Nikon 1 V2 Review Part 5 Ergonomics

Nikon 1 V2 in the author's average size adult male hand. It doesn't look so bad from the top, however.........

Nikon 1 with EVF cameras   The first Nikon 1 series camera with built in EVF was the V1, announced in September 2011. This was strongly criticised by many reviewers for it's poor ergonomics. The V2, announced a year later has a completely redesigned shape. On my assessment the new shape is a big improvement, lifting my ergonomic rating from "unacceptable" to "good" but not very good or excellent.   Some  problems remain, as detailed below.  Several months ago I made a mockup camera to approximately the same dimensions (LxWxD) as the  V2, but with a full complement of hard controls suitable for the enthusiast/professional user.  The mockup is a "proof of concept" exercise which I undertook to demonstrate to myself that a highly efficient ergonomic layout can readily be incorporated into a camera the same size as a V2.

ConfigurabilityCurrent Micro 4/3 cameras offer a very high degree of configurability with the function of many buttons  and other controls being user selectable from a long list of options. Cameras like this are complex to set up but operate very efficiently in the hands of an experienced user.  The V2 by way of comparison offers no user configurable functions. You get what the masters at Nikon have decreed you shall have. And to be fair this works quite well most of the time.

Same camera, same hand as the top photo.  You can see that only the middle finger of the right hand is properly engaged with the handle. This is not a very stable hold.

Setup Phase of camera use   As with most current electronic cameras this is accomplished by making selections in the three main menus.  The options available and discussion as to the reasons for selecting one in preference to another are well described in the PDF Nikon V2 Reference Manual. I strongly recommend the V2 user download and print the whole 214 page document. It is well laid out, well written and I found it easy to understand.

There are only three Menus, Playback (which is first on the list, go figure), Shooting, the content of which changes with the  Mode  set on the Mode Dial and Setup.  The number of options available for user control falls midway between a basic compact camera and one of the latest, highly configurable (but also rather complex) Micro 4/3 cameras. The benefit is you don't have so many selections to figure out. The drawback is there are many user configured camera operations/features which are simply not offered on the V2.  Menu Resume is set by default, which means that if you leave a Menu then return the last accessed item will be active. Unfortunately there is no option for a "My Menu" which would have been handy, as several items including OIS, Silent operation, RAW/JPG and Grid overlay require a trip to the menus.

Some options common on enthusiast level electronic cameras are not available. These include histogram display, auto exposure bracketing and some form of highlight clipping warning ("blinkies"). You cannot change the size of the active AF area. You can have a grid overlaid on the image preview but only one configuration is offered and it cannot be cycled on and off with the Disp Button.  You can adjust the brightness but not color or contrast of the EVF. You cannot select the EVF display style to be the same as the Monitor style.  So many options the enthusiast photographer might expect to find are not available.

On the other hand the camera offers extensive options for white balance and many pages of complicated instructions for (JPG) Picture Control settings and adjustments. These constitute a kind of in camera equivalent to a RAW converter for users who want to output a finished photo requiring no further adjustment. That's fine but shooting RAW and processing in Adobe Camera Raw or Lightroom is more effective and to my mind easier to use.

Viewfinder diopter adjustment is available.

Again, same camera, same hand. If I raise my right hand so the 3rd and 4th fingers properly grip the handle, this leaves the index finger and thumb too high to properly operate their respective control modules. The handle is not high enough and is not shaped to match the hand which is trying to hold the camera and operate it at the same time.

Prepare Phase of camera use  This takes place in the several minutes before image capture, and involves configuring camera settings for the current subject material. Several items from the Shooting Menu can be accessed more quickly by pressing the F button. These are Metering, White Balance, ISO Sensitivity, Picture Control, Focus Mode and AF Area Mode. Shooting Mode is set on the Mode Dial as usual. The Multi Selector gives access to AELock/AFLock,  Exposure Compensation, Flash controls and Drive Mode.

Once you have settled into a particular style of camera use, for instance always shooting RAW or always JPG, then the Prepare Phase control options are quite adequate.

Problem solved. This mockup is the same height and just 2mm wider than the real V2. It is 4mm deeper but this has no impact on size once a lens is fitted.  It is much more comfortable, easier and more secure to hold and operate than the real V2.  All the user control modules (buttons, dials etc) lie directly under their operating finger because during the design process I put the fingers in place first, then located the buttons where the fingers wanted to find them.

Capture Phase, Holding   Holding arrangements on the V2 are better than the V1 but that would not be difficult to achieve. There is a handle, which is good but it it is shaped in flat sided, blocky style to accommodate the battery within rather than the hand which is trying to hold it.  There is no proper thumb rest. Holding a camera this size could be dramatically improved with better ergonomic design as illustrated by my mockup which has a taller, completely different shaped handle with parallel top section and a deep comfortable thumb rest.

Capture Phase, Viewing   The V2 allows viewing via Monitor or EVF with automatic switching between the two by proximity sensor. The Monitor is fixed, which allows it to be larger in size than would be possible if it were fully articulated. Some people will be happy with the monitor as provided,  however having used many cameras over the years I personally would trade some size for a fully articulating capability.  That would require the left side buttons to be relocated of course.

The Monitor provides Monitor View style with camera data superimposed over the lower part of the preview image. The EVF uses VF/DSLR syle with camera data displayed beneath the preview image. There is no option for them to have the same display style. Monitor and Viewfinder brightness can be adjusted but not color or contrast. Both Monitor and EVF display a good preview of the subject. The EVF is not as sharp or detailed as those on recent M4/3 cameras but is perfectly satisfactory as a framing/preview window. Both Monitor and EVF gain up and down with exposure compensation.

Overall the viewing experience is quite satisfactory with no serious deficits or problems.

Capture Phase, Operating  This is generally quite straightforward. Shooting Mode is set on the Mode dial then adjustments made with the Command Dial. All the buttons and dials are easily reached while holding the camera in shooting position and all operate smoothly with just the right amount of resistance and clicky feel.

The built in flash works well as a fill light source for backlit subjects. I use -1 stop flash exposure compensation for this purpose.

Some people have complained about the absence of touch screen controls but in my published evaluation touch screen controls are useless on a hand held camera especially one like the V2 which is designed to be used with an eye level viewfinder.

Press OK to activate the AF area then move it's position with the Multi Selector. This works quickly and is very effective. The only thing missing is a "return to center" function, so to return the AF area to center you have to nudge it back with the Multi Selector or switch the camera off then on again. On restart the AF area defaults to the center.

Overall camera operation is fast and efficient, making good use of the (relative to some other cameras) fairly limited suite of user control modules (buttons, dials etc).

Auto Iso  The algorithms controlling auto ISO tend to set a somewhat low ISO in low light levels, presumably to reduce image noise,  but this leads to low shutter speeds. This leaves the operator reliant on a steady hand and VR for sharp photos. VR is quite effective but of course does nothing to cope with subject movement. When using the camera indoors I find it essential to keep a constant watch on the shutter speed and switch to manual control of ISO if Auto ISO is producing shutter speeds which are too slow for handheld use.

Video  I have not yet tested video operation.