Nikon1 J3 Review: The Hardcore Mommy Cam

After some determination, emails and not taking no for an answer, I was blessed to have been asked to test the Nikon COOLPIX S30 a few months ago. This was a great camera and I got some amazing shots.

Then, I was blessed again to be asked to test the Nikon 1 J3. This opportunity came at the best time too, as Samantha's first birthday was just around the corner, and as you all know, I am obsessed with taking pictures of her. So, to be able to get professional quality pictures of her at this special time in both our lives was amazing! And though it was Samantha's birthday...I know what I want for mine!

Now, I'm not going to go on about the itty bitties of this camera, but will use some technical terms. I'm going to review this camera from a mother's perspective. I am not a professional photographer, but do try and see the beauty in everyday life! But, to be frank...this camera was AMAZING! It is what I would call the "Hardcore Mommy Cam" and brought my vision to life with remarkable speed, image quality and the creative features!

First, let's talk about the quality; the quality of the pictures, the quality of the video and the quality of the all important zoom. The NIKKOR VR 10-100mm lens offered an amazing zoom with the most amazing quality of picture and color! Though I can't compare lenses, this manual lens was easy to use and easy to focus. The 10x zoom and built-in vibration reduction also made it super simple to take landscape shots with shakey mommy hands. I was even able to take some self portraits while holding Samantha in one arm!

I was also blown away by the clarity and color of the pictures! When I zoomed into Samantha's face, even the tiniest features were visible, like the twinkle in her eye and the wrinkles in her lips! I can't wait to print my favourites and show them off around my home!

I also took full advantage of this camera and had a DIY cake smash session with a friend! (blog on that coming soon!) The pictures were definitely of a professional quality and turned out absolutely stunning! This super fun morning was full of cake, laughter and icing! 

Even the action shots I got weren't blurry or fuzzy! Just clean and clear! I did learn to save time and get even more great shots was to take off the preview function after the picture was taken. After Samantha was in bed, and the house was quiet, I was able to go through them and edit, crop or delete the pictures.  

The only thing I wish I would have done more was take more videos! The HD video camera that the Nikon1 J3 had, took such clear videos, even at night! There is even a cute motion snapshot that would take the picture and turn it into a mini video with music with just one snap of the button! Man, technology is crazy! 

Though this lens was a little big and heavy (but there are many NIKKOR lenses to choose from) and the camera did get a tad warm while using it, it was super easy to throw into the diaper bag and carry along every day! The only thing I had to get used to was wearing the camera around my neck and not in my back pocket. At first it was a little bit awkward, and I'll admit Samantha got a few camera bumps to the head when I tried to pick her up. But with a little bit of practice and some adjustment to the strap, it was just like carrying my purse around with me!

The Nikon1 J3 was also very user friendly. For the first few days I played around with the auto settings, since I am not used to having more than one auto option! But, once I had those figured out I started to experiment and play and truly give this camera a good mommy work out! The only problem I found was that I couldn't zoom into a close object, such as a flower. But at the right distance from the flower the petals turned into a work out art. I'm sure there is a setting or feature to allow this, but I didn't really have enough time to learn about the manual shutter speeds and aperture. (please refer back to me being a mommy and not a professional photographer) I also found that some of the features did take some processing time, which sometimes felt like it was taking forever, especially when you have a 1 year old running around. But, in return, the picture almost always came out beautiful!

The large screen was also great and as I scrolled through the camera options, details on each feature popped up to help me along. Using features like the color select and panorama were easy to find and easy to use. Though this is definitely an advanced camera, it was incredibly user friendly, and I quickly forgot how advanced the camera really is. Plus, I looked really good using it. (Insert wink here)

I have SO many favorite features on this camera! Like taking pictures WHILE using the HD video camera! How many times have you taken a video only to see a certain image and think..."I would love to keep that moment". Or the "Best Moment Capture" where the camera takes 5 pictures at the same time and you can choose which picture you like best! Even a fraction of a second can make a huge difference while photographing children!

All in all, the Nikon1 J3 is an amazing camera, but is on the more expensive side. But, to me, pictures last a life time and a good camera that will catch those memories is a good investment! The Nikon1 J3 helped to ignite my creativity and allow me to catch the moments that matter!

Thank you again to Nikon Canada and Strategic Ampersand for giving this amazing opportunity and I can't wait to see what to test the Nikon COOLPIX AW110!

Here are some more of my favorite memories I was able to catch with the Nikon1 J3!