Nikon J1 First Impressions

I've been using the Nikon J1 for about a week and I must say that most reviews are truly incorrect.  The problem is that reviewers seem to be judging the Nikon J1 not on what it is, but on what they expect it to be.  The Nikon J1 is essentially a point and shoot with interchangeable lenses.  Reviewers seem to think it should be a D4 in a point and shoot body.  OK, maybe it's not quite that extreme, but that's the gist of it.

The J1 is capable of great pictures if used correctly.  The automatic settings aren't very good.  The camera loves using high ISO's and fast shutter speeds, even if unnecessary, when set to auto.  I've found that when shooting stills or scenes without fast motion, manual shutter speeds and lower ISO's produce better overall image quality while maintaining proper exposure.  If using automatic ISO, I recommend using the setting that limits the highest ISO to 400 or 800.

Nikon's J1 is fun to use, handles like a DSLR, and produces sharp images that definitely surpass images from a point and shoot.  The DSLR-like zoom ring trumps the annoying zoom buttons or switches on traditional point and shoots.  My only complaint is the lack of a dial to select aperture priority, shutter priority, etc. and a dedicated button for ISO and white balance.  It is quite tedious to go into the menu to find and change all of these settings.  If your looking for a small camera, I recommend this camera.  If size isn't an issue, then obviously go with a GH2 or a Canon or Nikon DSLR.