Nikon 1 J2: New pocket DSLR rival arrives

The Gadget Show  Thursday 09 August 2012

Nikon was late to the compact system camera game last year, but it’s making up for lost time. Today sees the launch of the Nikon 1 J2, its latest tiny camera with all the lenses and skills of a full size DSLR. And this time, it’s bringing lots more accessories along for the ride.

Compact system cameras work a lot like big old DSLRs, with large sensors and swappable lenses, but there’s one crucial difference: they don’t have a mirror inside, meaning they can be much smaller. The Nikon 1 J2 for instance takes 10.12 megapixel stills at blinding speed using whatever lens you like: a Smart Photo Selector mode takes a burst of 20 high resolution images so you can pick the best one in an action shot.

Check out our Nikon D800 video review right now

Images pop up on a crisp 3-inch LCD screen, and you can then edit them on the camera itself using lots of presets and filters available in the new Creative Mode. It’s all powered by the company’s whizzy new Expeed 3 processor.

Also debuting alongside the slinky new Nikon 1 J2 is a whole slew of new accessories for the Japanese imaging company’s compact system range. As well as a new 11-27.5mm, f/3.5-5.6 lens, the Nikon 1 J2 is also getting its own underwater housing, so you can take shots at the beach without any fear of destroying your precious snapper.

The Nikon 1 J2 is on sale from 6 September, available in white, black, silver, red, pink, and orange. Price starts at £499.99 with a 10-30mm lens kit, and £649.99 with a 30-110mm lens kit thrown in as well.

See the Nikon 1 J1 camera in action here