This is just some of my thoughts - I'm not a toot my own horn type, but I thought I would share as I always like it when others do the same.
The 1 series is a 50/50 mix of good and bad, and as someone has said, the cameras of late are so good now that the fault lies with the photographer. That being said - I'll never post my missed shots, out of focus, or the ones I wish were better - I always post the best stuff making it look too easy. But everyone should know better that it really isn't that easy.
Making/taking good photos is a lot of work, yet sometimes I get lucky and I'm at the right place at the right time, with the right light, with a camera - iPhone or otherwise - I get the photo and then look like a rock-star. That’s always awesome - and how can you not love awesome.
Most of my shooting is for my own pleasure - but I do market myself as a self taught architectural photographer.
I'm shooting the V1 as of late - for 16 months - with the 10-30, 18.5, 6.7-13, and 30-110mm - my other system is D3s.
I wish the lenses were faster on the 1, as I find myself constantly shooting the 18.5 for the f1.8, but lately the telephoto and zoom focal lengths have really forced me to develop a different style - a different way to see, and I’m liking that.
Nikon gear (FM-2) was a hand-me-down from my Father and that’s where it all started. But my first digital was the D2h - where I cut my teeth to make that system successfully hum. I remember the banter between those who had the megapixels of the D2x and those who had the rendering of the D2h fight it out, i.e. “it’s not the megapixels, it’s the sensor”… .”
And here were are today — and unusually enough, I’m in the same situation.
What do I most like of the V1 - the sensor has the same rendering at the D3s - it’s all Nikon. Dynamic range is a bit lacking but I’ve never really shot for hi-dynamic range. A slightly blown out photo reminds me of the organic nature of what we are all viewing.
NEF images coming out of the V1 hardly need to be touched - slight sharpening, and maybe a 1/2 stop exposure adjustment is usually all I need - else I’m doing something terribly wrong. I’ll vary between Portrait and Vivd and always shoot NEF.
I try to do all my development in ViewNX2 and any lens corrections in LightRoom. ViewNX2 squeezes that extra 10-20% out of the NEF. And I always find that extra bit surprising when comparing LR to ViewNX2. If ViewNX2 had robust lens correction I would be hooked. As I write this I hopped over to NX-D and was pleasantly surprised but at the same time frustrated with the interface - but the noise reduction is welcomed.
AF is lighting fast - it will still miss some shots, but not that often - and after shooting the V1 I’m almost afraid to compare it to or try anything else.
The lenses are very sharp - slow, but very sharp.
About 80% of my shooting is outdoors and the other 20% is indoors. But when indoors I’m using the best light gathering lens which is the 18.5 (50mm equilv.) because of the crop factor.
Searching for and experimenting with all of this hardware has given me 1 thing. The ability to recognize the “possibility” of a good/great photo. That’s all. And since this is digital I’ve been able to compress that amount of time spent with film to probably 1 tenth of what it takes to do that. I’ve been on digital since 2006.
I try not to get hung up on the hardware - of course it is difficult not too though.
The V1 will give me a native res print of 9” x 12” and I may up-rez a few photos to 12” x 18” but that’s my limit for framing, else I’m printing on frameless aluminum.
So that’s my story - so far. Oh - and for some reason, I’m on a BW kick.