Sturm und Drang and the Nikon 1 System
Wounded, Laguna Gloria, Austin
Wikipedia, in a nice turn of phrase, describes Sturm und Drang as an 18th Century German artistic movement in which:
“individual subjectivity and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism imposed by the Enlightenment.”
The Sturm und Drang in the photographic world this week has been over the announcement of the Nikon 1 System, Nikon’s entry into the the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) battleground. Enthusiast photographers have reacted en masse with disappointment, horror, derision, despair, disgust, a resounding collective raspberry and predictions of the fall of Nikon. The sensor is smaller than they expected, the lens apertures are slower than they wanted, and there are not enough buttons and wheels – no M, P, S, A dial. Clearly, they say, Nikon missed the mark and missed badly.
But hold the phone. Did Nikon really tie on a blind fold and jump off a cliff?
All this negativity reminds me of the reaction of some of my fellow software developers to the original iPad launch; they wanted all the bells and whistles of their Mac Book Pros in a compact tablet form factor and therefore considered the iPad a failure and a lost opportunity. I thought that they had missed the point; we all know how it turned out. Apple understood that the market for the iPad was not professional software technologists, and Nikon understands the that the high volume, high profit market segment for mirrorless ILCs is not enthusiasts looking for a second camera.
I, an enthusiast, complained recently about the lack of an upgrade path from my Panasonic GF1 / Leica M9 surrogate, the ultimate cause of which is that Panasonic is prioritizing the same market that Nikon is aiming for. To wit, the much larger number of point-and-shoot users that hanker for something more capable without the perceived learning curve and bulk of an SLR. Nikon sees Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Samsung threatening to take away its entry level SLR audience and it is fighting back with a camera that can take 60 frames a second and let you select the one keeper with the perfect smile. Eat that Cartier-Bresson!
Would I buy an Nikon V1 for myself? Probably not. Would I advise my dad to consider one? That’s a definite yes. Would I buy one for each of my artist daughters as a graduation present? I might well. The Nikon V1 looks to be a talented single shot camera with excellent video capabilities that will allow my non-expert but motivated family and friends to produce great photographs and movies. I might not purchase one for myself but I can think of a dozen people I could influence in that direction.
Thom Hogan, a well connected and insightful observer of Nikon developments, offered a balanced and detailed “Don’t Undersell What the Nikon 1 Can Do” commentary on his by thom site. And dpreview.com has offered an explanation for Why make a small-sensor mirrorless camera?, acknowledging that Nikon might perceive some good reasons to do so.
Meanwhile, what is an enthusiast to do? Thom Hogan has a quote for that too:
“Everyone’s looking for redemption in a new camera. The old ones work pretty well.”
I’ll keep taking pictures with what I have and wait patiently for the new year. My two cameras work pretty well, I’m in no hurry.
Robert Jones:
Hi Mike. Am curious to know why you would buy the V1 and not the GF1 as a gift? The size is the same or similar, but the sensor is larger in the GF1 and the price is higher for the V1?
If it’s because of ease of use, then the latest GF3 has similar lack of advanced controls for a third less, and the autofocus is now very fast (similarly, the Pen EP3, which is the same price as the announced V1, but still has the bigger sensor and more lenses to offer).
I’m curious to know if the reputed market of people wanting to upgrade from a compact really wants a removable lens system. A lot of people I know who buy micro 4/3 or entry level DSLRs never buy another lens other than their kit zooms. I have a feeling if Nikon gave them something like the Fuji X10, but with the 1″ sensor instead of the Fuji’s 2/3″, that would actually hit that market they were talking about. No?
September 29, 2011, 12:51 pmMike:
I didn’t actually say I would buy a V1 as a gift, only that I might. And I might. The main point that I wanted to make though, was that the hand wringing over the Nikon 1 System was exaggerated and that there was a market for these cameras.
That said, I wouldn’t look at the GF1 for my daughters because of cost and that it has already been discontinued. It is still available from some vendors but at street price close to double that of the V1. The GF3 fits on $$$ but can’t mount an eye level finder and even if it could, the distinctly plastic GF1 viewfinder mounted in the hot shoe just isn’t robust enough for the “throw in the back seat” life style of my daughters.
A larger sensor on a Fuji X10 would be worthy of consideration, but for my daughters I would be looking to start them on a system that would offer more lens options. They are creative types that I feel are likely, over a year or two, to want to cover a wider focal length and aperture range than the 4x fixed lens of the X10. For the larger public – you are absolutely right that the majority will never buy a second lens but they will fall for the marketing that flatters them on the one hand and makes them afraid on the other.
September 30, 2011, 3:32 pm