Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MIII Comparison

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Nikon 1 J4

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

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Canon 1Ds MIII

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

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MIII 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 MIII, which was introduced in August 2008 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 21.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, 1Ds MIII is 6 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 MIII 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 MIII Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2008-08-18

21MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 50 - 3200

Canon EF Mount

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

5 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

1385g. 150 x 160 x 80 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II Compare

Canon 1Ds MIII was replaced by Canon EOS 1D X. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 1D X vs Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Canon EOS 1D X 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 MIII 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 III

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 ISO	12.800 vs 3.200	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	171 vs 45	126 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.037k dots vs 230k dots	350% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	60.0fps vs 5.0fps	55 fps faster
Weight	232 g vs 1385 g	1153 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III over Nikon 1 J4

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution	21 MP vs 18 MP	16% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	1800 shots vs 300 shots	1500 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area	41.08µm² vs 6.36µm²	545% 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 III

RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Max Resolution	18 MP vs 21 MP	Bigger prints and more details

Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

In-body Image Stabilization	No vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MIII: 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 MIII 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 MIII has external dimensions of 150 x 160 x 80 mm (5.91 x 6.3 x 3.15″) and weighs 1385 g (3.05 lb / 48.85 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MIII. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 50mm narrower, 100mm shorter and 51mm thinner than Canon 1Ds MIII.

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

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MIII.

Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MIII Size and Weight - Back 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 (1153g ) than the Canon 1Ds MIII 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 MIII 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 MIII lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4

1Ds MIII

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4

1Ds MIII

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of 1Ds MIII, 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 and Canon 1Ds MIII's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MIII: 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 MIII has a 21.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

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

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

As seen above, Canon 1Ds MIII 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 MIII 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 MIII has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 250 lenses for Canon 1Ds MIII'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 MIII 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 MIII Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Canon 1Ds MIII 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 MIII for Portrait Photography

GOOD

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: 21.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1Ds MIII 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
Live-view
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon 1Ds MIII 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 Battery Life: 1800 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1Ds MIII 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
1385g
Body Thickness 80mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon 1Ds MIII 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: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon 1Ds MIII: 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 MIII, 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 MIII 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 MIII

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #16 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #340 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 1Ds MIII. 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 MIII: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 1Ds MIII. If not, we recommend the Nikon 1 J4.

Canon 1Ds MIII vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon 1 J4	Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
Brand	Nikon	Canon
Announced	2014-04-10	2008-08-18
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	21 megapixels
Max Resolution	5232 x 3488	5616 x 3744
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	160 ISO	50 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"	3"
Resolution	1,037k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.76x
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	5.0 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	1385g
Dimensions	100 x 60 x 29mm	150 x 160 x 80mm
Battery Life	300 shots	1800 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	80
DxO Color Depth	not tested	24.0
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	12.0
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	1663
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