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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47 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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Panasonic FZ47

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

Panasonic FZ47
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47 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 Panasonic FZ47, which was introduced in July 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, FZ47 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 Panasonic FZ47 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

Panasonic FZ47 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-07-21
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)
  • 25-600 mm F2.8-5.2 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 498g. 120 x 80 x 92 mm
  • Also known as Lumix DMC-FZ48

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
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 1.600 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 23 148 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 460k dots 125% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 4.0fps 56 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 498 g 266 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 2.31µm2 175% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Battery Life
400 shots vs 300 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
9.5m vs 5.0m 4.5m longer range
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47: 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 Panasonic FZ47 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). Panasonic FZ47 has external dimensions of 120 x 80 x 92 mm (4.72 x 3.15 x 3.62″) and weighs 498 g (1.10 lb / 17.57 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 20mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 63mm thinner than Panasonic FZ47. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic FZ47 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 Panasonic FZ47 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 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 (266g ) than the Panasonic FZ47 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 (Lumix DMC-FZ48) 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 Panasonic FZ47'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 Panasonic FZ47: 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, Panasonic FZ47 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic FZ47'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 FZ47 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic FZ47 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.2x Larger sensor area than Panasonic FZ47. 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 Panasonic FZ47 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic FZ47 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

Panasonic FZ47 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
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

Panasonic FZ47 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
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
25 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

Panasonic FZ47 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
23 Focus Points
600 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic FZ47 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
498g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic FZ47 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
25 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 Panasonic FZ47: 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 Panasonic FZ47, 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 Panasonic FZ47 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
Panasonic FZ47
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #66 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #617 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic FZ47 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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Panasonic FZ47
Panasonic FZ47
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Panasonic FZ47 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-10 2011-07-21
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 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 6400 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 25-600 mm (24×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-5.2
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
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) 9.50 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 4.0 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 AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 498g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 120 x 80 x 92mm
Battery Life 300 shots 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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