Nikon 1 NIKKOR VR 10 30mm F 3 5 5 6 Review | 54 Data compared

The OpticalLimits (PhotoZone) review by Markus Stamm offers a detailed look at the 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens designed for Nikon’s mirrorless CX-format system camera line. Tested on a Nikon V1 body, the lens translates to a full-frame equivalent focal length of 27-81mm. Optically, the reviewer details that the lens exhibits distinct barrel distortion on its wide 10mm end. However, this distortion reduces significantly at 14mm, and by 18mm through 30mm, it remains virtually distortion-free. This correction is achieved strictly through native optical engineering rather than in-camera firmware algorithms. Additionally, the lens features a collapsible design that automatically powers on the camera when extended via the zoom ring, though it fails to shut the camera down when retracted. The review identifies clear hardware and performance tradeoffs, categorizing specific pros and cons: Pros: Very good build quality utilizing a reliable metal mount and high-quality plastics. Fast and completely silent autofocus drive optimized for video capture. Stepless aperture transitions helpful for videographers. Excellent slower shutter speed stabilization (down to half a second). Cons: No physical focus ring, forcing all...

The Nikon 1 NIKKOR lens lineup provides an average to very good optical performance that holds up surprisingly well against standard dSLR and full-frame lenses despite operating on a smaller camera sensor size. Key advantages include their lightweight and compact design, with the 10mm prime weighing only 77g and the 10-30mm and 30-110mm zooms weighing 115g and 180g respectively, making them highly portable for amateur photographers. Furthermore, chromatic aberration is remarkably well-controlled across the zoom lenses, even outperforming some competitors, and the telephoto 30-110mm rivals high-end Nikkor 70-200mm glass in color fringing control. For video enthusiasts, the 10-100mm PD-ZOOM offers a unique, specialized electronic "T-W" drive instead of a manual focus ring to enable incredibly smooth focal length transitions. However, the lineup suffers from noticeable drawbacks in sharpness, low-light handling, and image processing. Resolution across the standard lenses is strictly average, hovering around 38 to 41 lp/mm. Heavy vignetting is a persistent issue, causing a significant loss of up to -1.4 EV at f/2.8 on the 10mm lens, while the 10-100mm video lens loses up to -0.9 EV in the...

The Imaging Resource review identifies the Nikon 1 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 Nikkor VR as a capable standard kit lens for the CX-format system, offering impressive central sharpness that becomes consistent corner-to-corner when stopped down. Key advantages include an efficient Vibration Reduction (VR) system, a compact retractable design with a secure, powered-locking barrel, and a durable metal lens mount. Conversely, the lens exhibits notable cons, specifically high geometric distortion—approximately 1.0% barrel at 10mm and 0.7% pincushion at 30mm. Additionally, the review notes visible purple fringing from chromatic aberration in high-contrast corners and relatively weak close-up performance, featuring a maximum 0.21x magnification.

The Photography Life review deems the Nikon 1 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 VR a capable, well-built kit lens for CX-format cameras, boasting a compact, collapsible design and effective vibration reduction. It offers good center/corner sharpness and fast, silent autofocus via STM technology. Conversely, the lens suffers from significant diffraction-related image degradation at apertures smaller than f/5.6-f/8, lacks physical focus/mode controls, and has limited low-light performance.

The 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is a lightweight, polycarbonate kit lens designed for the Nikon 1 system that delivers adequate, if uninspiring, performance with negligible vignetting and good flare resistance. While the lens produces surprisingly pleasant bokeh for a CX-sensor, it is noted for very obvious barrel distortion at 10mm and mild pincushion distortion at 30mm. Despite its decent build quality suited for cameras like the Nikon 1 V1, the review highlights that the lens lacks competitive optical performance.

The Nikon 1 NIKKOR VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 review by DXOMARK reveals a standard zoom lens with mixed performance characteristics, earning a low overall DXOMARK score of 7 when tested on the 10-megapixel Nikon 1 V1 camera body. On the positive side, the lens displays commendable control over common visual aberrations, exhibiting very weak and tolerable distortion alongside well-managed vignetting that registers at a minor -0.6 EV. Additionally, light transmission is evaluated as stable with no noticeable flaws at a measured 5.1 TStop, confirming that light passes efficiently through the optics. Conversely, the primary drawback highlighted in the review is the lens's disappointing sharpness, which scores a mere 3 P-Mpix. This resolution is considered low even when paired with a camera sensor that has a lower pixel count. Chromatic aberration is another weak point, showing a measured color fringing of 7 µm. DXOMARK notes that while the lens performs at its absolute best at a focal length of 10mm when stopped down to f/4, its overall optical performance is comparable to basic bundled kit lenses but struggles to stand out in...

The 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 VR is a highly compact and lightweight plastic kit lens designed for the discontinued Nikon 1 system. Reviewer Richard Haw notes that while it serves as a highly convenient, budget-friendly companion for casual travel photography, its overall build quality is notoriously flimsy. A major drawback of the lens is its high failure rate, specifically concerning its fragile internal electronics and a tiny, plastic aperture motor gear that frequently chips or wears down, requiring an intricate and surgical complete disassembly to repair. Optically, the lens delivers highly inconsistent and generally weak performance when shot wide-open, demanding that users stop down by at least one to two stops to achieve decent sharpness, while actively avoiding apertures past f/8 to evade immediate diffraction. While the lens handles barrel distortion relatively well around the 18mm focal length, its wider 10mm setting suffers from exaggerated distortion and corner vignetting. Furthermore, its resistance to internal reflections and flare is remarkably poor, chromatic aberration remains persistently visible even when stopped down, and the built-in vibration reduction (VR) system is highly incompetent, offering...

achromatic lens review highlights an affordable, lightweight macro photography workaround for Nikon 1 system users, filling a crucial gap since Nikon lacked a native macro lens for the system at the time. A major pro of this achromatic close-up lens is its exceptional budget-friendliness; at around $50–$55, it is a fraction of the cost of heavy FT-1 adapter and Micro-Nikkor lens setups, which can run anywhere from $530 to $1,000. Furthermore, because it utilizes multiple lens elements rather than just one, it successfully minimizes chromatic aberration and ensures excellent image quality and sharpness right up to the borders of the frame. The reviewer heavily praises its compact form factor, noting that it aligns perfectly with the low size and low weight philosophy that makes the Nikon 1 system appealing for travel bags. However, the reviewer also notes a few distinct cons to using this setup compared to traditional gear. Because it is a close-up filter rather than a dedicated macro lens, it is inherently less powerful and cannot achieve the extreme image reproduction ratios (above 1:1) that are possible with...

The Nikon 10-30mm f/3.5 – 5.6 VR (CX) is a highly compact standard zoom lens designed for Nikon’s 1-series mirrorless cameras, offering a 3x zoom range equivalent to a 28-80mm lens on full-frame systems. Built to a high standard, the lens features a smart collapsible design that automatically turns the camera on when extended. Its hybrid autofocus system is fast, quiet for photography, and adapts its focusing methods seamlessly based on lighting and contrast. Optically, the lens achieves its highest resolution at full aperture, outperforming what is typically expected from a compact system lens, and handles flare well while keeping chromatic aberration remarkably low in standard JPEG files. The review highlights several distinct pros and cons regarding its real-world performance. Among its main advantages, the lens boasts strong optical sharpness, highly efficient chromatic aberration handling, a fast autofocus drive, robust construction, and integrated optical image stabilization (Vibration Reduction). However, the lens suffers from severe barrel distortion at the 10mm wide end, which the camera fails to correct automatically in both JPEG and RAW files. Additionally, the out-of-focus bokeh rendering is...