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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon SX40 HS
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS, which was introduced in September 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, SX40 HS is 3 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-09-15
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240 fps High-Speed Video
  • 600g. 123 x 92 x 108 mm
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot SX30 IS Compare

Canon SX40 HS was replaced by Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS vs Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 12 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 9 162 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/3200s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 600 g 368 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 2.34µm2 171% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot SX40 HS over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Battery Life
380 shots vs 300 shots 80 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
7.0m vs 5.0m 2m longer range
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" Small display
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS: 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 SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS has external dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25″) and weighs 600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 23mm narrower, 32mm shorter and 79mm thinner than Canon SX40 HS. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon SX40 HS has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 J4 doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS Size

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 (368g ) than the Canon SX40 HS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Canon PowerShot SX40 HS provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX40 HS's 2.7" screen.

On the other hand, Canon SX40 HS sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J4 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to SX40 HS.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS: 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 SX40 HS has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon SX40 HS'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 J4 and SX40 HS sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.1x Larger sensor area than Canon SX40 HS. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Canon SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS 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
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Canon SX40 HS for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Canon SX40 HS for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon SX40 HS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
600g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon SX40 HS for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Canon SX40 HS: 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 SX40 HS, 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 SX40 HS 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 SX40 HS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #46 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #526 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon SX40 HS and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Canon SX40 HS
Canon SX40 HS
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Canon SX40 HS vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2014-04-10 2011-09-15
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1" 1/2.3"
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 116.16mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4000 x 3000
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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-840 mm (35×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.7-5.8
Macro Focus Range no lens 0cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3" 2.7"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/3200s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) 7.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 600g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 123 x 92 x 108mm
Battery Life 300 shots 380 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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