And I was having fun too. I had my Nikon V1 with the Nikon AFS 35 f 1.8 lens attached using the FT1 adapter — which for the V1 provides the equivalent of an f 1.8 85mm lens. For non photographers, that means being able to shoot with available light and get sharp images with only the part of the image you choose being in focus.

f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO 3200

I enjoy bird photography. But it’s really challenging because of their size and the distances. Since my budget doesn’t allow for a 600 mm lens (plus tele convertors) which I probably couldn’t carry around anyway, I shoot with my D90 and the Nikon 70-200 VR II lens with the TC20 2X tele convertor which gives me 600 mm 35 mm equivalent. Not as much as the pros shoot (up to 1200 mm), but okay.

I got the Nikkor 30-110 mm telephoto for my Nikon V1 this week, so I also took some shots with it. The first two images below were shot with this combination at 110 mm (about 300 mm 35 mm equivalent). The last two images were shot with my D90 and the 70-200 VR II lens with the TC20. Neither combination is optimum for shooting bird photos, but I’m actually quite happy with these results, recognizing that they’re essentially 100% crops of the original files. The V1 performed surprisingly well, though you can see the difference the big 70-200 lens makes. Makes me want Nikon to hurry up and release the adapter for the V1 so that I can put the 70-200 on it!

Nikon V1, 30-110 mm lens at 110 mm

Nikon V1, 30-110 mm lens at 110 mm

Nikon D90, 70-200 VR II with 2X adaptor

Nikon D90, 70-200 VR II with 2X adaptor

Nikon V1, ISO 800, Nikkor 10mm f2.8, 1/30 sec.

As someone who owns a perfectly good Nikon DSLR and a selection of great lenses, you might wonder why I bought a new camera. And if you’re into photography, you’re probably wondering why the V1.

The answer to the first question is simple: carrying around a 17 pound camera bag is not fun. It means that often it sits at home. My favorite lens for that camera weighs 3.5 pounds by itself. As wonderful as the images are that it captures, it’s not something that’s fun to carry around or hold up to your face for very long.

So I’ve been looking for a small, light camera system. All cameras and lenses are compromises. You can get some of the features you want but at the expense of others. Smaller cameras generally are full of too many compromises.

My non-negotiables were the following:

1. Fast power-up, fast and accurate autofocus,and no shutter lag.

4. Moderate to telephoto lens capability.

5. Viewfinder, so I don’t have to rely on the back-of-camera display to frame the shot, especially in bright sun.

Until recently, nothing but dslr cameras could meet all of these requirements, although several could meet the last three or four. But with active grandkids as my favorite subject, having to wait 1 or 2 or 3 seconds for a camera to respond means that the shot was missed and they’d moved on.

Thankfully, this summer three manufacturers announced smaller cameras that met all five requirements: the Olympus EP-3, the FujiFilm X10, and the Nikon V1. I read the reviews, paying particular attention to those who actually shot the cameras under real conditions for a while, like Steve Huff. All three are great cameras, but after playing with them at the camera store, I came home with the Nikon V1, with the understanding I could return it for full price within 5 days.

I knew within 24 hours that it wasn’t going back. Autofocus/exposure is extremely fast and dead on. Every time. The image quality is great. Low light (high ISO) image quality is amazingly good for the smaller sensor, in my opinion better than for my D90. And the electronic viewfinder, which shows all the shooting information, is wonderful.. With the 10mm f2.8, the 10-30mm, and the 30-110mm lenses, the whole range is well covered, although hopefully Nikon will bring out a couple of fast prime lenses soon.

Will it replace my dslr? Not completely, at least for now, though it will for 95% of my day-to-day photography. There is no built-in provision for off-camera flash, which I prefer for portrait photography. I’ll probably also generally use the dslr for wildlife photography, although Nikon has announced plans to sell an adaptor to allow use of Nikon dslr lenses with the V1, which could make an excellent wildlife rig.

Despite Nikon marketing the camera primarily to point and shoot photographers, I think it’s a great camera for photography enthusiasts like me. It’s small, it’s fun, and lets you focus on making the shot without fighting the camera, yet allows the control needed to make good images.

Below are a few more photos made with the V1.

Nikon V1, ISO 900, Nikkor 10-30 mm at 14mm, f4, 1/60 sec.

ISO 3200, Nikkor 10mm f2.8

This fajita stand on the Plaza is a popular place, especially in the evenings. We didn’t try the fare, but enjoyed watching the people come an go. Always some interesting people on the Plaza.

Photo Note: From the ISO 6400 experiment. 

St. Francis Cathedral Basilica, Santa Fe

The bicyclist, who apparently makes the ride regularly, said that everyone tries. Little wonder. Most of us don’t have a place we can stand 4000 feet above the place we normally go about life and see it from a different perspective.

This is one of my favorite memories from our recent New Mexico visit — not just the spectacular view, but the fact that four people who just happened to be there at the same time shared a bit of community. Seems to happen regularly on our New Mexico wanderings.

Photo Note: 3 exposure HDR

While the meteorologists try to explain, we’re left feeling parched.

Life is a lot like that for many of the people I sojourn with. They’re going through droughts where wellness has abandoned them, where the chance of a cure or getting better is a faint hope that never seems to be realized. They’re in a spot where even small victories are celebrated — like Friday’s rain was celebrated. Yes, in a sense it’s not enough — their momentary victory or the rain we had. But in another sense it is. It keeps us going, it rekindles a feeling of being alive.

I’m thankful today for small victories in a couple of friends’ lives in recent weeks, and for the day it rained at my house.

Photo Note: Three-exposure HDR processed in HDR Efex Pro with minimal finishing in Lightroom.