Birding with Nikon Mirrorless Camera - Nikon J1

Got an opportunity to try out new mirrorless camera system - Nikon 1 J1 coupled with AFS 300mm f/4 using an adaptor FT1 specially developed by Nikon to get existing F-mount AFS Nikkors to be used together with the camera. A firmware update is necessary to get the system work seamlessly, otherwise the camera cannot detect the lens.

Here is the combo:

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AFS 300mm f/4 lens already fitted with FT1 adaptor. Nikon 1 J1 body with 10mm f/2.8 CX prime lens is courtesy from Nikon Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

First impression:
Focusing is blazing fast with 300mm! However, it need ample light and contrast to get the focus to work properly due to phase detection and contrast detect AF system, otherwise it may hunt.
Another good feature is higher frame rate in burst mode.

Here is the first sample. taken at 10fps, f/4, 1/400s handheld. shutter speed is considered low since the effective focal length is 810mm.

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Please bear with the noise. I think I should use center-weighted metering instead of spot metering. I'm gonna try it further and report my findings here..

Not bad... try more and let us the result..

hehe....good work bro...i know your tangan gatal liao. Show la some more!

Not too shabby bro. Do post more please...

Thanks for the tests. I would like to see 100% crops of some pics to see the noise level, and also the exif including ISO.

Oh! I expected you would buy v1 instead.
Keep coming with your report to racun me.

chankaisoon wrote:Thanks for the tests. I would like to see 100% crops of some pics to see the noise level, and also the exif including ISO.

the above is cropped version to get the composition. exif is intact via flickr (click on the filename below the pic)

BENCYF wrote:Oh! I expected you would buy v1 instead.
Keep coming with your report to racun me.

unfortunately Nikon Malaysia don't have the V1 demo unit. getting the J1 is OK lahh, better than nothing (actually I was hoping to pinjam the D4.. kakaka)

OK here is another shot, taken with 300mm + TC-17EII making EFL is 1350mm. the bird is about 20 meters away and this was taken without proper lens supporting system (tonite I'm going to pinjam Mr. No Good tripod). In the time being for this shot, I just make use cloth hanger to support the camera.. ehehehe

original:

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cropped:

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jack2964 wrote:hehe....good work bro...i know your tangan gatal liao. Show la some more!

you know Jack, I'm dying without doing some bird photography. You know how much I love to record the birds, the nature, the insects etc etc.. ahaha

Oh, I'm taking this opportunity to wish everybody

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Thanks Wahoo. I cannot see the exit on flickr maybe because I am not a registered user. Anyway the largest size picture show very little noise. Well done.

I went out to shhot common kf this afternoon.
Saw a guy using V1 with 70-200.
I think I need one with my 70-200 on 14E or 17 E
attached. Problem is I like shooting BIF.
Bro, any sample for BIF?

chankaisoon wrote:Thanks Wahoo. I cannot see the exit on flickr maybe because I am not a registered user. Anyway the largest size picture show very little noise. Well done.

no need to be registered user mehh.. on top of the pic in flickr, there's "actions" tab. click it to display option to see exif data..

like this

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BENCYF wrote:I went out to shhot common kf this afternoon.
Saw a guy using V1 with 70-200.
I think I need one with my 70-200 on 14E or 17 E
attached. Problem is I like shooting BIF.
Bro, any sample for BIF?

unfortunately once the FT1 adaptor used with normal F-mount lens, there is only one focus point available at the center. 135 AF focus point in auto area or 41 focus areas in specific focus point mode is only available if a CX lens used.. tracking AF also not available with my lens. then, how to shoot BIF?

Got the exif info now. Thanks Wahoo.

lagi ada.. fresh from the kitchen, taken this morning without TC before I'm heading to Cameron Highlands later on..

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and a video too

nice work bro...good luck at cameron, tembak kau kau!

it was massive traffic jam in CH. hence not much I can do except shooting these by the roadside while waiting my wife and kids looking for vege, souvenir, strawberries and so on.. haha

just some lifer.. this should be Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni), right?

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and this one should be Streaked Bulbul (Ixox malaccensis)?

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Nice shots bro. 2nd one is Mountain Bulbul I think.

yaya.. mountain bulbul. my bad.. hehe thanks jack..

BTW, the distance to subject is very far..

Quality good for far subject distance. Can crop more.
Got some more to share or not?

as you wish. some of these is uncropped version..

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Thanks bro for sharing. what is the effective focal length without the crop factor of camera? And you got what looks like a drongo cuckoo and a pooping tiger shrike. good catch la!

crop factor is 2.7. some was taken with 300mm lens alone, making effective focal length to 810mm. some was taken with TC-17EII, making total effective focal length of 1350mm. I was shooting in a comfortable zone no less than 6m without making the birds being wary.

one particular advantage I like is, I can shoot wide open since the DOF is sufficient to get head to tail everything in focus.

another thing is, being a mirrorless, there's no dreaded mirror slap effect during slow shutter. I just shoot them away without using any remote shutter device. last time with my D90, anything below 1/25s I need to use remote cord and MLU. and burst rate is amazing and the camera buffer is just awesome...