Customer Spotlight: My Nikon V1 Story

This is my first customer spotlight in a while! Here are some of the thoughts Andrew, a regular customer of ours, has on the Nikon V1.

Customer Spotlight: My Nikon V1 Story – From Thrift Store Find to First Mirrorless

I stumbled across the Nikon V1 in a thrift store in Victoria sometime around 2022 or 2023. It was sitting on the shelf with the standard 10–30mm zoom lens, looking like a quirky little DSLR that had been shrunk in the wash. I didn’t know much about the Nikon 1 system at the time, but I figured for the price it was worth a try. That purchase ended up being my first mirrorless camera. Right away, I liked it. The V1 feels solid, surprisingly dense for its size, and well-built in the way Nikon cameras often are. It’s not pocketable (at least not with the zoom lens attached), but it’s small enough to throw in a bag and forget about until you need it.

At first, I mostly shot with the 10–30mm kit zoom, but over time I added the 10mm f/2.8 pancake, the 18.5mm f/1.8 prime, and eventually even the 30–110mm telephoto. Those lenses made the V1 feel a lot more versatile, especially the 18.5mm, which gave me a proper fast lens for low-light situations. Still, the camera always felt a bit unusual to me—more like a very advanced point-and-shoot with some pro-level tricks than a true interchangeable lens system. A big part of that is the small CX sensor (13.2 × 8.8 mm), which is noticeably smaller than APS-C or Micro Four Thirds. It’s a 10.1 MP CMOS sensor with a resolution of 3906 × 2606, and while it delivers crisp, clean files at lower ISOs, it falls off when you push it past ISO 800 or so. For daylight and casual shooting, though, the quality is more than capable. Where the V1 really stands out is in speed. It can shoot at up to 60 frames per second with the electronic shutter (though with focus locked), and even its more practical continuous modes of 5, 10, or 30 fps feel lightning fast compared to most cameras of its era.

The autofocus system is also impressive, combining phase detection and contrast detection for fast and accurate results. With 135 focus points in single-point mode (and 41 in auto-area), it snaps to subjects with surprising reliability, easily rivaling entry-level DSLRs of the time. The electronic viewfinder is decent—bright, clear, and perfectly usable—but I found the eye-sensor activation annoying. Unlike cameras such as the Olympus OM-D E-M10, which let you toggle the EVF on and off with a button, the V1 automatically switches between the rear screen and the EVF whenever you move your eye in and out of position. It works, but it feels clunky, and I often wished Nikon had just included a manual switch instead.

Control-wise, the V1 can be a bit unintuitive. There’s no dedicated PASM dial, which seems like a strange omission given how much space there is on the top plate. Instead, you control exposure through menus and button combinations. Once you figure it out, it’s workable, but it doesn’t feel as immediate as a traditional Nikon DSLR. Battery life is excellent for a small camera—thanks to the EN-EL15, the same battery used in bigger Nikon DSLRs like the D7000—and storage is handled by SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards (with UHS-I support).

In practice, the Nikon V1 is more than capable of producing sharp, vibrant images with fast focus and good colour, especially in favourable light. The small sensor means it can’t compete with APS-C or full-frame cameras when it comes to dynamic range or low light, but for casual everyday photography it’s perfectly serviceable. The video features are also respectable, though again the sensor limits depth of field compared to larger formats.

Looking back, I think of the V1 as a bit of an oddball. It was ahead of its time in some ways—fast autofocus, blazing burst rates, compact design—but limited by Nikon’s conservative choices around the sensor size and lens lineup. For me, though, it was a fun introduction to mirrorless cameras. What started as a thrift store gamble turned into a surprisingly capable little tool that I still have some affection for today. Ultimately I really liked the camera and am only selling it to make room for MORE cameras! You know how it is.

 

This Nikon V1 four lens kit is available in store now for $600 plus tax.

The kit includes:

Nikon 1 V1 body
10–30mm f/3.5–5.6 VR lens
30–110mm f/3.8–5.6 VR lens
18.5mm f/1.8 prime lens
10mm f/2.8 pancake lens
two batteries and charger

Here are a couple photos taken out side the store using the Nikon V1 and 10mm f2.8 pancake