Nikon COOLPIX A Black & Silver In Stock at B&H

I'm really looking forward to checking this out - I'll do some head to head comparisons with the GXR-28. Not sure whether I'll get it before the holiday closing or not... For sure sometime in April...

-Ray
 
Ray, looking forward for your Coolpix A review, esp your comparison to GXR-28, RX1 and X100s :)

Also I don't know how much distortion correction they have with this lens. RX100 has over 10% distortion at 28mm and has a similar full frame aperture speed...
 
Ray, if you don't get it right now, you'll have to wait for another whole week! Plus, you've lightened up your m4/3 load already. So you are ready to go for another new cam! :)

ps: I like living vicariously through you.

pps: I just saw a video preview that says the cam doesn't have a low pass filter ... oh boy ... now I'm really tempted ...
 
Here is the samples with raw images, not the best photos:

Nikon Coolpix A Photos | PhotographyBLOG

Ray, if you don't get it right now, you'll have to wait for another whole week! Plus, you've lightened up your m4/3 load already. So you are ready to go for another new cam! :)

ps: I like living vicariously through you.

pps: I just saw a video preview that says the cam doesn't have a low pass filter ... oh boy ... now I'm really tempted ...
 
They are quick, their review is out and their conclusion is "recommended":

Nikon Coolpix A Review - Conclusion | PhotographyBLOG

The sharp 28mm lens and the lack of an optical low-pass filter both help to offer stellar image quality. The contrast-based AF system is more of a deal-breaker. The contrast-based auto-focus system is respectable enough for a compact camera, but certainly not as quick as the Fujifilm X100S or Nikon's 1 series compact system cameras. It feels on par with the original X100 with the latest firmware upgrade installed. We had the pleasure of testing both the X100S and the Coolpix A at the same time, with the former a clear winner in the speed stakes. The outstanding Fujifilm X100S prevent us from recommending the Coolpix A more highly.
 
Sluggish AF. Sigh. It's disconcerting that Nikon didn't just stick the Nikon 1's AF system in the Nikon A. I guess it gives people something to look forward to for the next camera.
 
I've been shooting with the Ricoh GXR-28 for my fixed lens 28 and its gotta have the slowest AF of any camera of any size I can ever remember. Doesn't bother me a bit at this focal length. When I'm shooting a landscape or any other static shot, its more than fast enough. And when I'm shooting something I have to nail right NOW, I'm using zone focus. I fully expect to use the Nikon the same way. Even in fairly low indoor light, I've got zone focussed shots at f4.5 at well over 1/250 of a second at ISO 3200. From the preliminary images, it would appear (and one would expect) that the Nikon sensor will be better at 3200 and is very useable at 6400 and somewhat useable beyond that, where the Ricoh tops out at 3200. I can see wanting faster AF on the X100s - the 35mm focal length is where DOF starts getting limited enough that I'm only comfortable zone focussing in good light, so in low light I like reasonably fast and reliable AF for shooting anything alive. But the X100, after firmware improvements, was always good enough for me. So I'm sure the X100s will be that much better.

But I guess I'm also odd in that I don't find these cameras all that comparable. Yeah, they're both fixed lens APS based cameras, but one is a full featured 35mm focal length camera with two, count 'em TWO, built in viewfinders, and every manual control known to man, and the other is a very tiny and discrete 28mm with seemingly good controls and IQ that, for me, would serve a totally different purpose. I could see owning both and using them together as a walk around kit, like I often did with my X100 and GXR-28. Or I may do next with the RX1 and this or maybe still the GXR-28. But if I was primarily interested in what the X100s had to offer, I don't think I'd be giving this a second look. And if I was primarily interested in what the Nikon A had to offer, I don't think I'd be giving the X100s a second look. But everyone wants to compare them. When I get the X100s, I'll compare it against the RX1. When I get this, I'll compare it against the Ricoh GXR-28. But not each other...

-Ray
 
Gaaaak!

My review copy was shipped yesterday. It's sitting at the UPS dispatch center a couple of miles from my place. Due to be delivered Monday or I can pick it up there Monday morning so I don't have to wait around to sign for the delivery. They're open from 10-1 today, but can I pick it up today? Nope, evidently not. I might stop by and see if I can sweet talk somebody. Probably looking at Monday. Not that Monday isn't soon enough, but once you know it's sitting idly just a couple miles away, it just seems sort of silly you can't just go get it!

It's tough living in the era of instant gratification! First world problems of the highest order...

-Ray
 
Way steep. Second only to the OVF for the RX1...

Fortunately there are plenty of less expensive alternatives for both the 28mm and 35mm fields of view.

-Ray

Which is why I bought the 28mm Voightlander OVF for the RX-1. The frame lines of the 28mm finder are perfect for the RX-1. I wonder what will work for the Nikon?
 
Look on the bright side, you may have given yourself a few more day before you are disappointed.

Interesting bright side! I doubt I'll be disappointed, but who knows. I don't care about any sort of viewfinder for a camera I'd use like this one. Never used one on my GXR, never missed it. And the Nikon sounds like it has a substantially brighter screen for when brightness is an issue. We'll see, but I'm pretty psyched about this camera...

-Ray
 
Gaaaak!

My review copy was shipped yesterday. It's sitting at the UPS dispatch center a couple of miles from my place. Due to be delivered Monday or I can pick it up there Monday morning so I don't have to wait around to sign for the delivery. They're open from 10-1 today, but can I pick it up today? Nope, evidently not. I might stop by and see if I can sweet talk somebody. Probably looking at Monday. Not that Monday isn't soon enough, but once you know it's sitting idly just a couple miles away, it just seems sort of silly you can't just go get it!

It's tough living in the era of instant gratification! First world problems of the highest order...

-Ray

I went through the same thing with my M8 - was sitting at UPS, but I wasn't allowed to pick it up until Monday.
 
I stopped over this morning, just on the outside chance. But what happens is tractor trailers arrive there all weekend full of packages and they just back em up to the loading docks and leave them, locked up until Sunday night when a crew comes in and unloads them all for Monday deliveries. There were 10 trailers there already and a bunch of empty bays left. So, no, there was no way they could get it for me today. Once you see their system, it makes sense. So I won't even give it a second thought if it happens in the future. And Monday morning will be more than soon enough.

-Ray
 
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