LCD, viewfinder and video
The rear LCD monitor is one of the few major upgrades in the Nikon 1 J2. The 921,000-dot screen appears sharper than the J1’s 460,000-dot version. In bright sunlight, the screen is still usable for composition and review. The only omission appears to be the ability to show the histogram prior to shooting for exposure adjustment, but this can be viewed in playback.
The lack of a viewfinder isn’t a problem, as the camera is small enough to hold away from your body for more interesting angles. A flip/angle mounting for waist or low-level shooting would be handy, however.
The J2 features 1080p full HD video capture with a choice of auto and manual-exposure modes, ISO control and stereo audio from the built-in microphones. In addition to HD, it can shoot in slow motion at 400fps (640x240p) or 1,200fps (320x120p). It is a shame there isn’t a slow-motion HD option, even for short clips, as an extension of the Motion Snapshot mode.
