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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 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 GX8

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

Panasonic GX8
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 was launched in July 2015. There is 15 months difference between 1 J4 and GX8 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger GX8, especially in sensor tech.

Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Panasonic GX8 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-07-16
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 487g. 133 x 78 x 63 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Compare

Panasonic GX8 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 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-GX8
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 49 122 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 12.0fps 48 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 487 g 255 g lighter


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 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
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 18 MP 11% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
330 shots vs 300 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
11.16µm2 vs 6.36µm2 75% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Tilting Viewfinder
Yes vs No Use viewfinder in different angles
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
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
Max Resolution
18 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 12.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8: 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 GX8 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 GX8 has external dimensions of 133 x 78 x 63 mm (5.24 x 3.07 x 2.48″) and weighs 487 g (1.07 lb / 17.18 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 33mm narrower, 18mm shorter and 34mm thinner than Panasonic GX8.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 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 (255g ) than the Panasonic GX8 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
GX8
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
GX8
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of GX8, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to 1 J4.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic GX8 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 GX8.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8: 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 GX8 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and GX8 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 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 GX8 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 107 lenses for Panasonic GX8'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. Panasonic GX8 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 Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GX8 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GX8 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GX8 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
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
487g
Body Thickness 63mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GX8 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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic GX8: 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 GX8, 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 GX8 scores compare:

Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1221 in all Cameras
Panasonic GX8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #87 out of 1221 in all Cameras

Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 is the better camera overall.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Panasonic GX8
Panasonic GX8
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Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-10 2015-07-16
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 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 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 49
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 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.77x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s 1/16000s
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) no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 487g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 133 x 78 x 63mm
Battery Life 300 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 75
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.5
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.6
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 806
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