Nikon 85mm f/1.8G on Nikon 1

By using the Nikon FT-1 mount adapter, you can connect Nikkor F mount lenses to a Nikon 1 camera. Most newer lenses work well on Nikon 1 cameras, in the sense that you can operate the aperture as usual, and you can also use the autofocus. When using an adapted lens, you can only use the centre focus point, and you cannot use the AF-A mode. Otherwise, it is mostly like using a native Nikon 1 lens.

It still doesn't make sense to use any Nikon F lens on a Nikon 1 camera. I would only bother if the Nikon F lens is one of:

1. Fast (large aperture)
   
2. Very long (tele, large magnification)
   
3. Macro (close focus distance)
   

A lens in the first category is the entry level fast portrait lens, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G. To understand why an 85mm lens is called a portrait lens, you can read this article.

On a Nikon 1 camera, this lens becomes equivalent to 230mm f/1.8, due to the 2.7x crop factor. Such a lens can be interesting for various purposes, for example low light photography in concerts or theatres. Here you see the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G mounted to the Nikon FT-1 (to the left), compared with the native CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 to the right, mounted to the Nikon 1 V3.

Sigma 150-600mm Sports on Nikon 1

When I first tried the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Sports on the Nikon 1 V3 using the Nikon FT-1 adapter, I was unhappy. The focus accuracy was very poor, leading to unusable results.

However, after the Nikon 1 V3 firmware upgrade this spring, the focus issue was gone, and I found the lens to be much more usable on the Nikon 1 camera. Here is how they look when mounted. The FT-1 adapter is between the camera and lens:

Of course, I wouldn't recommend buying this lens solely for the use on Nikon 1. But if you already have a Nikon DX or FX system, you may consider sharing the lens with a Nikon 1 camera as well.

But how does it perform? Do you get any real reach benefits over using the much smaller and more portable Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (my review)? After all, if using the enormous Sigma 150-600mm Sports does not give you any more details, it is better to leave it at home and bring the CX 70-300mm. To find out this, I have compared them.

Wide angle prime lenses compared

The classic 28mm prime lens is a natural part of any lens lineup. Most kit zoom lenses include the 28mm equivalent in the wide end, but you can also get prime (non-zoom) lenses with the same field of view.

Below are three such lenses, for three different interchangeable lens systems. How do they compare?

From left to right: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 (old style) mounted to a Sony NEX-3N, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 mounted to a Lumix GM1, and Nikon 1 10mm f/2.8 mounted to a Nikon 1 V3 with a user optional EVF.

Nikon CX 70-300mm tested on V3

In my review of the Nikon 1 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, I was testing it with the Nikon 1 J1 camera, with a 10MP sensor. Since this time, I have acquired the Nikon 1 V3, which is a more suitable camera for a long lens, with the extra hand grip, and the EVF.

With the V3 camera, I have re-run the sharpness tests. For the rest of the lens review, see my previous article.

I'm not sure if the image quality is better with the 18MP sensor in the Nikon 1 V3 camera. But the resolution is higher, which should make it better for an evaluation of the sharpness.

For a point of reference, I have compared the images from the 70-300mm lens with the Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 on the Lumix GH4.

Both cameras with lenses are pictured below:

As you can see, the Nikon system is much smaller, and should be easier to bring along for trekking.

Nikkor 1 VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 Review

For years, I have used and written about Micro Four Thirds. However, when I first saw the Nikon 1 VR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6, I knew it had the potential for being the perfect compact, lightweight birders lens. Prior to this lens, I honestly didn't see the point of the Nikon 1 system, beyond the mildly interesting fast frame rates.

Since I already have Panasonic's answer to this lens, the Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 (my review), I found it natural to compare the two.

I have also written about real life use of the lens for photographing birds in flight (BIF).

Physical

Here are both the lenses, collapsed, with hoods and cameras connected:

Nikon 1 70-300mm with Nikon 1 J1 (left), and Lumix G 100-300mm with Lumix GM1