shutter function. The control wheel seemed somewhat cheaply made and did not feel as precise or smooth operating as the other function wheels on the V3 body. I’m hoping that when Nikon launches a V4 sometime in the future that they go back to an integrated grip. On the plus side, the grip does provide an additional function button and adjustment wheel.
Detachable EVF
The image with the detachable EVF was larger, a bit brighter and had more detail than the image produced by the V2’s EVF. I found the V2’s EVF rendered colours more accurately as the V3’s EVF seemed to wash colours out. This happened mainly with yellow hues which looked quite subdued in the V3’s EVF.
One of the features that I loved with the V3’s EVF was the ability to turn it on exclusively and shut off the rear panel by using the button on the side of the EVF. The rear panel of the V2 can be turned off by using the DISP control. In both cases turning off the rear panel really extends battery life.
Unfortunately having a detachable EVF means that when it is installed users will not be able to use a flash or a mic mounted on the hot shoe. This may be a deal breaker for some potential buyers.
Hi tom,
I am a nikon 1 j5 user , and i am inspired by you. I bought j5 in may 2016 and i i’ve already 5 lenses.
And now i need your opinion. Somehow i miss the evf, and i felt a little distrubed changing lens all the time. I thought i’d like to buy a second camera.
The option are the v2 , v3 or just wait for v4 or j6 with evf maybe? If i choose v2, do you think it will be an upgrade for my gear? Since j5 has better performance than v2.
After i read this article i dont think v3 is an option, due to its high price and common performance with my j5. So should i wait for the v4 or j6?
Thx tom for your attention.
Edwin
Hi Edwin,
Having an extra body can make things easier, especially when travelling. A camera body with an EVF is preferred by many people as it makes it easier for certain types of images, birds-in-flight for example. During my recent trips I travelled with a pair of J5s and a V2, with a 1 Nikon zoom attached to each. It certainly made it very quick to capture my images and move on.
No one knows what Nikon will be doing with the Nikon 1 line up in terms of new bodies, although a J6 is the best bet. Whether it will have an EVF is unknown.
One option that you could pursue is a good, used V2 or V3. That way you could get your second body for an affordable price, while allowing yourself some time to see what Nikon does with future Nikon 1 bodies. The sensor in the J5 is better than the ones in the V2 or V3 so there is some trade-off. The V2 and V3 have larger buffers so they are better when shooting birds-in-flight in continuous auto-focus at fast frame rates.
Tom
great summary. i’d just like to add for some of us holding out for a V4, a regular hot shoe and Nikon CLS would be additional desirable features.
Hi whisky,
Glad you enjoyed the article! I added a regular hot shoe…thanks for catching that for me!
Tom
Thanks again Tom for the review. I have been shooting with the v3 exactly 3 times now and overall I am impressed. I am over the micro SD thing (I think) but that was a major strange move from Nikon. I also don’t like the grip remove to change the battery, but I love the additional dial it gives me to make my experience with it – just like my D7100.
One point I HATE is no battery icon until it is about out. Maybe I will adjust to that, maybe not.
You are spot on with the comments on body. I think they were trying to keep the J and the V in line, but the penalty is simply too high. Also the EVF isn’t nearly as good as the v2, colors and mine is dimmer as well.
I do however love the feel of the grip and the touch screen has been a wonder. So nice to touch and change! Also love the Fn buttons set for my preferences. I have my back knob set for exposure comp and can press and turn for adjustment – simply brilliant. For this reason alone – I will keep the v3.
IQ still shows the 1″ sensor but hey I love the portability that gives me.
70-300 arrives TODAY. I am thrilled about that add-on.
At the end of the day my v2 and v3 will stay with me.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Always great to hear from you – and I’m glad you liked the review! I think Nikon did a lot of things right with the V3…but also took a couple of steps backwards with it as well. Hopefully that will be corrected with a future V4. I think you will love the CX 70-300! I found it to be a great combination for birds etc. If you set the EVF to turn off the rear panel you’ll be amazed with how much the battery life is extended.
Tom
Hi Tom –
Thanks for the good review. While I have been eyeing the V3, I have opted to wait for the V4 before replacing the V1 (which I totally enjoy). Personally, I don’t see the issue with the micro SD card – I never remove my cards unless replacing them, because I transfer data via cable. I agree with you, too, that the V3 combined with the 70-300 seems to produce better images than the V2 and 70-300. Anyway, keep up the good work!
–Naomi
Hi Naomi,
Thanks for your positive comment – I’m glad you enjoyed the review! I was disappointed with some of the design choices that Nikon made with the camera, and like you, I’m waiting to see what happens with a future V4. Having said that, I did enjoy shooting with the V3 a lot more than I anticipated and found it to be a very capable camera. Interesting that you transfer data via cable. I’ve not done that but I think it is something for me to consider.
Tom
Great review!
I was going to buy a V3 but was put off by the external EVF, different battery and micro SD card. I hate micro SD cards – so small and fiddly and then you need to put them into a an SD card holder to read then.
I thought the money was better spent on the CX70-300 lens which is superb! I don’t regret my choice.
Oddly, I prefer the files from the V1. They are ‘grainier’ but seem more organic than the V2 files.
But, it’s going to be interesting to see what Nikon bring out for the V4! Like you, I hope it’s more V2 style.
Hi Bob,
I totally agree that the CX 70-300 lens is superb! I don’t regret buying mine either! The soon-to-be-released J5 is rumoured to have a new 20.8MP sensor and 4K video. If Nikon goes back to a V2 style of camera with the V4, keeps all of the good things with the V3 and adds the 4K etc. it may tempt me to buy a copy.
Tom