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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII Comparison

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Nikon 1 J4

18 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 J4
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Canon 1Ds MII

17 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 1Ds MII
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon 1 J4, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Canon 1Ds MII, which was introduced in October 2005 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 17.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, 1Ds MII is 9 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-10
  • 18MP - 1" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 60 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1,200 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 232g. 100 x 60 x 29 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 J3 Compare

Canon 1Ds MII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2005-10-11
  • 17MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 1565g. 156 x 158 x 80 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 1Ds Compare

Canon 1Ds MII was replaced by Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III vs Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 17 MP 5% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 45 126 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2" 1 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 4.0fps 56 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 1565 g 1333 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II over Nikon 1 J4
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
52.02µm2 vs 6.36µm2 717% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Max Resolution
18 MP vs 17 MP Bigger prints and more details
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2" Small display
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon 1 J4 has external dimensions of 100 x 60 x 29 mm (3.92 x 2.36 x 1.12″) and weighs 232 g (0.51 lb / 8.18 oz) (including batteries). Canon 1Ds MII has external dimensions of 156 x 158 x 80 mm (6.14 x 6.22 x 3.15″) and weighs 1565 g (3.45 lb / 55.20 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 56mm narrower, 98mm shorter and 51mm thinner than Canon 1Ds MII.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 J4 is significantly lighter (1333g ) than the Canon 1Ds MII which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 1Ds MII has a Full frame sensor and Nikon 1 J4 has a smaller 1" sensor, Nikon 1 J4's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 1Ds MII lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
1Ds MII
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
1Ds MII
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of 1Ds MII, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to 1 J4.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 1Ds MII's 2" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII: Sensor Comparison

Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor. On the other hand, Canon 1Ds MII has a 17.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the 1 J4 and 1Ds MII sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII Cameras


As seen above, Canon 1Ds MII has a 7.4x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 J4. 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.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 1Ds MII has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 250 lenses for Canon 1Ds MII's Canon EF mount, on the other hand there are only 13 lenses for Nikon 1 J4's Nikon 1 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount and 76 lenses for Canon EF mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses # of Canon 1Ds MII Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 22 (22 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 2 17 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 1 20 (20 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 2 46 (46 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 2 50 (50 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime n/a 43 (43 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 2 9 (9 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 3 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime n/a 24 (24 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a 16 (16 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 13 250 (250 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon 1 J4 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Canon 1Ds MII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 17.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1Ds MII for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon 1Ds MII for Sports Photography

GOOD
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
105 Cross Type Focus sensors
171 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
45 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1Ds MII for Daily Photography

GOOD
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1565g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon 1Ds MII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 17.0MP
Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MII: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MII scores compare:

Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon 1Ds MII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #486 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 1Ds MII. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that 1 J4 trails behind the 1Ds MII: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 1Ds MII. If not, we recommend the Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Canon 1Ds MII
Canon 1Ds MII
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Canon 1Ds MII vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2014-04-10 2005-10-11
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Large SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1" Full frame
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 116.16mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 17 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4992 x 3328
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 171 45
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 13 250
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 2"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 1565g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 156 x 158 x 80mm
Battery Life 300 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 74
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.3
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1480
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