Those expecting the Nikon V2 to be a light refresh of the Nikon 1 V1 in the same way that the Nikon 1 J2 is a minor upgrade of the Nikon J1 will be surprised to learn that there's quite a lot different about Nikon's latest compact system camera (CSC).
Whereas the J2 uses the same 10.1-million-pixel sensor as the J1 and V1, for example, the V2 has a new 14.2MP CX format (1-inch or 13.2x8.8mm) CMOS device. This is accompanied by a new processing engine dubbed EXPEED 3A.
This sensor and processor combination has allowed Nikon to push the sensitivity range of the V2 a stop higher than before, extending from ISO 160 to ISO 6400 instead of ISO 100-3200, which should prove useful in low light.
Nikon has further extended the V2's low-light capability by giving it a pop-up flash unit as well as a hotshoe (compatible with the new Speedlight SB-N7 and existing SB-N5 flashguns). In comparison, the V1 only has a hotshoe, whereas the J1 and J2, which are below it in the line-up, both have a pop-up flash but no hotshoe.
As before, this hotshoe is an accessory port and can accept devices such as the GP-N100 GPS unit for tagging images with location data as they are captured.
Thanks to the Expeed 3a engine the V2 can shoot continuously for up to 45 full-resolution images at up to 15fps in continuous autofocus mode and for 40 images at 60fps when the focus mode is set to single AF and the focus point and exposure are fixed from the first frame onwards. Good news for those wanting to capture brief bursts of action.
In many other respects the specification of the V2 is the same as that of the V1, and the new camera has the same fixed 3-inch 921,000-dot LCD and 0.47-inch 1,440,000-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) for composing and reviewing images. The EVF is a key distinguishing feature between the V2 and the J1 and J2 below it in the range and it makes it considerably easier to compose images in bright sunlight.
The hybrid AF system is also unchanged, with the camera switching between using the 73 phase-detection points and the 135 contrast detection points as it deems necessary.
One of the biggest differences between the Nikon 1 V2 and the V1 is the addition of a mode dial on the top of the new camera. This allows quick changes between the cameras various exposure modes and is preferable to having to use on screen controls. It's a distinct signal to enthusiasts that the V2 is of more interest to them than the V1 or the J1 or J2.
The dial feels well made and turns with just enough resistance before clicking into place. In addition to the program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual mode loved by experienced photographers there's the novice-friendly Auto Scene Selection mode that identifies the appropriate settings to use to capture the scene and a couple of innovative shooting modes including Best Moment Capture and Motion Snapshot.
When the dial is set to Best Moment Capture pressing the Fn button allows a choice between two options, Smart Photo Selector and the new Slow View.
Slow View is particularly interesting and although it takes a minute or two to get your head around it, it could prove very useful in a range of situations. In essence, the camera records 40 full-resolution images at 15fps from the moment that the shutter release is half pressed. While the release remains half-pressed the camera plays back these 40 images in slow succession so that you can decide which is the one you want to keep. When you reach that image, pressing the shutter fully-home records it to the SD card.
It's a fun feature and one that could prove very handy for capturing holiday activities or school sports days, but it might take a bit of practice to get the results you want. It's no good starting to shoot before the action has started for instance, because the shoots will be taken before the subject has got going.
We've seen Smart Photo Selector before and it works pretty well, but it's now possible to specify whether the 20 images should be captured immediately before or after the shutter button is pressed home. The camera then identifies the best five images from which you can choose your preferred shot.
Nikon has also improved its Motion Snapshot mode for the V2. This captures video for one second at a high frame rate for slow motion replay ending on a still. The video can now be saved as a Mov file so that it can be shared more widely than before.
Another significant change brought by the V2 is the addition of a relatively large grip that has a well-textured coating. This is extremely comfortable in the hand and because the camera is very light it is easy to hold and use one-handed.
Nikon has rearranged the buttons on the back of the V2 in comparison with the V1, making some of them a little larger and making them easier to operate. All fall conveniently within reach of your right thumb or left index finger as the camera is held.
Although we only had access to a pre-production sample of the V2 for an hour or so we found it very easy to get to grips with the basic settings and controls. The menu is sensibly arranged and the mode dial makes it easy for novices and enthusiasts to pick up the camera and start shooting straight away.
The more fun and exotic modes take a few more minutes to understand, but there's no need to spend ages hunting around in the menu, the options are easy to find and adjust.
As yet we haven't been able to examine any images that we've shot on the Nikon V2 as there are only pre-production samples available at the moment. But we know Nikon's pedigree and the company leads the way when it comes to noise control, so we have high expectations of the camera.
However, we found that the V1's JPEG images tend to have fairly sharp edges with softer detail between so we will be examining the results from the higher-resolution V2 very closely when we get a final sample.
The AF system hasn't changed since the V1 so its no surprise to find that our experience of the V2's autofocus system is largely positive. It manages to lock onto its target even in fairly low contrast situations and only seems to struggle when light-levels drop to 'atmospheric' indoor conditions - candle light and the like.
Face detection focusing can be very useful for photographing social events and the V2 highlights faces within a scene very quickly. A V2 is a much more discreet camera to carry around to get candid portraits at parties, so this is a very useful feature.
We found that the J2's Matrix metering system does a good job in most situations and we anticipate that the same will be true of the V2. It certain performed satisfactorily when we were testing the early samples at Nikon's press event.
While the Nikon 1 J1 sold in large numbers, the V1 has not featured so prominently in the sales league tables. We suspect that its comparatively high price meant it failed to find favour with novices while enthusiasts were put off by the simplified handling, lack of direct access to the exposure modes and the smaller (1-inch) sensor size.
While the V2 doesn't address any concerns about the size of the sensor, a pixel count of 14.2 million is relatively conservative by today's standards - especially for Nikon with its 36MP D800 and 24.2MP D3200 - and this should bode well from image quality from the new compact system camera.
Keeping the sensor size down also enables Nikon to keep the size of the V2's body down and despite the addition of a chunky grip, it doesn't take up much room in your bag. It's also light enough to carry around all day without experiencing any discomfort.
We think the V2's controls are much more enthusiast-friendly than the V1's. This plus the fact that there are now six compatible 1 Nikkor lenses with three more in the pipeline is likely to make the camera much more attractive to keen photographers looking for a smaller, lighter alternative to an SLR.
We will be review a full-production sample of the Nikon 1 V2 in the near future, so make sure you keep an on TechRadar.com/cameras.
