Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-30 Comparison

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Nikon 1 J4

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

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Olympus E-30

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-30 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 Olympus E-30, which was introduced in March 2009 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, E-30 is 5 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 Olympus E-30 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

Olympus E-30 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-03-24

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.7" Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

5 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

695g. 142 x 108 x 75 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Olympus E-30

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
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 11	160 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
Continuous Shooting	60.0fps vs 5.0fps	55 fps faster
Weight	232 g vs 695 g	463 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs None	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Olympus E-30 over Nikon 1 J4

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift 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	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	750 shots vs 300 shots	450 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage	13.0m vs 5.0m	8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	18.45µm² vs 6.36µm²	190% larger pixel area
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits

Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30

LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	Small display
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-30: 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 Olympus E-30 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). Olympus E-30 has external dimensions of 142 x 108 x 75 mm (5.59 x 4.25 x 2.95″) and weighs 695 g (1.53 lb / 24.52 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 42mm narrower, 48mm shorter and 46mm thinner than Olympus E-30.

Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30.

Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 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 (463g ) than the Olympus E-30 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.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4

E-30

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4

E-30

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Olympus E-30 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-30's 2.7" screen.

On the other hand, Olympus E-30 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 E-30.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-30: 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, Olympus E-30 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic III+ processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Olympus E-30'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 E-30 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 Cameras

As seen above, Olympus E-30 has a 1.9x 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 Olympus E-30 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 Olympus E-30 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 45 lenses for Olympus E-30's Four Thirds 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. Olympus E-30 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J4 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses	# of Olympus E-30 Lenses
Standard Zoom	4	8
Standard Prime	2	4
Wideangle Zoom	1	4
Wideangle Prime	2	9
Telephoto Zoom	2	6
Telephoto Prime	n/a	4
SuperZoom	2	2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	3
Macro Prime	n/a	4
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	1
TOTAL	13	45

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-30 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

Olympus E-30 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-30 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-30 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

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 750 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-30 for Daily Photography

GOOD

232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body
695g
Body Thickness 75mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-30 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

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-30: 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 Olympus E-30, 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 Olympus E-30 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

Olympus E-30

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #54 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #341 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 scores higher than the Olympus E-30 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Olympus E-30 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Olympus E-30 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Nikon 1 J4.

Olympus E-30 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon 1 J4	Olympus E-30
Brand	Nikon	Olympus
Announced	2014-04-10	2009-03-24
Body Type	Rangefinder-style mirrorless	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	1"	Four Thirds
Dimensions	13.2 x 8.8 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	116.16mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	18 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	5232 x 3488	4032 x 3024
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	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon 1	Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	13	45
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fully Articulated
Size	3"	2.7"
Resolution	1,037k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	98%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.56x
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	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.00 m (ISO 100)	13.00 m
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	695g
Dimensions	100 x 60 x 29mm	142 x 108 x 75mm
Battery Life	300 shots	750 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	55
DxO Color Depth	not tested	21.3
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	10.4
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	530
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