Starting today, Google will let you walk into Abbey Road Studios

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://bit.ly/16Db7GR'><img alt="Starting today, Google will let you walk into Abbey Road Studios" src="http://ift.tt/1ytBgVA"/><br/><br /><p>If walls could talk, those of Abbey Road Studios' would reminisce about some of the most important moments and seminal albums recorded since 1931. Despite never-ending requests from passers-by the studio isn't open for visitors, but today Google is doing the next best thing.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>With the power of its Street View technology, Google will allow you to step inside and take an interactive tour around the building, explore the different studios, hear a number of live recordings, and even play with some of the studio's pioneering equipment.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>If you so wish, you can take a guided tour led by Giles Martin, the son of Sir George Martin, who famously produced The Beatles.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Or you can get some of the more techy information from engineer Mirek Stiles, or listen to some other interesting fact nuggets from BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne. As you explore the different studios you'll be able to jump into videos taken of recordings sessions, including those for Star Wars and The Hobbit.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Abbey Road" src="http://ift.tt/1FIs24R" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Idioteque</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>"We've had to really go through every fine bit of detail, scraping YouTube and looking through the Abbey Road archive as well to pull out all these hidden gems," Google Creative Lab's Tom Seymour told TechRadar.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>"We actually did a lidar scan of each studio so we had a 360 model of each of the spaces. And then we've captured the space with these 360 panoramas but with a HD format."</p><br /><br/><br /><p>From The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to Radiohead's Kid A, some incredible recordings have taken place inside Abbey Road Studios, and Google's interactive tour touches on many of those historical moments.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>You can go explore it right now by clicking on <a href="http://ift.tt/1ytBgVE">this link</a> on your desktop, phone or tablet.</p><br /><br/><br /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1FIs0Kj" width="1"/><br clear='all'/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1ytBhbT" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1ytBhbY"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1FIs24T" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1ytBig9"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1FIs24W" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1FIs2la"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1ytBigc"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1FIs2lf"/> </a> <img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1ytBiwv" width="1"/><img alt="" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1FIs2lm" width="1"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />From <a href="http://ift.tt/yaGhNV">techradar</a> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />from http://bit.ly/1NGTHwD<br/></div>

Starting today, Google will let you walk into Abbey Road Studios

If walls could talk, those of Abbey Road Studios' would reminisce about some of the most important moments and seminal albums recorded s...

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Review: Adobe Document Cloud

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://bit.ly/16Db7GR'><img alt="Review: Adobe Document Cloud" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHXhD"/><br/><br /><h3>Introduction and design</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Anyone who has worked in an office has probably interacted with an Adobe tool. More than likely you've opened a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader and wondered how, where and why that document became a PDF. That's because for more than 20 years PDFs were primarily used by document creators to disseminate a combination of images and text to third-parties for passive viewing.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Today, because of cloud collaboration tools like Google Docs and Microsoft OneDrive, business users are more likely than ever to have administrative access to documents on which they are required to provide input, edits and signatures.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Until recently, making these changes on Adobe tools required an Acrobat subscription, from which you would download a document to your local drive on a desktop, where you would make changes. Then you would be required to email the edited version of the document to your colleagues. Forget about making edits or creating documents on mobile devices.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Adobe's newest tool, Adobe Document Cloud (free with your $14.99, £13.33, AU$14.99 monthly Acrobat subscription), addresses these problems and more. Document Cloud lets you snap a photo of a document, save it to the cloud as a PDF, edit it, sign it and password-protect it - all from a mobile device. Built with a touch-enabled user interface, Photoshop imaging tools, a revamped Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe eSign technology, Document Cloud is a dream come true for business users. Like most Adobe tools, it is available in a free Reader version, a standard version, and a Pro version that you can upgrade to for an extra $9.99 (about £6.33, AU$13.08) per month.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Design</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>If you're looking for an avant-garde user interface, you've come to the wrong place. The Adobe Document Cloud is about as boring as a touchscreen architecture can be. Designed with a white background and pastel-colored buttons, Document Cloud doesn't pop in any way shape or form. This is true across mobile and desktop environments.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1IEAdlo" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Don't fret. Despite its unappealing design, Document Cloud is a pleasure to use. On the desktop home screen, you're provided with a list of documents saved to the application. Once you've selected which document you want to work off of, you're taken to a screen that provides you with a large format view of the document itself, and a toolbar with options that include turning the document into a PDF, editing, exporting, commenting and e-signing. Each option comes with its own colorful icon and a text label, so it's not as confusing as Photoshop, in which you have to hover over abstract icons to determine what you're about to click.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>At the top of the page you're provided with a text button that lets you return to the home page or enter the neat Adobe tool trove. You're also provided with gray and white icon buttons that let you save the document (locally or to the cloud), print, or search within.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>If you click on the tool button you're taken to a page that features 27 text and image icon options - the mother lode of Document Cloud tools. You'll only be able to access all 27 if you have a Pro account, but a Standard account will let you edit and sign, among other basic features.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>A nice little feature that Adobe added to this page is the ability to search within the set of tools to find options that help you accomplish a given task; for example, when I type in the word "text" I am shown the 11 tools that have text adding and editing functionality. When I type in the word "sign" I am shown the three tools that let me add or edit signatures.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The mobile environment is much more bare bones. On the home page I'm shown a list of available documents, as well as a search box where I can look within documents to find a given phrase, and a red home icon. When I click the home icon I am given the following options: comment, create PDF, export PDF, camera to PDF and organize pages. I am also provided with text buttons to access my account or ask for technical support.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Features and performance</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Document Cloud is based on three simple premises: the ability to electronically sign and create PDFs on a mobile device, accessing and sharing documents across mobile and desktop environments, and restricting access to cloud-based documents.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>To create a PDF from an image, I simply took a photo of my daughter's car seat instruction sheet within the Document Cloud's Image to PDF tool on my iPhone. Once the image was snapped, it began converting to PDF. The conversion process took about two minutes, which will likely be an annoyance for users who are uploading multiple receipts as separate files for expense reports, or anyone performing similar repetitive tasks.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHYSI" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Once the image was done converting, I saved it to the Document Cloud so that I could edit it on my desktop and tablet. Saving the document from my phone to the Document Cloud took less than 10 seconds. The document appeared within my Document Cloud document feed without having to refresh. You can then send a link to the document to anyone, just like you would with Google Drive or Dropbox.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Note: you will not be able to make wholesale edits on PDFs on smartphones. This kind of sucks, but I assume it will be remedied in future versions of the software.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Upon opening the document on my MacBook Pro, I was immediately prompted to adjust the borders of the image to fit a more standard document format, then I was told to click "enhanced image."</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1IEAdlp" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Because I took an image off of a phone, my document wasn't as high resolution as it would have been had I tried to create a PDF on the phone based on a document I'd scanned using an actual scanner. In addition to the resolution issues, there was some burn and shadowing around the edges of the newly created PDF that I needed to edit out by adjusting the enhancement level.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHYSJ" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>In order to make edits that look organic, Adobe was able to read my document and create a font that matched the font on the image. As you can see in the image below, I used a non-standard font and color, and Adobe was able to replicate the font. Unfortunately, because the document was scanned in low resolution, there are alignment issues. The text is somewhat crooked and curves upward around the edges.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHXxS" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>So don't expect to produce images that are of perfect quality off of your phone. This tool should be used as a quick fix for rapidly submitting documents that need to be processed immediately. If you're on the go and you need to submit expenses and you don't have a scanner, the tool will let you edit, adjust and write notes on receipts that you collect while on your trip.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1IEAc0I" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>If you don't need to start from scratch, there are several features available on mobile and desktop versions that help you improve and add upon your document. Adding a signature on mobile and desktop is as easy as scrolling your finger along the screen as if you were signing with a pen. I tapped on the Fill & Sign icon, then tapped on the Sign icon and I was prompted to create my John Hancock. Once I did I was able to change the thickness, the location, the color and the opacity of the signature. Shrinking the image of the signature was a bit difficult because it required a two-finger pinch. On a desktop you can just drag one corner of the signature box. With the iPhone you have to grab both ends you want to expand, which can be quite difficult, especially with smaller signature boxes.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Once a signature has been added and saved to a document it is difficult to edit. You have to make sure the signature is in the right place and is the right size when you first drop it in. This is especially true on the mobile app, where I found it nearly impossible to move or resize my signature once I'd placed it onto a document. Notes, drawings and comments are much more easily remedied on mobile and desktop.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Adding notes to a document is as simple as clicking on a dialogue box and typing in text. However, the note-added indicator is so small that iPhone viewers might miss it as they are browsing through documents. Adding text is equally simple. Unfortunately, text appears in bright blue font, so you will have to manually adjust it to fit the typical black font that appears on legal documents. Drawing over documents is really simple. Like the signature, you can adjust the font, thickness and opacity. Unfortunately, the drawing appears in bright red so you'll have to adjust this as well, unless you're grading someone's homework.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The search function within the document makes looking within PDFs so much easier than it would have been if I'd just opened the document within iOS. Like most desktop search functions, you can simply click the hourglass, type in text and you're ready to explore. Unfortunately, unlike other tools' search functions, this one doesn't tell me how many instances are in the document. Nor is it able to search in the notes or signatures, so any information added that doesn't sit within the body of the PDF won't be searchable.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>One feature that I really enjoyed was the ability to share documents with and without comments editable. Flattened Copies of documents lets viewers see the comments, but they can't make edits. So your word is final once you've added your input. You can also share the document so that select viewers can't see comments at all, which is quite handy.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The Document Cloud's Measurement tool easily allows you to determine the height and width of two previously marked points. This feature is excellent for scaling on maps or creating powerpoint presentations that require precise modeling. You can also create triangles to determine the area between multiple points, which would have helped me pass high school geometry in fewer than three tries.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Like most document software, you can secure your PDFs by restricting editing. This enables you to create a password that limits who can open and edit the document.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHZ8Y" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Once you've edited your image, added text and signed the document, you can also do cool things like add check boxes, add a box where you can give readers choices (such as keep, delete, edit). You can add a dropdown list, add a signature request, and even a barcode field that encodes data added to the document. You can combine documents to create a single PDF of images, PDFs and Word docs, among other file formats.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Adobe Document Cloud review" src="http://ift.tt/1xZHXxT" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>The redaction tool lets you pretend you're in the CIA. You can select text, or search for text that you want to cover up, and the tool creates a black box that can't be undone by future readers or editors.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Verdict</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Unlike Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, Adobe is directing Document Cloud at the expense report- and data management-driven world of the office administrator. It's highly unlikely that consumers will adopt this tool as their everyday document creation and storage application. However, the niche market that does use the tool will find themselves loaded with a vast feature set and a simple interface that makes PDF creation and management easier than it has ever been.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>We liked</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Anyone who has ever used a cloud collaboration or document creation tool will be able to begin using Document Cloud immediately. Its user interfaces on mobile devices and desktop are incredibly intuitive. Unlike other Adobe tools (ahem, Photoshop), Document Cloud makes it abundantly clear what each icon represents. Once you've clicked into a tool, the instructions and prompts provided by Adobe are fool-proof.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The amount of use cases and practical applications for each tool, especially on the Pro version, are seemingly endless. You'll likely never find yourself searching for a capability that doesn't exist. In fact, you can literally search for a capability within the search bar on the Tools page and Adobe will tell you which features are there to help you out.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Creating PDFs is as simple as snapping a photo and following a few prompts. Once you've started editing on desktop, you'll be able to add text and signatures to images in an organic manner. Because Adobe can replicate the font of whatever document you turn into a PDF, you'll never have to worry about your final documents looking cobbled together.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>We disliked</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>The big issue here is that you can't edit PDFs on your smartphone. This seems like a missed opportunity, one that I'm sure Adobe is scurrying to correct.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Another minor problem is the crooked and curved output of images that are turned to PDFs. Unless you scan a document and turn it into a PDF on your desktop, you won't wind up with a pristine file. This isn't really an issue for someone who is just trying to file receipts for an expense report. However, if for some odd reason you're trying to snap an image of a contract to turn into a PDF, it won't look as good as it would if someone typed it up in a word processing application.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Editing a signature on your smartphone is impossibly difficult. If you don't drop your signature in at the perfect spot, you'll spend an unnecessary amount of time trying to make an adjustment. This isn't true on desktop and tablet versions, but the mobile e-sign functionality is the bedrock of this software.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Final verdict</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Document Cloud's pros absolutely outweigh its cons. Adobe has turned an antiquated document management process into a more streamlined and creative artform. Handling PDFs before and after Document Cloud is almost like editing photos before and after Photoshop. The ability to sign PDFs via mobile device, turn paper into PDFs via your phone's camera, and share a PDF via a link is revolutionary. Office administrators and paper-haters will rejoice.</p><br /><br/><br /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1GjcQAz" width="1"/><br clear='all'/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1yQFfG4" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1GjcQQM"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1yQFd10" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1GjcQQP"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1yQFfG7" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1GjcQQU"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1GjcOsa"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1yQFd17"/> </a> <img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1yQFfGg" width="1"/><img alt="" height="1" src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/BdULmw5stE8" width="1"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />from http://bit.ly/1ImqaEU<br/></div>

Review: Adobe Document Cloud

Introduction and design Anyone who has worked in an office has probably interacted with an Adobe tool. More than likely you've opened a ...

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Hands-on review: Nikon 1 J5

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://bit.ly/16Db7GR'><img alt="Hands-on review: Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1FjNjE9"/><br/><br /><h3>Background and introduction</h3><br /><br/><br /><ul><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/1k2ohhX">Camera reviews</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/VYo0jD">Best camera 2015</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/Y0FJuy">Best compact system camera 2015</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /></ul><br /><br/><br /><p>Nikon's compact system camera (CSC) line-up seemed to start well when the Nikon 1 J1 and Nikon 1 V1 were first announced back in September 2011. But after an initial flurry of impressive sales reports, the market seemed to lose interest. However, the changes brought by the latest introduction, the Nikon 1 J5, could see renewed interest from Nikon SLR lovers looking for a smaller alternative.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Inside the Nikon J5 is a new 1-inch (CX) format sensor with a pixel count of 20.8 million. That's the highest pixel count of any Nikon 1 camera. What's more, the new sensor is backside illuminated, which means that the circuitry is out of the way of the light receptors, allowing them to be larger than they would otherwise be. This should be good news for low light performance.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1FjNlvM" title="The Nikon 1 J5 uses a new 20.8Mp backside illuminated 1-inch sensor." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>There's also a new processing engine, Expeed 5A (the existing Nikon 1 J4 and V3 use the Expeed 4A engine) and this makes the new camera faster as well as an enabling more movie options. The J5's sensitivity range also steps up to ISO 160-12,800, where the selectable options on the J4 top out at ISO 6400.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>In addition, the new processing engine enables a maximum continuous shooting rate of 60fps (frames per second) when the focus is fixed at the start the sequence. That should be fast enough to record split-second moments such as a water splash or a dog shaking itself dry. In continuous autofocus mode the maximum rate drops to a still impressive 20fps, a figure that SLR users can only dream about.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1bQgHZ3" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1FjNlvO" title="The J5's rear screen is touch-sensitive and flips up through 180 degrees." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>On the back of the camera the 3-inch 1,037,000-dot screen is touch-sensitive and can be flipped through 180 degrees for shooting selfies. By contrast, the J4 has a fixed screen. As soon as the screen is flipped right up, the J5 switches to selfie mode and face detection is activated to make life easier.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Like the other cameras in the Nikon 1 line-up, the J5 has a hybrid AF system with 171 AF points, 105 of which are phase detection points, distributed across the imaging sensor.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>4K Movies</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>While the J5 is the first Nikon camera that's capable of shooting 4K video, it is limited to shooting at 15fps at this resolution – so it is unlikely to prove a hugely popular option. However, Full HD video recording is also possible at a range of frame rates up to 60fps. There's also a 120fps option for 4x slow motion playback.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>In addition, up to 20 full-resolution still images can be captured while shooting Full HD footage with no interruption in movie recording.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Time lapse movies can also be created in camera with up to 300 images and a range of time frames and intervals being available.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1bQgHZ5" title="The J5 uses Nikon's CX-format interchangeable lenses." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>As you might expect, Wi-Fi connectivity is included in the J5, but there's also NFC (near field communication) to aid connecting with an NFC smart device such as an Android 'phone. Once it's connected by Wi-Fi it's possible to control the J5 remotely using Nikon's free app.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Build and handling</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>Nikon has opted for an attractive two-tone design for the J5 and it looks much smarter and more retro than the J4 it replaces. It looks much more like a Nikon camera than previous J-series Nikon 1 models.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The J5's body is plastic, but it looks like metal and the feels nicely put together. The faux leather covering is also quite stylish and it give the grips a little extra purchase.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1bQgKUO" width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1FjNjEd" title="The J5's controls are more traditional than the J4's and include a mode dial on the top plate with direct access to its PASM exposure modes." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Like the J4 and V3, there's a mode dial on the top-plate of the J5. Unlike on the J4, however, this gives a direct route to the enthusiasts' favourite exposure modes: shutter priority, aperture priority and manual, as well as the collection of scene modes and a fully automatic option.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>As on the J4, the J5 has a smattering of direct control buttons, but there are dual dials that make it easy to adjust key settings. The Function (Fn) button can also be customised to give a route to one of seven features including exposure compensation, metering mode, WB, ISO, Picture Control, AF area mode and focus mode.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Performance</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>So far I've only handled a pre-production sample of the J5, which I wasn't allowed to photograph or use properly so I can't comment fully on the quality of the images that it produces. However, we were impressed with the results from the J4 bearing in mind that it has a 1-inch type sensor. The J5 has more pixels on its sensor, which could mean that it's able to capture a little more detail, but it could also result in more noise. However, the fact that the J5's sensor is backside illuminated should help with noise control – we'll know for sure when we get a full production sample in for testing. We've seen a very similar sensor in Sony cameras (Sony supplies Nikon with sensors) and have been impressed with the results.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>What I can say about the J5 is that the AF system seems nice and snappy, even in quite dull light. The face detection system also manages to identify faces and focus on them quickly when the screen is popped into 'selfie mode'.</p><br /><br/><br /><h3>Early verdict</h3><br /><br/><br /><p>The J5 looks and feels a little bit more serious than previous Nikon J-series cameras and this should add to its appeal to photographers looking for a smaller alternative to an SLR. The improvement to the mode dial and the additional control dial are especially noteworthy as they make the camera quicker to use.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1bQgHZ7" title="The Nikon 1 J5 will come in black, silver (shown here) and white." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>Sony has had a lot of success with its RX100-series of compact cameras (RX100, RX100 II and RX100 III) which have a 1-inch type sensor. Part of their appeal is that this sensor is larger than the devices in many other small compact cameras. The Nikon 1 J5 uses the same size sensor and, while the body is a little larger, it is still small and has the benefit of being able to accept interchangeable lenses. This could make it a more attractive option than a compact camera.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>Those without any allegiance to Nikon should look at the Panasonic GM1 and GM5, which are also very small compact system cameras but that have a slightly larger (Four Thirds type) sensor. The GM5 also has a viewfinder built-in.</p><br /><br/><br /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1MDtsXf" width="1"/><br clear='all'/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1yDmBBC" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1yDmyWp"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1P18X5u" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1alkUDI"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1BPiKlo" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1BPiKBD"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1yDmzcM"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1alkUU2"/> </a> <img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1yDmBS5" width="1"/><img alt="" height="1" src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/IovZNxeFxoI" width="1"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />from http://bit.ly/1Giy0gw<br/></div>

Hands-on review: Nikon 1 J5

Background and introduction Camera reviews Best camera 2015 Best compact system camera 2015 Nikon's compact system camera (CSC) l...

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The new Nikon 1 J5 blends high-tech features with old-school looks

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div xmlns='http://bit.ly/16Db7GR'><img alt="The new Nikon 1 J5 blends high-tech features with old-school looks" src="http://ift.tt/1CzCm06"/><br/><br /><ul><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/1k2ohhX">Camera reviews</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/VYo0jD">Best camera 2015</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li><a href="http://ift.tt/Y0FJuy">Best compact system camera 2015</a> </li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /></ul><br /><br/><br /><p>The Nikon 1 compact system cameras use a 1-inch sensor around half the size of Micro Four Thirds but still four times larger than the sensor in a typical point and shoot compact camera.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>They come in three types: the entry-level Nikon 1 S2, the more powerful J-series models, the high-end V3 and the waterproof and shockproof AW1. All use Nikon 1 (CX format) interchangeable lenses (though the AW1 has dedicated waterproof lenses too).</p><br /><br/><br /><p>It's the J-series that's been updated here, but the new J5 is much more than simple revamp of the old J4. It's had a complete restyle to give it a cute retro look and a lot more hands-on control.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>You can get the full story in our hands-on review, but here are the highlights:</p><br /><br/><br /><ul><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>New 20.8Mp back-illuminated sensor</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>4K movies – a first for Nikon – though only at 15fps</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>Full HD at up to 60fps</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>In-camera time-lapse movie mode in full HD</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>Super-fast hybrid AF using 171 AF points, including 105 phase-detection AF points</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>60fps burst mode with AF fixed at first shot, or 20fps with continuous AF</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>Tilting touch-screen display with selfie mode</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>Mode dial with PASM settings</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>Wi-Fi and NFC</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>10-30mm PD (power zoom) kit lens (27-81mm equivalent)</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /><li>ISO 160-12,800</li><br /><li style='list-style: none'><br/> </li><br /></ul><br /><br/><br /><p>Critics of the Nikon 1 system point to the 1-inch sensor format, which is small compared to those in other compact system cameras, but still offers a major step up in quality compared to regular compact cameras.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>But this smaller format means the cameras, and the lenses, are small too. Not only that, they bring super-high shooting speeds and a very fast hybrid AF system.</p><br /><br/><br /><p><img alt="Nikon 1 J5" src="http://ift.tt/1xBCE7G" title="The Nikon 1 J5 uses a 1-inch sensor. It's smaller than those in other CSCs, but it allows smaller bodies and smaller lenses too." width="420"/> </p><br /><br/><br /><p>The new Nikon 1 J5 doesn't just compete with other, larger compact system cameras. Its price and size put it up against high-end compacts too, like the Fuji X30.</p><br /><br/><br /><p>The Nikon 1 J5 goes on sale on April 30 and will cost £429.99 with the 10-30mm lens, £349.99 body-only (handy if you're upgrading and you already have lenses) and £559.99 for a twin-lens kit with a 30-110mm zoom.</p><br /><br/><br /><img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1MDtsqr" width="1"/><br clear='all'/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1P18Zuj" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1BPiJOd"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1BPiMcU" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1P18WP2"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1alkTPV" rel="nofollow"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1yDmyFP"/> </a><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/><br /><a href="http://ift.tt/1BPiMd0"><img border="0" src="http://ift.tt/1alkUnc"/> </a> <img border="0" height="1" src="http://ift.tt/1yDmyFT" width="1"/><img alt="" height="1" src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/Y5nMx6aBS-o" width="1"/><br/><br /><br/><br /><br/> </div><br /><br/><br /><br/><br />from http://bit.ly/19IW5Rc<br/></div>

The new Nikon 1 J5 blends high-tech features with old-school looks

Camera reviews Best camera 2015 Best compact system camera 2015 The Nikon 1 compact system cameras use a 1-inch sensor around half th...

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