Nikon V3 review: Is this super-speedy flagship the best argument yet for Nikon’s 1-system?

 

 

Ever since the Nikon 1-series launched back in late 2011 with the V1 and J1, it has divided opinions. 1-series cameras are smaller than most rivals, and they offer some truly impressive performance, but while they've done quite well with consumer photographers in some markets, enthusiasts have been a tougher sell for Nikon.

With the Nikon V3, the company hopes to persuade these more experienced photographers to take another look. This new flagship for the 1-series line couples the best of its forebears with some of the best raw image quality we've seen yet at its sensor size -- and it's worth bearing in mind that this is the exact same size used in Sony's much-lauded RX100-series cameras.

 

 

And its that sensor size which is the key to the unusually compact proportions of 1-series cameras and lenses alike. Although the V3 still faces a strong challenge from the image quality of larger-sensored cameras, it boasts stupendously fast autofocus and absolutely jaw-dropping burst performance.

 

 

Is this the recipe that can persuade enthusiasts to look past the CX-format sensor's limits, and see its unique advantages in perspective? We've finished our testing, added yet more gallery images shot by IR founder and publisher Dave Etchells on a recent trip to Japan, and rendered our verdict. Read our Nikon V3 review and its newly-posted conclusion, and find out what we thought!