Nikon 1 V1 + RASPBERRY PI HQ CAMERA LENS + Neewer Handheld Stabilizer

 

I bought the Nikon 1 V1 at the local charity bazaar because the price was $50.

It came in a big cardboard box and it was so crowded I didn't have a chance to go through all that was in it.

When I got home, I tallied the score. One Nikon 1 V1 body, one 18.5 mm f1.8 autofocus Nikon 1 system lens. A battery that wasn't charged. Two cables: one usb, another HDMI. That's it.

Typical for me, buying into a dead-end, discontinued, not well-regarded camera system.

But I lucked in some ways. The Nikon 1 system comes with the CX-sized sensor (13.2mm x 8.8mm). It is comparable to Super 16mm movie film (12.52 mm x 7.41 mm). And I wanted to shoot digital video with wide apertures and manual focus.

So here was my chance.

I bought three (!) lens mount adapters: Nikon F to Nikon 1, Pentax K to Nikon 1, and C-mount to Nikon 1. I also (because really I was spending too much) a Raspberry Pi HQ 16mm f1.8 CCTV C-mount lens. Okay, I also bought a charger, a power adapter, and a handheld stabilizer.

But it is all in the name of a vision. I wanted to start shooting videos of my musician son and also capture my process of street shooting (which I've started doing again). It's no big deal what I do but I wanted to document it. I expect it will include lots of toad-face expressions...see below.

 

This morning I tested a rig using the Nikon 1 documenting my use of the Nikon L35AF2 (One Touch).  The setup was cumbersome. Next I'm going to try shooting with the Nikon 1 on the Neewer Handheld Stabilizer. Only got it yesterday, so it's going to require some practice.

I haven't decided for video if I'll use the Raspberry 16mm manual focus lens or the Nikkor 18.5mm f1.8 autofocus that came with it.

So far I think the 16mm has more "character." But it would mean I have to fix my focus and aperture when on the stabilizer. There's no way to make adjustments on the fly. It would be a set and go setup. In the test reel I did this morning (the vid clip above comes from that test run) included lots of overexposure because I set the camera for the shade.

Since this is primarily about the Nikon 1 V1 body...here are some shots I've taken so far with it.

The two above are with the Nikkor 18.5mm and the one below is with the Raspberry HQ 16mm lens. Straight from the cam.

I should also add the "Raspberry Pi HQ Camera Lens" came in a box marked CGL Electronics Co. Ltd. and the following item code PT3611614M10MP. Just in case you need that kind of info.

I bought the lens from Lee's Electronics in Vancouver.