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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 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 GF3

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

Panasonic GF3
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 1 J4 and GF3, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Panasonic GF3 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. Nikon 1 J4 was introduced to market in April 2014 and Panasonic GF3 was launched in August 2011. As you can see, GF3 is 3 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 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 GF3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-08-11
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 264g. 108 x 67 x 32 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Compare

Panasonic GF3 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 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-GF3
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 12 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% 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
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 3.0fps 57 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 264 g 32 g lighter


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 over Nikon 1 J4
Flash Coverage
6.3m vs 5.0m 1.3m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
18.74µm2 vs 6.36µm2 194% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs Optical No Built-in stabilization
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
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3: 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 GF3 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 GF3 has external dimensions of 108 x 67 x 32 mm (4.25 x 2.64 x 1.26″) and weighs 264 g (0.58 lb / 9.31 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 8mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 3mm thinner than Panasonic GF3.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 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 32g lighter than the Panasonic GF3 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
GF3
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
GF3
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3'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 GF3: 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 GF3 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 6MP more than Panasonic GF3'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 GF3 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GF3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GF3 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 Panasonic GF3 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 Panasonic GF3 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 107 lenses for Panasonic GF3's Micro 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. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount and 31 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses # of Panasonic GF3 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 15
Standard Prime 2 13
Wideangle Zoom 1 5
Wideangle Prime 2 29
Telephoto Zoom 2 18
Telephoto Prime n/a 9
SuperZoom 2 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 5
Macro Prime n/a 4
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 13 107

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GF3 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 GF3 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF3 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GF3 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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF3 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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
264g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF3 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 Panasonic GF3: 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 GF3, 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 GF3 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 GF3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #104 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #440 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 GF3 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 GF3
Panasonic GF3
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Panasonic GF3 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-10 2011-08-11
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
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 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 6,400 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 13 107
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
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) 6.30 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 3.0 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, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 264g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 108 x 67 x 32mm
Battery Life 300 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 50
DxO Color Depth not tested 20.6
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 10.1
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 459
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