JayB1rd

Has anyone here had experience with V1 and the 70-300 lens for it? I would like it for birding but hate to put out that much money if lens in not excellent.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Excellent is a judgement call. I use the J1 and the Nikkor 55-300 AFS VR zoom for birding. I also have the 70-300 which is considerably heavier and after extensive testing I have not found it to produce better pictures than the 55-300. The 55-300 on the J1 (or your V1) with the Nikon FT-1 autofocusing adapter is the best low cost solution I have found for birding. I got the J1 used for $80, both the 55-300 and the 70-300 lenses used for between $250 and $300 each, and The FT-1 adapter new for about $250.

On the J1 (or your V1) the 55-300 gives an equivalent focal length of 810mm, and outperforms my D7000 with the same lens and cropping. The J1 doesn't have a viewfinder, just live view. But using both the 55-300 and the 70-300 with my D7000, I found that live view which uses contrast detect autofocus gives me more keepers than using the viewfinder which uses phase detect autofocus. Using the viewfinder is faster, but I have found live view to be more accurate.

As far as excellent, that is a cost benefit exercise, that you have to decide for yourself. The J1, FT-1 adapter, and 55-300 lens only weighs a bit over two pounds which is a big plus for me as well. I can comfortably hold the rig by the lens barrel in my left hand and only use a tripod for moon shots to minimize shaking.

Attached is a recent shot of a bird on a wire taken with the J1, adapter and 55-300 handheld at about 50 ft., ISO-100, f5.6, 1/160 sec. I should add that with the adapter, the J1 only operates in single point autofocus. This is fine for birds on a wire or the ground or in a bush. I don't know how the setup would work for Birds In Flight, but I'm guessing it would require more skill than I have, and maybe a much more expensive camera and lens than this setup .

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MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The dedicated N1 70-300mm is an excellent lens on the Nikon 1 series cameras, actually MUCH better on them than the full sized Nikon lenses utilizing the FT-1 adapter.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The OP is not asking about the F mount lenses and an adapter, he is asking about the N1 direct mount lens for the Nikon 1 cameras. Very different

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

My mistake.

drdcs0025

I have a V3 and the lens your are considering. It is an excellent lens-very sharp with excellent autofocus. I love the weight of the this kit-easy to carry around for hours. I also find that I don't need to carry a tripod. The weight of this combination makes it easy to hand hold and any stationary object can be used to help steady the camera if necessary.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Best lens for the Nikon 1 V series as telephoto.

Taken with V3 and 70-300mm

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