Nikon Finally Outs Mirrorless Cameras, Meet the Nikon V1 and J1

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras have benefited from a huge popularity boost since their introduction, and Nikon has now finally caught up with this trend thanks to the introduction of the V1 and J1, the company's first models to employ a compact ILC design.

The V1 and the J1 share nearly identical specs, with the former camera coming as the more feature rich model of the two, thanks to a few minor tweaks.

Both however include a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, dual-core EXPEED processing engine, a 1200fps slow motion capture mode, 10fps burst shooting, 3-inch LCDs for reviewing the pictures taken and support for Full HD video capture.

Users have the option of choosing between 1080/30p or 1080/60i, with the movie files recorded being capped at 29 minutes.

Compared to its smaller brother, the J1 also adds a built-in flash, auto-noise reduction on movie clips and a 73-point auto-focus system, all fitted inside a magnesium alloy chassis.

The 10.1MP image sensor installed in both of these cameras uses the newly introduced CX form factor (13.2mmx8.8mm) with a crop factor of 2.7x, which is significantly smaller than the sensors used by Nikon's competitors, most of them going for Micro Four Thirds or APS-C. ISO speed is limited at 3200.

"The needs of the consumer are changing and the world is becoming one of visual conversation, which paves the way for the next chapter in image capture devices,” said Bo Kajiwara, Director of Marketing, Nikon Inc.

“The new Nikon 1 system is the culmination of more than 75 years of optical excellence and relentless pursuit to the unrivaled technological advancements in camera technology.

"Nikon's new 1 J1 camera allows consumers to have confidence in a new way to express themselves, with amazing speed, versatility, ease of use and portability," concluded the company's rep.

Nikon's J1 and V1 interchangeable lens cameras will become available on October 20 and the suggested retail price for the J1 kit is set at $649.95 (474 Euro), while the V1 kit will retail for $899.95 (657 Euro). The kit version of the camera is shipped together with the Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

At the same time with the release of the J1 and V1, Nikon will also introduce a series of lenses designed for these cameras, including a 10mm f/2.8 prime lens, a VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 lens, the VR 10-100mm f/4.5-5.6 and a bunch of other accessories.