Nikon J1

Nikon J1 with 10-30mm lens attached

Lately, compact, high quality cameras that claim to be close to DSLR quality have been all the rage.  Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, etc have all come out with their variations.  I blew some cash on a Nikon J1 kit with two lenses a few months ago and have had the opportunity to play around with it a bit. 

There was something striking about having a white compact camera but thats just my own personal taste.  It comes in a variety of colors for those looking to fashionably accessorize themselves with a camera.

Before the Nikon D5100 which I am currently "borrowing" I was using a Nikon D60.  Its probably one of the best beginner DSLRs out there and for purely photographic purposes its still one of my favorites.  There aren't as many fancy options to play with, there are still a lot but the D5100's menus and options can get in the way if you're trying to capture a photo.

Unfortunately, lugging around a DSLR isn't always an option.  Already as is I'm generally the person who's out and about with a camera but sometimes its just not feasible to go out drinking/adventuring/fooding with it.

Enter the mirrorless compact genre.  I've played around with the Sony NEX 5N (another mirrorless compact and for a true photography buff or someone trying to do more with manual options, that is recommended over the Nikon J1 but that will be in another post)

Strengths:
-The Nikon J1 is pretty compact and its lens locks up into a storage mode to make the profile smaller.  Unfortunately, even when the 10-30mm lens is locked up, it is not quite pocketable. 

-In daylight or bright lighting the camera takes really decent photos.  Nikkor lenses are known to be top of the line and Nikon does not dissapoint. 

-Autofocus and tracking are very quick and photos can be snapped off really quickly.  My biggest issue with the super compact cameras is the fact that sometimes it takes a while to get a photo off.  The J1 is defintiely faster although it still doesn't compare to a proper DSLR but it's close.

-HD Video:  This is one of the key reasons I like this camera.  It takes pretty decent 1080p HD Video.  Something my Nikon D60 can't do. 

Weaknesses:
-Dim, low light settings.  There is less control in manual mode than I would like.  As a $600+ camera you would expect to have much more control over the manual functions.  The options have been nerfed and designed for point and shoot clientelle.

-No manual focus.  The autofocus does a great job but some cool effects and shots opportunities are lost without a manual focus on the lens barrel.

-Lack of an external flash port.  The built in flash is the only flash that you can use on the camera.

-No viewfinder on the camera. 

Overall: 
The Nikon J1 is an expensive, trendy, fancy point and shoot that takes pretty decent pictures and great HD video.  For the average person who just wants to snap up some pictures and shoot some HD video it gets the job done pretty well but might be a bit cost prohibitive.  At least I get some comments from strangers when I'm out and about with it.

Side Profile shot of the Nikon J1 with 10-30mm lens

For size comparison: Nikon J1 next to my iPhone 4.