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Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300 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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Nikon P300

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

Nikon P300
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Nikon cameras 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 Nikon P300, which was introduced in May 2011 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, P300 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 Nikon P300 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

Nikon P300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-05-31
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 24-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • 189g. 103 x 58 x 32 mm

Nikon P300 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P310. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P310 vs Nikon Coolpix P300
Nikon Coolpix P310 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Nikon Coolpix P300
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None 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 Resolution
1.037k dots vs 922k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 7.0fps 53 fps faster
Battery Life
300 shots vs 240 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 2.34µm2 171% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P300 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
189 g vs 232 g 43 g lighter
Flash Coverage
6.5m vs 5.0m 1.5m longer range

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon Coolpix P300
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 7.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon Coolpix P300
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
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 Nikon P300: 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 Nikon P300 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). Nikon P300 has external dimensions of 103 x 58 x 32 mm (4.06 x 2.28 x 1.26″) and weighs 189 g (0.42 lb / 6.67 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300. Nikon 1 J4 is 3mm narrower and 3mm thinner than Nikon P300 but it is also 2mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon P300 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 Nikon P300 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon P300 is significantly lighter (43g ) than the Nikon 1 J4 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 Nikon Coolpix P300 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300'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 Nikon P300: 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, Nikon P300 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon P300'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 P300 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.1x Larger sensor area than Nikon P300. 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 Nikon P300 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P300 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

Nikon P300 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P300 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
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon P300 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 240 shots
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P300 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Compact Body
189g
4.2X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon P300 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 Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P300: 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 Nikon P300, 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 Nikon P300 scores compare:

Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Nikon P300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #177 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #729 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P300 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Nikon P300
Nikon P300
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Nikon P300 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Nikon Coolpix P300
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2014-04-10 2011-05-31
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
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 160 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 24-100 mm (4.2×)
Max Aperture no lens F1.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 3cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
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) 6.50 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 7.0 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 H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 189g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 103 x 58 x 32mm
Battery Life 300 shots 240 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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