Reviewed: Two exciting cameras that take on DSLRs

Nikon 1 V1
Nikon, arguably, is one of the best DSLR manufacturers. The new breed of compact system cameras may not replace DSLRs yet, but they are easy to carry around and offer great image quality. Nikon has stepped into this segment - it is currently dominated by the likes of Olympus and Panasonic with their Micro Four Thirds system cameras — with the Nikon 1 series; its flagship is the Nikon 1 V1 mirrorless interchangeable camera.

Nikon has stepped away from the herd with this range and added a brand new CX sensor unit which is sized between the sensor found on a compact camera and their DX DSLR sensor.

With the V1, Nikon features a pixel count of 10MP and with the sensor not being overloaded with pixels, the camera aims to produce images with a significant lower amount of noise. The brand has also stepped away from their traditional F mount and instead opted for a brand new Nikon 1 lens mount. However, if one does have F mount lenses, they can pair it with the V1 using a FT1 mount adaptor.

Nikon adds a Nikkor 1 10-30mm lens with the camera and in reference to a 35mm equivalent lens, it translates to 28-80mm. This will allow one to capture images at 3x zoom. This is a collapsible lens type and when paired with the body, it is not really a pocketable solution. The camera is made from magnesium alloy, making it very sturdy and durable.

Available in a choice of white or black, it can appeal to both genders as well. The display and the EVF are the stand-out points of the camera, both of which are of very high resolutions. At first glance, it may seem that the camera is not the easiest of devices to use, but play around with it for a few minutes and you should know how it works.

There’s no dedicated denotation on the mode dial for semi-manual or manual controls; instead, one has to dive into the interface to adjust the various options. This may be a cumbersome process and deter potential consumers after all these types of cameras are about having complete control over the image. It features 1080p video recording at 30fps and 1080i at 60fps.

The Nikon 1 V1 is rather expensive and does not feature a flash. Though the image quality is almost excellent in most environments, there are other options available at a lesser rate from Olympus or Panasonic.

Canon Powershot A4000 IS
The entry-level camera segment is swamped with options these days from various brands. How does one differentiate? Canon, building up on their range of Powershot cameras, has recently unveiled the A4000 IS.

This point-and-shoot option is designed for those who want a camera for casual photography yet something that is stylish in looks as well. The trump card Canon has used here in terms of features is the large 8x zoom on a slim compact body. Being a stylish camera, this compact camera can appease either gender as it is available in a range of colour options black, blue, silver and red).

The camera comes loaded with a 16 megapixel CCD sensor and is powered using a DIGIC 4-processor that helps in reducing the amount of noise in the pictures.

Contrary to most of the Powershot models, this camera is not bulky, but does have that chunky design that is usually found on this line from Canon. The 3-inch screen found at the back sits flush along the body of the camera and does not jut out keeping in line with its overall slim body.

The buttons feel quite sturdy overall but one thing about them is size — simply too small.

People with large hands may find it difficult to navigate through the options due to their rather tiny size. This camera is designed primarily for those who want an easy option to use, hence there is no way one can tweak settings beyond a certain point.

The only options that can be tweaked are found in the programme mode where one can adjust settings like ISO sensitivity, white balance, etc.  The auto mode is sufficient for most photography and one can easilyuse this in most lighting conditions as well. The 8x zoom does well whilecapturing shots and not much blur
is visible even with the zoom set to maximum.

If one wants to take some creative photography to put up on social
networking sites, the A4000 IS comes with various preset shooting modes such as  fish eye effect, miniature
effect, toy camera, discrete mode, etc. Performance-wise, the camera

really excels in outdoor photography with a lot of detail seen in images. The screen, however, is not the best and does not handle sunlight quite well. Images on the camera’s screen appear washed out while facing the sunlight but the same issues are not present on the captured image.

If one is not concerned with tweaking or playing around with the settings of the camera, then this will make a good buy as it is easy to use and offers good performance for casual photography.