Nikon 1 J1 has a
10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sony a5000 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.
Sony a5000's sensor provides 10MP more than Nikon 1 J1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the 1 J1 and a5000 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J1 and Sony a5000 Cameras
As seen above, Sony a5000 has a 3.1x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 J1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Nikon 1 J1 and Sony a5000 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that a5000 has a better overall score of 79, 23 points higher compared to 1 J1's score of 56.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Nikon 1 J1
56
21.5 bits
11.0 Evs
372 ISO
Sony a5000
79
23.8 bits
13.0 Evs
1089 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Nikon 1 J1
or the
Sony a5000 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1-inch versus APS-C),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
