If you care about IQ, get a NEX. If you need a fashion accessory, get a 1 series...
Thks for the pointer.
For those interested at looking at these cameras as photography tool with their own strengths and weaknesses... and perhaps a bit tired by the childish "mine is longer than yours" kind of speech... the DxO summary page below might be a bit more relevant:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/News/DxOMark-news/Nikon-1-series-The-tests/Nikon-J1-a-small-camera-with-a-great-sensorSome key fragments:
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For those who are well-acquainted with DxOMark, the measurements for the Nikon J1 will be quite surprising: the Nikon J1 sensor performs very well for a such a small sensor (8.8 x 13.2 mm for 10.4 Mpix).
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With an overall score of 56, the Nikon J1 achieves a pretty good DxOMark ranking. With regard to its size, this ranking is a big surprise, as the Nikon J1 sensor manages to score close to or even better than larger sensors (including 4/3 sensors).-
On the other hand, its low-light ISO score is a bit low: 372, which reflects the impact of the sensor size. Indeed, this score is naturally dependent on the sensor size: the bigger the sensor, the more light it captures. So even though the quality of the pixels provided by Nikon is very close to that of its main competitor, its sensor size physically limits the image quality... []... The gap between the Nikon 1 J1 sensor and the PEN EP3 or GF3 sensors comes close to ½ stop. -
So we are in fact trying to compare the J1 with its Sony competitors, the NEX-C3 and the NEX 7. The conclusion here is obvious: if you want the best image quality and the camera size doesn’t really matter, choose the larger Sony NEX cameras. (And you should perhaps wait for the measurement results of the NEX 7 before buying a NEX.)-
Nikon J1 vs Canon G12 vs Nikon P7000. This is perhaps the key comparison for Nikon: the Nikon 1 series is a very good alternative for people who are looking for a high-end compact. Their form factors are very close, but the image quality is significantly better and its interchangeable lenses could convince a lot of beginners to choose the Nikon J1.Now, they don't speak about AF speed which should be the best of the bunch in low light conditions.
All in all, my personnal takeaway:
- The J1 looks like a very reasonable all round performer as a compact camera system, close to the 4/3 but probably overall a bit better (similar image quality, a bit smaller with much better AF),
- If size doesn't matter too much,then the NEX is an excellent choice indeed,
- If size doesn't matter at all, then get a Phaseone IQ180.
Now, I am glad that the DxO figures is finally recognized as accurate through. Because that would mean that my D3x really is much better than your A900.
Cheers,
Bernard
