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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2 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 GH2

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

Panasonic GH2
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon 1 J4 was introduced to market in April 2014 and Panasonic GH2 was launched in March 2011. As you can see, GH2 is 3 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Panasonic GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-23
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 442g. 124 x 90 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Compare

Panasonic GH2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 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-GH2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 16 MP 12% more pixels
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 442 g 210 g lighter


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 over Nikon 1 J4
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Battery Life
330 shots vs 300 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Flash Coverage
15.6m vs 5.0m 10.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 6.36µm2 122% larger pixel area
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
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-GH2
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs Optical No Built-in stabilization
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2: 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 GH2 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 GH2 has external dimensions of 124 x 90 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 2.99″) and weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 30mm shorter and 47mm thinner than Panasonic GH2.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 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 (210g ) than the Panasonic GH2 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

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
GH2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
GH2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 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 GH2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic GH2 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. Nikon 1 J4's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to GH2.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2: 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 GH2 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine FHD processor.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and GH2 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 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 GH2 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 107 lenses for Panasonic GH2'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 GH2 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 GH2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GH2 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 GH2 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH2 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH2 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH2 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
Medium size Body
442g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH2 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GH2: 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 GH2, 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 GH2 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 GH2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #74 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #295 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH2 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 J4 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon 1 J4. Otherwise, Panasonic GH2 is the better camera overall.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Panasonic GH2
Panasonic GH2
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Panasonic GH2 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-10 2011-03-23
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-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 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 12,800 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 Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.71x
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) 15.60 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 442g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 124 x 90 x 76mm
Battery Life 300 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 60
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 655
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