Higher resolution and a flip-up display come to the Nikon 1 line

Nikon adds its annual Nikon 1 J series camera to the lineup with the J5, one of the most traditionally designed models we've seen since Nikon first rolled out the series. (Though Nikon says the J4 will remain in the lineup, Amazon at last lists it as discontinued by the manufacturer.)

Nikon 1 J5 gets a new look (pictures)

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Although Nikon has yet to announce availability, the standard kit with the 10-30mm power zoom lens will run $500, and I've seen it available for preorder for AU$750. That converts to about £337. (I'll update with UK pricing once it's available.)

What's new

• Design. From the two-tone with leatherette aesthetic to the more common control layout, this looks the least like its more clean-featured, square-buttoned siblings. Nikon joins the crowd with a new flip-up LCD display for selfies and groupies, but it doesn't sacrifice the ability to tilt.
• Sensor. While it still uses the 1-inch CX-format, the camera incorporates a 20.8-megapixel sensor -- the highest-resolution yet in the Nikon 1 series.
• Features. The image processor jumps to Expeed 5A from 4A, which brings with it some new features. Most notable, it will do 4K movies at 15 frames per second; Nikon promises it "doesn't look cartoonish." Like the V3, it can now do higher-resolution slow-motion video playback, 3 seconds of 720/120p along with the older faster-frame-rate choices at lower resolutions. There's also electronic image stabilization and the ability to use Active D-Lighting with movies as well. It also gets interval recording and time-lapse (300 images at 5-, 10- or 30-second intervals that plays as a 10-second video in-camera). A new sports scene mode automatically switches on continuous autofocus, turns off face-priority and quick review and increases the shutter speed. It will also group bursts during playback. There are some new special effects that bring it into parity with every other camera, and the inclusion of NFC for initiating Wi-Fi connections.

My take

Unfortunately, the battery life gets worse and worse. The J5 is down to 250 shots, although you could probably spin it as better than the 2-year-old J3's with its sadder 210 shots, or tied with the not-available-in-the-US Canon EOS M3 . Otherwise, the perks of the J series are that they're so inexpensive compared to competitors and offer speedy continuous-shooting, as long as you're willing to accept the 1-inch sensor, smallest of the interchangeable-lens models save Pentax's tiny Q models .

Comparative specs