The Nikon 1 V3 could have been...............

V2 on the left with 10-100mm lens, Mockup on the right. You can see the inverted L shaped handle topped by the quad control set

 

Using a mockup to illustrate how it could be done

The Nikon 1  series cameras which arrived on the scene in late 2011 certainly caught my interest.  The V1 in particular had a remarkable performance capability never previously seen on a budget consumer camera.  But Nikon right from the start has appeared to be conflicted about it's 1 series, not able to clearly identify it's position in the product spectrum.  Was the V1 a super speed demon for sports/action enthusiasts, even some professionals, or was it a half baked "inbetween" camera with crippled ergonomics, not knowing what it's purpose in the world might be ?

The V2  came along about a year later.  This model corrected many of the glaring ergonomic deficiencies of the V1. There are three V2's  in our family, each white, each used by a woman, each with the 10-100mm lens.  So I have had plenty of opportunity to familiarise myself with it. It's not a bad camera at all. It almost meets  my Proper Camera  definition apart from the fixed monitor. I think the V2 has  lots of potential for development.  It has some very impressive guts. The system also has the 1 series 70-300mm lens coming along soon. If this is good optically it will be very interesting for bird/nature/sport/action/wildlife photographers, of whom there are many. But a long lens like this needs a camera which can be held securely and it needs a built in EVF as viewing with such a lens will almost exclusively be through the EVF to contain camera shake.

V2 on the left, Mockup on the right. You can see the anatomically shaped thumb support and JOG lever to the right of the EVF. The V2 looks to me like a "styling" exercise. The mockup has it's own style born out of form following function. They are effectively the same height although the higher shoulders of the mockup make it appear larger. It is certainly easier to hold.

My hope   for the Nikon 1 system has been that Nikon would develop and market  it as a fully fledged but very much more compact alternative to the traditional DSLR.   So, I really wanted the V3 to look like the mockup illustrated in this post.  This represents a  further evolution of the V series ergonomic design.

But some reviewerssaid they thought the V2 was ugly. Has this been the reason for the V3 reverting to a boxy shape similar to the V1 or many compacts, with minimal handle and no built in EVF ? Who knows ?  Nikon has continued to output a range of lower cost, lower spec 1 Series cameras each looking very like a compact but with interchangeable lenses. The market has delivered  it's collective verdict on compacts without EVF, sales of which have crashed over the last few years. So I really don't understand why Nikon keeps rolling out multiple minor variants of these things.  

I also don't understand why Nikon keeps crippling the V Series, it's top tier 1 System camera with sub optimal ergonomics.  It's a baffling mystery to me. If they got the ergonomics right and priced it right and were able to supply the thing to buyers, I suspect they would sell plenty.

The camera I wanted them to make  is shown in the mockup.  Camera evaluation can be considered under the headings: Specifications, Picture quality, Performance and Ergonomics. This post and the mockup are about the ergonomics.

Dimensions

	Width mm	Height mm	Depth body	Depth total
V2	108	82	23	56
V3/4 Mockup	111	83	30	56

 

You can see the mockup is marginally wider and taller than the V2 but they are essentially the same size.

V2 in the hand. Holding and operating the V2 is not a bad experience but it could so easily be better with more evolved ergonomic design.

 

Ergonomic issues with the V2   The V2 provides a reasonably decent user experience but it could be considerably improved with some design modifications. The specific design features  which I have identified as capable of improvement are:

Prepare Phase   When using the camera I find myself having to access the main menus in Prepare Phase of use. The camera needs a Q Menu or equivalent quick access menu separate from the main menu and able to be populated with user selected items. The existing F button is an awkward access portal to some of the  items  which would better be found in a well designed Q Menu.

Most of the buttons on a camera like this should allow user selectable function from a long list of options.  Novices can select the green zone on the mode dial and leave all other user interface modules at default settings.  There is no need to dumb the camera down just because novices and snapshooters will use it. Novices also use high spec DSLR's. Some of them will become experts one day.  They need a camera which can grow with them through it's ability to be user configured.

Capture Phase

Holding   The V2 has a built in handle which is desirable but it could be better designed. It could be taller, providing a better grip, if the shoulders of the camera were raised. The boxy, squared off shape does not conform well to any known human hand or fingers.

There is no proper thumb support.

Viewing  The EVF needs to be of higher quality, needs to be more adjustable by the user and it needs a more effective light excluding eyecup.

Fixed monitors are much less versatile than the fully articulated type.

Operating  The user interface needs a rethink.

Buttons on the left side of the monitor require the left hand to be removed from holding the lens. No great problem if the lens is very light and small, but the 1 System is acquiring some lenses of decent heft.

Changing AF area position requires the lower rear dial used as 4 way controller. This works but a JOG lever located just to the left of the thumb in rest position would be better.

The mockup uses my signature quad control set consisting of shutter button, front control dial button 1 and button 2 (both with user selectable function). This is the most efficient way which I have yet discovered to drive most Capture Phase functions with just one finger.

Holding the mockup. The shape is just right and the main controls are in the optimum locations because I shaped the body and handle to fit into the natural half closed position of the hand then put the buttons and dials where my fingers wanted to find them, not where some stylist decreed they should go.

 

How the mockup improves the user experience 

Holding  There is a fully anatomical, inverted L shaped handle. This is one of my signature design features.  It provides a very comfortable grip for the right hand because it has been shaped to fit the hand, not the other way around. The overhang allows the right middle finger to take the mass of the right side of the camera without muscle effort. It is not necessary to "grip" the camera, it is held securely with minimal effort. The increased height of the handle allows a full five fingered hold even with many adult male hands.

The inverted L shape provides a wide top platform on which the quad control set can be located.

The substantial thumb support complements the handle to make the camera very easy to hold without strain.

Viewing  The width of the monitor is the same on both the mockup and the V2. The available space could be used for a swing up/down or fully articulated version.

Operating  The quad control set allows control of  all the following with one finger, while continuously looking through the EVF and without having to change grip with either hand:  AF, Aperture (or Shutter Speed depending on mode dial position), ISO (or other parameter as user selected), Exposure Compensation (or other parameter as user selected) and capture.

The JOG lever allows the active AF area to be moved directly without looking away from the viewfinder and without shifting grip with either hand.

There is space on the left side of the hump for a second set and see dial so I have placed one there.  I would use this for direct access to Drive Mode.

Summary 

The V3 which has appeared on the market recently has disappointed many reviewers on many levels and for many reasons. Nikon had an opportunity to improve on the V2 but instead went backwards, sideways, down (in size), any way but forwards. On their top tier 1 System model line they took away the inbuilt EVF, took away the proper handle, shrank the body so it is more difficult to hold,  made the battery smaller, used a smaller memory card for no apparent reason at all and shifted the lens axis back towards the center of the body, providing less room for an accessory handle.

They paired this with a new kit lens having mediocre performance and no ability to fit a screw in filter.

By way of contrast, the mockp improves on the V2, allowing a more efficient, streamlined experience in all phases of use.  The layout is clean and uncluttered yet provides a comprehensive suite of controls for the expert/experienced user while remaining perfectly suitable for the novice.  It represents a win-win result in all aspects of use.  Nothing has to be given up in order to proved improved ergonomics.

This is the camera I want Nikon to make.