JPL

Nikon has announced some very interesting new things for photographers. The new Nikon 1 V3 and the 70-300 lens for it.

I find this new combo very attractive for 2 reasons.
First, the camera has more focus points, faster focus and more fps than most or any other camera available today.
Second, this lens is equal to 189-810 mm full frame lens and has image stabilizer and autofocus all the way.

The total price for camera and lens is around $2000 which makes it very attractive for those who want very long reach and fast focus on anything else than bridge camera.

Here is a little bit about this new gear. http://nikonrumors.com/2014/03/13/nikon-1-v3-camera-nikkor-10-30mm-and-70-300mm-lenses-pre-order-options.aspx/

What do others here think of this, is this what is to come or is it not of interest?

catfish252

The only problem with that setup is the astronomical price Nikon is charging for a run of the mill 70-300mm VR lens -- almost $1000.00, it's price is twice the cost of the full-frame 70-300mm that both Nikon and Canon offer in the professional world without any uptick in it's specs like it's aperture range. At that price at max focal length I sure hope a gnats wing is tack sharp.

JPL

Yes, the only problem I see here is the price. And actually I can understand Nikon, after all the competitors are not offering anything that is competing against the Nikon 1 series. Until we have some competition in this format Nikon will continue with this high prices. Still, despite of this high price it is probably the very best bargain you can get for a fast focus, fast frame and fast everything at this range.

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

So the crop factor is 2.7?

What's BIF?

JPL

Yes and BIF - Bird in flight

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

BIF are hard to do without an optical viewfinder - especially with strong light at your side or back. You should consider a Hoodman shade or loupe as well. Personally, this is not ideal. VR would be of no use, and I defy anyone to handhold a 900mm lens - at anything under 1/2500 sec or faster. You will be spending $2000 and only be frustrated if BIF is your main goal.

To answer the OP question - the best combination is a full-frame, high megapixel camera with at least a 500mm F4, or better yet a 600mm F4 or an 800mm F5.6, or that wonderful Sigma 300-800 F5.6. That would be the best, or the standard of quality. Everything else is a compromise.

JPL

This new Nikon 1 V3 is sold as a kit with electronic viewfinder so it is rather a question of how good that viewfinder is. Of course everything is a compromise when you are not buying the biggest format. Full frame is also a compromise compared to 80 mpx medium format cameras.

I think this CX format from Nikon is the most undervalued format in the market at the moment. The advantages of this format are many which is obviously the reason Nikon is still adding new cameras and lenses to it despite of slow market response. The only big disadvantage is that no other manufacturer is making cameras in this format which allows Nikon to price it higher than many of us are happy with.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Full frame is not a compromise for birds in flight - it is probably the optimal format. Cost, size and performance would be three reasons why medium format would be completely unsuitable for BIF. Frame rate on an 80mp back is about 1 per second.

The electronic viewfinder is apparently a significant improvement over others, but the sensor is too small, and you can't get that wonderful shallow depth of field and subject isolation that makes the larger format so ideal. CX is not a great choice for BIF, it is far better for other applications. Even with a 600mm F4, working in marginal light requiring ISOs north of 2500, and still often needing to crop down to 40% of the total image to get a nice capture, makes the format unsuitable, and certainly not a "best combination" for BIF, but maybe somewhat ok for sports, provided there is good light. A 70-300 5.6 lens is also not a great choice for the above reasons. Lastly, a camera that is primarily menu driven is a real pain to use in a fast-paced shooting environment - be it BIF or sports - where you are constantly making adjustments to focus, exposure and other settings on the fly. I just don't see it as the "best combo" for that kind of shooting.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

If you're into that "kinda" camera, then I guess it would be a good choice for birding and such, I myself prefer SLR's, so I will always stick with it!