Nikon 1 V1. The Vivid & Monochrome Picture Controls.
Just a quick post about two of the picture profiles for the Nikon 1 V1 which I’ve purchased recently. They are the default Vivid and Monochrome profiles. They’re definitely a love it or hate it affair, but I think they are part of what gives this camera a bit of ‘personality’.
I have to admit, I do like them but I stick the the ‘Standard’ profile, as this is what I perceive to be closest to the Nikon colours that I’ve seen in photographs taken with the DSLR’s.
I’ve attached some examples below, including the Standard profile for comparison. You’ll see that the Vivid ( and I generally avoid Vivid profiles on any camera) is basically way over the top in contrast, while the colour remains on the ‘cool’ side with saturation reduced, which is not what you’d expect from a traditional Vivid colour profile.
Continuing the over the top theme, the default Monochrome setting is well…. over the top. I think it tends toward the look of old newsprint, it’s quite a statement. I not quite sure how to explain this one, the shadows don’t seem too deep but again the contrast is cranked up to give the maximum of drama.
But, because of the strong character of these two profiles, I think they’re something that’s going to get you to consider what your using them for, and probably more so if your someone who doesn’t give a damn about photography and I think that’s a good thing, because it sets the Nikon 1 apart from other cameras.
It does make me wonder what the engineers at Nikon had in mind and what inspired them.
All the best, nictu.
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That monochrome effect is very strong! I am surprised it's so crunchy. I haven't seen a profile like that in camera except on the Ricoh's there's a "hard" B&W mode. It must be darkening the blues too for the sky, because it looks quite a bit darker. Cool dramatic effect though!
I a good few of street photographers that like the Nikon 1 series and the monochrome, it suits gritty urban images
Interesting results! I have a soft spot for 1" sensors, since I started photography on a sony rx100. I've always wondered about the Nikon 1 cameras, but never got a chance to try one out. Might have a different 1" sensor camera on the way though...
Quote from James Warner on September 5, 2023, 8:06 pmThat monochrome effect is very strong! I am surprised it's so crunchy. I haven't seen a profile like that in camera except on the Ricoh's there's a "hard" B&W mode. It must be darkening the blues too for the sky, because it looks quite a bit darker. Cool dramatic effect though!
This B&W mode reminds me of the "Grainy Film" preset that's on some Olympus cameras but I think this Nikon preset may be even stronger in contrast than that.
