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Nikon 1 J1

 
Nikon 1 J1 front
 
Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
56
Overall
46

Nikon 1 J1 overview

Nikon 1 J1 is Nikon's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera first released on January of 2012. It comes with a 10 MegaPixel, CMOS 1" size sensor with a peak resolution of 3872 x 2592.

Nikon introduced the fresher Nikon 1 J2 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to upgrade this camera.

The 1 J1 is placed #109 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & all-around #503 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can check out our Advanced camera finder to see camera ratings based on your custom factors.

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The following is a diagram of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Nikon 1 J1 family

The Nikon 1 J1 has a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can check out all older and the latest models alongside main specifications.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Nikon-1-J5 front thumbnailNikon 1 J5
1 J1 vs 1 J5
21MP1"20.0 fps2015
Nikon-1-S2 front thumbnailNikon 1 S2
1 J1 vs 1 S2
14.2MP1"60.0 fps2014
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Nikon-1-J4 front thumbnailNikon 1 J4
1 J1 vs 1 J4
18MP1"60.0 fps2014
Nikon-1-V3 front thumbnailNikon 1 V3
1 J1 vs 1 V3
18MP1"60.0 fps2014
Nikon-1-J3 front thumbnailNikon 1 J3
1 J1 vs 1 J3
14MP1"15.0 fps2013
Nikon-1-AW1 front thumbnailNikon 1 AW1
1 J1 vs 1 AW1
14MP1"60.0 fps2013
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Nikon-1-S1 front thumbnailNikon 1 S1
1 J1 vs 1 S1
10MP1"15.0 fps2013
Nikon-1-V2 front thumbnailNikon 1 V2
1 J1 vs 1 V2
14MP1"15.0 fps2012
Nikon-1-J2 front thumbnailNikon 1 J2
1 J1 vs 1 J2
10MP1"10.0 fps2012
Nikon-1-V1 front thumbnailNikon 1 V1
1 J1 vs 1 V1
10MP1"10.0 fps2012
Nikon-1-J1 front thumbnailNikon 1 J110MP1"10.0 fps2012
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Nikon 1 J1 Pros and Cons

Here is a collection of pluses and minuses of the Nikon 1 J1 based on things that are oftentimes seen as essential in a camera.

comes with phase detect autofocus
does have HDMI port
exports RAW formats
flash built-in
focusing manually
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes tracking focus
interchangeable lenses (Nikon 1 mount)
lighter than competition (234 grams)
nice sensor size (1")
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
quiet shutter (1/16,000s)
very good min ISO (100)
cannot use external flash
display is not selfie friendly
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
no headphone port
no image stabilization
no microphone port
screen has low resolution (460 k dot)
screen is fixed
terrible battery power (230 per charge)
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Nikon 1 J1 Sensor specs

The dimension of the sensor in the Nikon 1 J1 is 13.2mm x 8.8mm (1"). The 116 mm² sensor is able to resolve 3872 x 2592 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor has 10 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 100 - 6400. RAW photos are saved which means that the user has more margin for error.

The graphic below shows the 1 J1's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The 1 J1 sensor has a crop factor of 2.7 and is presented in green.

Nikon 1 J1 sensor size Ulanzi's Tripod Ensures Ultra Smooth Filming

To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon 1 J1 dimensions

Nikon 1 J1 weighs about 0.52 lbs (234g or 8.25 oz) & has outer measurements of 106mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2"). The weight of general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329g so the Nikon 1 J1 is lighter as compared to other rivals.

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The following is a pic of the Nikon 1 J1 beside a soft drink so you can get a sense of its size.

Nikon 1 J1 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will highlight the button layout on the 1 J1.

Nikon 1 J1 topview buttons dials

Nikon 1 J1 Lens details

The 1 J1 uses the Nikon 1 mount and has 13 lenses on the market today. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our collection that will fit the 1 J1.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Nikon-1-Nikkor-VR-10-30mm-f3.5-5.6 lensNikon 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f3.5-5.610-30mmf/3.5-5.6 115g
Nikon-1-Nikkor-VR-30-110mm-f3.8-5.6 lensNikon 1 Nikkor VR 30-110mm f3.8-5.630-110mmf/3.8-5.6 180g
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Nikon-1-Nikkor-32mm-f1.2 lensNikon 1 Nikkor 32mm f1.232mmf/1.2 235g
Nikon-1-Nikkor-VR-6.7-13mm-f3.5-5.6 lensNikon 1 Nikkor VR 6.7-13mm f3.5-5.66.7-13mmf/3.5-5.6 125g
Nikon-1-Nikkor-VR-10-100mm-f4.5-5.6-PD-Zoom lensNikon 1 Nikkor VR 10-100mm f4.5-5.6 PD-Zoom10-100mmf/4.5-5.6 515g
Nikon-1-Nikkor-VR-70-300mm-f4.5-5.6 lensNikon 1 Nikkor VR 70-300mm f4.5-5.670-300mmf/4.5-5.6 560g
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Nikon-1-Nikkor-10mm-f2.8 lensNikon 1 Nikkor 10mm f2.810mmf/2.8 77g
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Nikon 1 J1 Connectivity

The 1 J1 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras which include NFC or Bluetooth connectivity are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can send pictures and oftentimes adjust settings without connecting straight with the camera.

A few apps also enable a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't near the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it can easily be hooked up to an external screen. Virtually all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.

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Nikon 1 J1 Video details

The highest video resolution in the Nikon 1 J1 is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 and H.264 format. 1080p resolution will provide a decent balance in quality vs file size but FULL HD is not going to give you any room to downsample. The body doesn't include a microphone or headphone port which means you have got absolutely no control over the sound. It is perhaps a better idea to take a look at a different camera if you need better sound for your video clips.

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Nikon 1 J1 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing on the Nikon 1 J1 so you have to be cautious in rainy or dusty situations.

Nikon 1 J1 Display and Viewfinder

The Nikon 1 J1 comes with a 3" fixed screen having a resolution of 460k dots.

Please note that the screen has no touch support.

Nikon 1 J1 screen and viewfinder Peek Behind the Lens of 'Photographer' and Their Go-To Cameras

The View Finder specifications for Nikon 1 J1 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and tricky to see, viewfinders are very useful.

Nikon 1 J1 Shutter details

Nikon 1 J1 is able to shoot continuously at 10.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000s. The camera also provides silent electronic shutter of 1/16000s. Keep in mind that the electronic shutter might produce "rolling shutter" under some conditions.

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Nikon 1 J1 Flash and Hot shoe details

Nikon 1 J1 features just built in flash with no external flash ability. The highest flash sync speed is 1/60s.

Nikon 1 J1 Autofocus details

Nikon 1 J1 features both Phase Detect Autofocus plus Contrast Based Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and precise as compared to Contrast Based focusing.

The AF system comes with 135 focus points to select from. It also has Tracking Autofocus for moving subjects. Nikon 1 J1 boasts manual focusing if required in low light occasions or you need to have more precise control on focusing.

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Nikon 1 J1 Battery life

The battery power (EN-EL20) on the Nikon 1 J1 is built to last for 230 shots according to the CIPA benchmarks which is less in comparison with it's competitors. The typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has the highest (750) battery life in this type of cameras.

Here is a list of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras that have the strongest battery life:

Nikon 1 J1 for different categories of photography

The following chart shows a analysis of the Nikon 1 J1 for different categories of photography. To understand more, browse to the specific section below.

Nikon 1 J1 Portrait photography details

The Nikon 1 J1 gets a points tally of 48 which is decent, meaning that it is somewhat suited to use for portraits. Taking portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos plus the ability to utilize external lighting.

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you can focus manually
good sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
external flash not possible
MP count low (10MP)

Nikon 1 J1 Street photography advice

Having a very good score of 69, the Nikon 1 J1 is a fine fit to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera provides a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

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sensor size is good (1")
supports RAW files
lighter than others in class (234 grams)
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization

Nikon 1 J1 Sports photography highlights

A modest sports photography score of 48 means the Nikon 1 J1 is somewhat suited for photographing sports. A camera really should have great tracking and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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quiet mode (1/16,000s)
good sensor size (1")
provides tracking autofocus
sensor has phase detect autofocus
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
not so great battery (230 CIPA)

Nikon 1 J1 Travel photography details

Weight is really critical in buying a travel camera. Overall, the Nikon 1 J1 gets a reasonable 60 for a travelling camera which makes it reasonably acceptable for your journeys.

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lighter than competition in class (234 grams)
has built in flash
not so great battery pack (230 shots)
low MP (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly

Nikon 1 J1 Landscape photography information

For anybody planning to pick a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most critical factor is going to be image quality. The Nikon 1 J1 with it's average score of 56 as a landscape camera is relatively suited in the current marketplace.

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has manual focus
change lenses (Nikon 1 mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
sensor size is good (1")
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
bad battery (230 shots)

Nikon 1 J1 Vlogging details

A camera for vlogging should really come with a articulating display, mic port and if possible IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Nikon 1 J1 is simply not acceptable for vlogging as it comes to a low score of 30.

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video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition in class (234 grams)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
doesn't have microphone jack

Nikon 1 J1 Alternatives

If you want alternatives to the 1 J1, here is a collection of the highest scored cameras which fall under the category of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The diagram underneath gives you an overview of the 1 J1 versus it's highest scored competitors mentioned above.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might look into as alternative options. To check out a full comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Nikon
Model type
Nikon 1 J1
Type
Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed
2012-01-20
Body design
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
1"
Sensor measurements
13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area
116.2mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
3872 x 2592
RAW images
Max native ISO
6400
Min native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points
135
Lens
Lens support
Nikon 1
Available lenses
13
Crop factor
2.7
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display sizing
3 inches
Resolution of display
460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display tech
TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
56
DXO Color Depth rating
21.5
DXO Dynamic range rating
11.0
DXO Low light rating
372
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/4000 seconds
Highest quiet shutter speed
1/16000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
5.00 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync
1/60 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 1072 x 720 (60 fps) 640 x 240 (400), 320 x 120 (1200)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
234g (0.52 lb)
Dimensions
106 x 61 x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2")
Other
Battery life
230 shots
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
EN-EL20
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage slots
Single
Retail pricing
$625