Chapter 6
Movie Making with the Nikon V1/J1

Both Nikon 1 cameras are serious movie-making machines, capable of full-resolution HD movies with an aspect ratio (proportions) of 16:9, as well as reduced-resolution slow-motion video at 400 or 1200 frames per second. For conventional HD movies, just rotate the mode dial to the Movie icon, press the red movie button, located to the right of the shutter release, and the camera will begin capturing HD video with stereo sound at whatever resolution you’ve previously set (either 1080i/1080p or 720p). Press the movie button again to stop recording.

With the V1, if a video opportunity pops up unexpectedly while you’re shooting in Still Image mode, simply move your trigger finger from the shutter release button to the movie button and press down to record non-HD movies with stereo sound at a resolution of 1072 × 720 pixels at the non-wide-screen aspect ratio (proportions) of 3:2 (the same as the still image). Press the movie button a second time to stop, or, if you see a still photo you want to take, press the shutter release button down all the way. Video recording will stop automatically as you take a still photo. There are a few set-up options to consider for more advanced shooting with either camera: