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Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90 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 P90

12 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

Nikon P90
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90 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 P90, which was introduced in February 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, P90 is 5 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 P90 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 P90 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-02-03
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 64 - 6400
  • 26-624 mm F2.8-5.0 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 400g. 83 x 114 x 99 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix P80 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90 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 P90
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
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 12 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Weight
232 g vs 400 g 168 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 2.31µm2 175% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P90 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon Coolpix P90
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon Coolpix P90
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
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 P90: 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 P90 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 P90 has external dimensions of 83 x 114 x 99 mm (3.27 x 4.49 x 3.9″) and weighs 400 g (0.88 lb / 14.11 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90. Nikon 1 J4 is 54mm shorter and 70mm thinner than Nikon P90 but it is also 17mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon P90 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 P90 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90 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 (168g ) than the Nikon P90 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 P90 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 and Nikon P90's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Nikon P90 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Nikon 1 J4 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P90.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90: 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 P90 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon P90'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 P90 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.2x Larger sensor area than Nikon P90. 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 P90 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Nikon P90 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 P90 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P90 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
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon P90 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
624 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P90 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
24.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
400g
Body Thickness 99mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon P90 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
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon P90: 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 P90, 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 P90 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
Nikon P90
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #88 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #706 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P90 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Nikon P90
Nikon P90
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Nikon P90 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Nikon Coolpix P90
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2014-04-10 2009-02-03
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size 1" 1/2.3"
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 116.16mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 64 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 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 26-624 mm (24×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-5.0
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
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) n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 640 x 480
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 400g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 83 x 114 x 99mm
Battery Life 300 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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