When Nikon unveiled its first mirrorless compact system camera (CSC) to the world in September, I was among a group of journalists who got to see it firsthand at a special event in New York City. The problem was, Nikon was so paranoid about any of us leaking info about the camera to the Internets, they confiscated our laptops, told us we couldn’t tweet until the official launch at 12:01 a.m. and then plied us with appetizers and booze and a concert by the Counting Crows until a few minutes before midnight. When the Nikon 1 camera system—including two models, the J1 and V1—was unveiled from under a white sheet, I couldn’t help but mutter “harrumph.” These were cool little cameras, no doubt, but with a “CX-format” 10.1-megapixel sensor not much bigger than what you’d find in a point and shoot, many of us wondered what Nikon could possibly be thinking, considering Olympus and Panasonic already had CSCs with larger Micro Four Thirds sensors and Sony and Samsung had mirrorless models with even bigger APS-C size imaging chips. When I got the camera in my hands to shoot with it, things started to become clearer. Unlike many other CSCs, Nikon’s small, interchangeable lens camera isn’t aimed at advanced users; it’s a style camera intended for photographers who just want to have fun. And in that way, it succeeds and offers a few things I’d like to see migrate up the line to Nikon’s more professional cameras. For one, unlike some of Nikon’s Coolpix models, the J1 that I tried out was fast. The camera uses a new hybrid Autofocus system that allows it to switch between phase detection and contrast detection, depending on the scene, and I found it to be very adaptable and swift to focus for candid photography. I also liked the sleek, Spartan but elegant design of the J1. I tried out the white model—it also comes in black, red, silver and pink—and its sculpted, porcelain-like exterior gave it a, dare I say, Apple-esque simplicity. The J1’s fun to hold, looks chic, and the interface and menu system is among the clearest and best I’ve tried in a compact camera. iqhonc NO.4 Quad Band Dual Cards with Java FM Touch Screen Cell Phone(Black) ctb-8788gb Fashionable Bariho Triangle Shaped Dial Stainless Steel Wrist Watch with Black Dial for Men A112 (Silver) BESTEL D6i Quad Band Dual Cards Wifi Analog TV Java FM Touch Screen Cell Phone(Gray with Red) High Quality Kimio Metal Watchband Quartz Watch w/ 6 Rhinestones Rotation - White 2.2 inch F31 Analog TV FM Tri Cards QWERTY Keyboard Cell Phone(Blue with White) 2.0 inch X6 Analog TV FM Tri Cards QWERTY Keyboard Cell Phone (Black) MP3 Players Durable UV400 Protective Gun Mental Frame Gradient Tea-Color PC Lenses Sunglasses for Bicycling Fishing Golf (8848) Fashionable Shshd Dots & Strips Hour Marks Leather Quartz Wrist Watch for Female 065 (Red) GD588 Quad Band Dual Cards Analog TV Java FM Bluetooth Cell Phone(Blue with White) Refurbished E11 7 inch Upgraded Google Android 2.2 Wi-Fi with Camera Gravity Sensor Tablet PC m009g google android 2.2 7 inch 720p paypal dance pants dropshipping china buy unlocked cell phone online DZ-2101 LED Super Capacity Headlamp buy in china free shipping Baby Monitor & Alarm Systems f5 tv quad band dual cards Pocket Size Cute Kitty in Blue Pattern Watch Dial Desk Watch (Pink) Time 8078 Square Leather Band Men's Quartz Wrist Watch (White) sicura italian designs Chic Prema 5399 Oval Case Round Dial Rhinestone Decoration Wrist Watch with Dots Hour Marks for Women - Black F9 Quad Band Dual Cards Java FM Touch Screen Cell Phone GD910 Quad Band Single Card with Camera FM Bluetooth Watch Phone Unique and Fashionable Star Wars Picture Wrist Watch for Children (Orange) e8hd high definition media player Exquisite Anike Dual Time Modes Red Light LED Watch w/ Multi-function Setting AK5107 (Black) Stylish Quartz Wrist Watch w/ Soft Silicone Band & Round Case & Protective Crown for Unisex (White Digit) W699 Wifi TV Quad Band Dual Cards Wifi Analog TV Java Touch Screen Cell Phone (Black) V10 Superpad Flytouch 6th Google Android 2.3 10.1 inch 1080P Video 3G GPS Resistive Screen 8GB Tablet PC gfive price in pakistan Tri cards E6 Quad Band Tri sim Cards Analog TV FM Bluetooth QWERTY Keyboard Cell Phone(White with Silver) Special Hour Marks Pocket Watch with Chain Belt with Clear Glass (Golden) 2.0 inch N9 Analog TV FM Tri Cards QWERTY Keyboard Cell Phone(White with Black) Here’s what I don’t like. For a camera designed for the on-the-go, mobile lifestyle photographer, there really isn’t anything here that makes it easy to wirelessly share pictures on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. The J1 isn’t even optimized for wireless Eye-Fi cards. Also, as others have noted, the tiny control wheel has very limited functionality. While I like that the J1 is simple and fast to use, the wheel is dominated by two specialty modes that I didn’t really care for: Smart Photo Selector, which has the camera pick the best image for you (that’s no fun!) from a group of shots, and Motion Snapshot, which combines a still image with slow-motion video of a scene and adds a canned, in-camera audio soundtrack. Motion Snapshot might be kind of cool if there were some way to share the result with friends on Facebook but I couldn’t figure out how to do that. In terms of image quality, I’d rate the J1 on par with the best of its CSC rivals in good, natural light. My outdoor street photography shots had great color, natural skintones, and the J1, thankfully, resisted the tendency of some consumer cams to oversaturate everything. In low light, the camera’s small sensor (13.2 x 8.8; 2.7x magnification) struggled with noise at higher ISOs. This is not really a surprise but still a disappointment, especially when you consider that most people who use a “lifestyle” camera will want to use it for nightlife purposes. The Bottom Line The Nikon J1 is a fine little mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera for fun photo ops but includes too many compromises in quality and usability to appeal to more advanced photographers.