Nikon 1 J3 review – Our verdict
Compared to its Nikon 1 J2 predecessor, the J3 is a much improved camera. In essence, the J3 is the V2 in a compact, viewfinder-less body, geared to the casual user. It can take a while to work your way around the camera, with manual control tucked away and some auto shooting modes that could do with a little more explanation. Where the J3 shines, though, is in its speedy operation, thanks to its powerful Expeed 3A processor. Fast shooting modes and responsive AF make for excellent handling.
However, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed with the J3 when it comes to image quality. The 14.2-million-pixel sensor is capable of producing decent A4 prints, but go much bigger and the soft detail – certainly from the 10-30mm kit lens – is more apparent. The launch of three new lenses, including a 50mm f/1.8 and 18-35mm f/3.5-5.6 (both 35mm equivalents), at the same time as the camera is promising, and the improvements to image quality from the last generation are plain to see. The camera is up to speed operationally, but its image quality has some catching up to do.
See more sample images taken with the Nikon 1 J3.
