By ditching the heavy mirrors, manufacturers
have been able to create a new breed of camera, smaller and lighter than a DSLR
yet with the benefit of interchangeable lenses. We look at six of the best.
One
of the biggest developments in digital photography in recent years is the rise
of a new category of camera
It’s hard to believe that only a decade
ago, the vast majority of cameras required you to crack open up the back panel
and insert a roll of film in order to work. Even the best photographers were
shooting blind, pressing the shutter button then having to wait until the roll
of film was complete before they knew if they had a great shot or not.
Fortunately, the rise of digital
photography over the past decade has taken what was once a fairly expensive
niche hobby and turned it into something everybody can enjoy.
While the fundamental science behind film
photography – things like aperture and shutter speeds – translated across to
digital and the form factors changed little (except for the addition of an LCD
screen), digital also opened up huge opportunities for camera manufacturers to
introduce intelligent new features and functions.
One of the biggest developments in digital
photography in recent years is the rise of a new category of camera. Going by a
variety of names – Compact System Camera (CSC), Mirrorless System Camera (MSC),
Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) and, best of all, Electronic Viewfinder
with Interchangeable Lens (EVIL) – the new category is exploding in popularity.
Electronic
Viewfinder with Interchangeable Lens (EVIL) – the new category is exploding in
popularity
With small, compact bodies, yet with the
benefit of an interchangeable lens system, these cameras aspire to offer the
best of both worlds, combining lightweight, comfortable form factors with
amazing picture quality.
They accomplish this feat by doing away
with the bulky mirrors found in SLR cameras. Instead of bouncing the image
through the lens up to a viewfinder via a couple of mirrors, CSC cameras
translate the image directly off the sensor, displaying it on the rear LCD
screen or an electronic viewfinder.
Because of the purely digital collection
and display of images, CSC cameras have a huge advantage over full-sized DSLRs,
in that many models can actively display settings changes in real time. In
other words, if you adjust the aperture or shutter speed of a framed shot, you
can see the difference each adjustment will make on the camera’s screen.
For novice photographers looking for a way
to delve into the manual settings of a camera in order to become a better
photographer, these advancements make the process significantly simpler.
Not everything is an improvement though. In
many cases – but not all – the reduced body size means a smaller image sensor,
which can affect the image quality at larger print sizes.
There’s also the fact that the smaller
cameras largely require an entirely new lens ecosystem to exist. While some
cameras offer adapters to legacy lens mounts, it’s never as simple a
proposition as sticking with a full-sized DSLR.
Still, the benefits of an interchangeable
lens camera with a lightweight, compact body far outweigh the downsides.
Whether it’s for a compact user looking to get more out of photography than
their current fixed-lens can provide or a seasoned DSLR user looking for
something to carry around on the weekends, CSC cameras are delivering on
digital photography’s promise.
Nikon 1 V1
Ratings: 3.5/5
Price: $999 (10-30mm lens); $1099 (10-30mm
& 30-110mm lenses)
www.nikoncom
Nikon
is one of the behemoths in the DSLR market
Nikon is one of the behemoths in the DSLR
market, so expectations were high for the Japanese company’s first foray into
the CSC market. The V1 is an interesting first attempt, with real strengths and
weaknesses compared to the other models tested.
Nikon has opted for a fairly small CX-size
sensor in the V1, which immediately places a question mark over image quality.
The good news is that it’s largely unfounded. The quality of Nikon glass and
image processing stand up and the quality of the photos is impressive.
However, the controls for the V1 aren’t
exactly what you’d expect from a company with Nikon’s heritage. Access to
shooting modes is buried deep within menus and mastering the different control
mechanisms – an up and down rocker and the scroll wheel – takes a while to get
used to.
Also disappointing is the lack of a live
indication of your shot on the LCD as you alter the settings, given that it’s
become a standard feature for this class of camera.
The LCD screen is sharp and vibrant and the
video quality from the 1080p shooting mode is spectacular.
Also striking is the inclusion of a feature
called Smart Shot, which takes a stream of 20 photographs and then determines
what it believes are the five best for you to choose from.
Another option on the menu dial is a
slightly weird Motion Snapshot, which sets a single second of footage alongside
a still and some music, in an attempt to stir up some emotion from your
photography. It works, but hardly seems practical at all.
Buying advice: If it weren’t for the great images, the Nikon would be hard to
recommend. But as it stands, the images are impressive and it’s an easy camera
to use for novices, although experts will become quickly frustrated.
