Nikon launches premium compact DL range with 1 inch sensors

[ArendV]

http://www.nikon.com/news/2016/0223_premium_01.htm

Especially the DL18-50 f/1.8-2.8 looks interesting with substantial wide angle in a small body, unfortunately no built-in viewfinder.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

These "DL" cameras are allegedly the same CX format as their 1 Nikon relatives, but the similarities end right there. The specifications are "equivalenced" into FX terminology no doubt to produce impressing figures. Thus a reference to "24-500 f/2.8-5.6" should manifest itself into a big, imposing lens weighing in the multiple kg range, not a tiny toy !!

I simply don't know what audience such products are aimed at, or who they thick they can dupe with such specifications.

[richardHaw]

saw this early this morning. this just baffles me 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Well, it is common that compact cameras are marked with the 35mm equivalent focal lengths, so I doubt anyone would be fooled into thinking they're something they're not. It is silly to use incorrect notation but not very important in the grand scheme of things.

The cameras seem to have much of Nikon 1 functionality, i.e. PDAF/CDAF, 20fps with AF, etc. The sensor size seems appropriate for a compact camera. I recall the (previous) latest version (BSI) in the J5 already got quite favourable reviews for its image quality.

IMO providing an EVF as an optional accessory is fine. Most people will be using the smaller two cameras at arm's length anyway, not wanting to look through a hole, so it's understandable that a superfluous feature (for the user base) is omitted as standard and is available as an accessory for those who need it. I tried the V3's accessory EVF and it was already quite good (in so far as such things go) in normal daylight. I won't be buying one because I don't want an enlarged view of an image that causes me a feeling of nausea; this feeling is avoided when looking at a small LCD some distance away (since it occupies only a small part of the visual field). For short focal lengths this is fine. For hand held tele shooting, a viewfinder is necessary and as a standard feature on the relevant model.

These cameras support snapbridge and will transfer images to a mobile device in the background even when not turned on (if it is like the D500), this seems the right approach to wireless connectivity if it doesn't require user intervention after the connection is first initialized (once for a pair of devices). Current cameras such as the D750 require the connection to be re-established after turning the camera off or when the connection is lost for some reason. I am in the habit of turning the camera off while not shooting so it is a pain to use the old system. Hopefully snapbridge will be fluid to use i.e. is completely in the background without user intervention. Otherwise people will just use mobile phone cameras for most of their social media needs even if they'd like to use a better camera.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Not 'silly notation', but highly misleading marketing. Why use an 'equivalence' that really is a nonsensical reference for the targeted user group anyway? Just playing a number's game probably.

Shooting with arms stretched out in front of you is possibly the worst manner in which to hold a camera steady ....  No amount of in-camera stabilisation can change this simple fact.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Not 'silly notation', but highly misleading marketing. Why use an 'equivalence' that really is a nonsensical reference for the targeted user group anyway? Just playing a number's game probably.

Just about everyone seems to convert to 35mm equivalent focal lengths when discussing lenses instead of thinking about the format size and angle of view. It's a commonly used way of speaking so the manufacturers give the users what they want to know instead of insisting on correct notation. The target market is likely the former Coolpix market whom Nikon lost (to the smartphone) and now they're trying to regain some of it (by offering a larger sensor size, fast AF, high fps, variable focal length and effortless connectivity).

Shooting with arms stretched out in front of you is possibly the worst manner in which to hold a camera steady ....  No amount of in-camera stabilisation can change this simple fact.

That may be if they're trying to hold the camera steady (assumption implied: that they should care about stability or sharpness), but  this is what most casual camera users do irrespective of whether it makes sense from a technical point of view, or not. What's good about this approach is that you can see the subject with your own eyes at the same time by looking past the camera, so you are not affected by the EVF/LCD screen delays when timing shots. Anyway for me using a camera at arm's length is more comfortable than using an EVF. Of course for cameras that have an optical viewfinder, I use that as primary method of framing and timing shots, but a lot of people who are not everyday photographers find that uncomfortable, having to squeeze their eye close to the camera and press it against their face. I see now a lot of people who once used film cameras with viewfinders are insisisting on using the arm's length approach even when I recommend them to use the viewfinder. They don't want to, and will not. This is why most compact cameras don't have EVFs.

Now, if using  a long lens this becomes a totally different situation and the arm's length approach doesn't work (at all).

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The 1 Nikons provide the real data on their lenses. So the company or their marketing department speaks with forked tongues here.

Besides, we should not forget that for most people today, a reference "equivalenced" to FX/135/24x36 format  is just a meaningless number that holds no significance whatsoever.

[bjornthun]

I think that Nikon has found a good balance of features and options with their new DL cameras, for the intended target audience. The rest of us will just have to bear with some ad hoc notation from Nikon. 

The smallest of the three DLs look interesting. 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

The 1 Nikons provide the real data on their lenses. So the company or their marketing department speaks with forked tongues here.

The focal length of the lens  is correctly given on the front of the lens in the DL cameras as well. It's just the names of the cameras which refer to 35mm equivalents and, curiously enough,  the numbers on the zoom ring. Quite confusing it is,  but it's not the first time in compact cameras.

Anyway I think I may buy this type of a camera (probably the middle one) because I want a camera with snapbridge functionality and  it may take quite some time before my DSLRs have it (I have no plans on purchasing the D500).  I would actually like to see Nikon continue making a DX format compact camera but for now, the Coolpix A has no immediate successor.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I have ordered the Nikon D500 and thus avoided any traps laid to my door by Nikon marketing

Any Snapbridge 'feature' will of course be turned permanently off.

[Hugh_3170]

It is a pity that lenses are not simply labelled as to the field of view that they deliver for their intended format size.  I guess that we cannot roll time back over a 150 years of photographic practice.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Just have them labelled with the actual focal length will suffice. The remainder of the equation is determined when we mount the lens on a given camera.

As the marketing departments play a number's game, why not use 8x10" cameras as a reference ?? Then people will have truly massive equivalenced 'focal lengths' ....

[Akira]

why not use 8x10" cameras as a reference ?? Then people will have truly massive equivalenced 'focal lengths' ....

Maybe to avoid the "inflated" model names.  A standard zoom like 150-600/3.5-5.6 would sound crazy. 

[Andy]

The 1 Nikons provide the real data on their lenses.

As does the DL series.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/premium-compact-cameras/dl18-50-f%252f1.8-2.8.html#tab-ProductDetail-ProductTabs-TechSpecs
The difference is in the press release, where the 1 Nikkor lenses were called by their actual data then.
http://nikon.com/news/2013/0108_lens_02.htm

A few interesting attributes (DL18-50):
4k video recording maintains photo focal range (unlike D5)
Slow motion in 1280x720 by 240p (8x slower).
Elimination of rolling shutter issues in video recording
manual shutter available  (until 1/2000s)
SDXC cards again (I don't like the micro-SD cards of the J5)
same battery like the J5 (EN-EL24)
The 6.7mm wide end is much faster than the 1 Nikkor 6.7-13mm (f1.8 vs f3.5), approx. 2 f-stops faster
The 10mm setting might be faster than the 1 Nikkor 10mm/2.8 (tbc)
The 18.5mm setting is a bit more than one stop slower than the 1 Nikkor 18.5mm/1.8
ergonomics seem to be better than the J5 (tbc with actual usage)
normal sized flash hot shoe (finally)
nano coat (iirc, only 1 Nikkor 32mm/1.2 and 70-300mm have nano coating)
flourine coat (n/a on 1 Nikkor)
MFD: 3cm at wide end

Will be interesting to see, how it performs.

rgds,
Andy

[ArendV]

I would actually like to see Nikon continue making a DX format compact camera but for now, the Coolpix A has no immediate successor.

+1
My Coolpix A has its issues but I fixed that with a Voigtländer optical viewfinder and the MF ring where I know AF will let me down, but the pictures it produces are of great quality.