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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7 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 SZ7

14 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic SZ7
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7 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 SZ7, which was introduced in January 2012 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3" sensor. As you can see, SZ7 is 2 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 SZ7 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 SZ7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-09
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 25-250 mm F3.1-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 133g. 99 x 59 x 21 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 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-SZ7
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 14 MP 28% 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
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1600s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Battery Life
300 shots vs 220 shots 80 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 1.98µm2 221% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
133 g vs 232 g 99 g lighter

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
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
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7: 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 SZ7 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 SZ7 has external dimensions of 99 x 59 x 21 mm (3.9 x 2.32 x 0.83″) and weighs 133 g (0.29 lb / 4.69 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7. Panasonic SZ7 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Nikon 1 J4. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic SZ7 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 SZ7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic SZ7 is significantly lighter (99g ) than the Nikon 1 J4 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-SZ7 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7'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 SZ7: 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 SZ7 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the 1 J4 and SZ7 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.2x Larger sensor area than Panasonic SZ7. 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 SZ7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Panasonic SZ7 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 SZ7 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic SZ7 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
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Panasonic SZ7 for Sports Photography

POOR
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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
23 Focus Points
250 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic SZ7 for Daily Photography

GOOD
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Compact Body
133g
Body Thickness 21mm
10.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic SZ7 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: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Panasonic SZ7: 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 SZ7, 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 SZ7 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 SZ7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #257 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #855 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Panasonic SZ7 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Panasonic SZ7
Panasonic SZ7
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Panasonic SZ7 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2014-04-10 2012-01-09
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
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 14 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4320 x 3240
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 6,400 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 25-250 mm (10×)
Max Aperture no lens F3.1-5.9
Macro Focus Range no lens 4cm
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 1/1600s
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) 5.60 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 10.0 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 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 133g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 99 x 59 x 21mm
Battery Life 300 shots 220 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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