Re: What a stupid camera

[birdlives]

This a comment for this page on the website

So you don't care about how cameras compare but you care about Amazon sales rankings?  OK.   Justin Bieber outsells most artists. Does that make his music the best?  Not even close.   

You said the Nikon 1 was a dead-end concept.  But the very fact that it compares favorably to other cameras, even some with larger sensors means that not only is a NOT a dead end concept, but is a great choice for people wanting great IQ in a fast shooting camera.  And I don't know if you've used both cameras (I've owned both a J1 and RX100) but the J1 and RX100 bodies are exactly the same size.  Look up the specs.  Identical size. 

The only reason the RX100 is popular is because it's one of the first P&S with a large sensor.  That;s it.  BUT it has muçh slower AF and performance than a J2.  And the slow f4.9 lens at 100mm, is equivalent to f13.4 on FF.  Not exactly desirable for portraits where you want subject/background separation.  RX100 also has terrible macro performance, no macro mode.  I don't know about you, but I like P&S for macro because they have deep DOF and focus extremely close.  The RX100 doesn't, so why buy it?  For 1/2 EV better high ISO vs other P&S?  Not enough reason for me. 

The Nikon 1 cameras have blazing fast AF, super accurate predictive tracking that an RX100 can't even do.  For sports/action photography an RX100 wouldn't even be anywhere in the running.  The RX100 is a snapshot camera, no more.  It's main selling point is size but the J2 without the lens is the same exact size, but is a much more versatile camera.  Period.     

I'm not sure why you feel so threatened by the Nikon 1 camera, but if you don't like it, find a different camera.  Nobody cares if YOU think it's a stupid camera. 

[AaronMC]

I only mentioned the sales because you mentioned the sales.

The RX100 is smaller in every measure. The RX100 is 101x58x36mm. The J1 112x61x30. And while the RX100 is deeper, that includes a lens with a 18-100mm equivalent focal length. Add in the 31mm of Nikon's 29.7-74.25mm equivalent lens and the J1 is larger all around. Even Nikon's 27mm pancake lens adds 22mm, still making the J1 larger. The RX100 grows when the lens extends, but that doesn't affect its pocketability. Moreover, the lens on the RX100 is both sharper and much faster, with a maximum aperture of f/1.8.

I agree. One of the first P&S with a large sensor. It was groundbreaking. The problem is, this should not have taken them so long. This should not have been groundbreaking. Moreover, as we saw from Canon, simply putting a large sensor in a camera was not enough. It had to be engineered around that sensor and priced correctly. Canon produced the completely crap G1X and charged way too much for it. It was a sales failure as a result. It wasn't completely about the sensor. It was about the total package.

I did little macro work with the RX100, so I cannot comment on it. But if you like macro work, why not get a dedicated lens on a larger sensor? I do all of my macro work with the 60mm EF-S on a Canon EOS 20D. It's an excellent combo.

I agree that the J1 and V1 are faster cameras, but in their price bracket, my experiences with the E-M5 and the new NEX-6 were much better. I'm sure that the E-PL5 will be just as fast or faster as well. Other cameras will always be able to catch up, but the V1/J1 will always have a smaller, less capable sensor and a difficult value proposition unless Nikon drops the price significantly.

I completely disagree that the V1/J1/V2/J2 are more versatile cameras. Unless Nikon produces a super-fast lens, the Sony will always have a huge ace in the hole. And being forced to carry around multiple lenses does not make the Nikon more versatile/compact, it makes it less.

I am angered by the Nikon 1, not threatened. I am angered because it is the creation of an arrogant company that is relying on its massive distribution network to push out retrograde products at high prices. Instead of innovating, instead of giving us the most for our money, they try to maximize profits and prevent cannibalization of extant products.

And when Nikon commands such a large hunk of the market, when they don't move forward, they drag the entire industry down to their speed. That pisses me off.