Ever heard of the Nikon 1 S1? It could be due a comeback. It’s often said that Nikon didn’t join the mirrorless party until the launch of the Nikon Z6 and Z7 back in 2018, but that’s not technically true. Nikon didn’t join the full-frame mirrorless party until then, but Z-mount wasn’t Nikon’s first mirrorless interchangeable-lens system. That accolade goes to the short-lived Nikon 1.
That’s right, the Nikon 1 system was a bit of a flash in the pan. It launched at the tail end of 2011 and in 2018 – suspiciously close to the Z6 / Z7 announcement – it was discontinued. During that timeframe, the Nikon 1 system spawned 13 official Nikon lenses and 11 cameras, including the Nikon 1 S1. And in a world where many of the small, trendy compacts of yesteryear are getting pretty pricey, you can still pick up many Nikon 1 cameras and indeed lenses for a comparatively fair price.
And while they’re not technically a true compact camera with a fixed lens, they’re so darned small that they fit the best compact camera ethos nicely. I guess a similar alternative would be the Pentax Q range, but the Nikon 1 S1 is almost as compact as a mirrorless camera can possibly be.
Sensor size does matter
Perhaps the biggest problem with the Nikon 1 S1, and the 1 system as a whole, was its extremely small 1-inch sensor. The fact is, by the time you start getting into interchangeable-lens cameras, you’re probably yearning for better image quality than a casual point-and-shoot camera. But the concept of the Nikon 1 system is fantastic. And you know what, I’ve seen plenty of photographers look back on this never-critically-acclaimed system extremely fondly.
Now, at the time of writing, I’ve seen the Nikon 1 S1 for sale in excellent condition over at MPB for just $77 / £66. That’s cheaper than a Kodak PixPro Z45 compact! Sure, the lenses tend to be pricer than many of the cameras, so that’ll probably send you over the PixPro budget. But you can pick up the Nikon 1 Nikkor VR 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 for $109 / £97 in excellent condition. That’s $186 / £163 for a camera and a lens! Plus, you can upgrade to more lenses at a later date.
And that's the thing with interchangeable lens cameras. They grow with you. If you decide you want to get into different types of photography or simply learn more about optics, they provide what a fixed lens simply cannot.
So, If you’re a street photographer, want to tentatively dip your toe into the world of interchangeable lens cameras, or are simply a collector, there might be life in the Nikon 1 S1 yet.
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