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Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2 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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Pentax ist DL2

6 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CCD Sensor

Pentax ist DL2
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2 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 Pentax ist DL2, which was introduced in January 2006 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 6.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, ist DL2 is 8 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 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

Pentax ist DL2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2006-01-27
  • 6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF Mount
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • - video resolution
  • 565g. 125 x 93 x 66 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Pentax ist DL2
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs No Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 6 MP 200% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 5 166 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.5" 3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 210k dots 393% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 3.0fps 57 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 565 g 333 g lighter


Reasons to choose Pentax ist DL2 over Nikon 1 J4
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.5" Small display
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2: 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 Pentax ist DL2 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). Pentax ist DL2 has external dimensions of 125 x 93 x 66 mm (4.92 x 3.66 x 2.6″) and weighs 565 g (1.25 lb / 19.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 25mm narrower, 33mm shorter and 37mm thinner than Pentax ist DL2.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

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 (333g ) than the Pentax ist DL2 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. Since Pentax ist DL2 has an APS-C sized sensor and Nikon 1 J4 has a smaller 1" sensor, Nikon 1 J4's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Pentax ist DL2 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
ist DL2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
ist DL2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Pentax ist DL2 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Pentax ist DL2's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2: 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, Pentax ist DL2 has a 6.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 12MP more than Pentax ist DL2'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 ist DL2 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax ist DL2 has a 3.2x 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 Pentax ist DL2 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 Pentax ist DL2 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 151 lenses for Pentax ist DL2's Pentax KAF 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 13 lenses for Pentax KAF mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses # of Pentax ist DL2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 22
Standard Prime 2 20
Wideangle Zoom 1 12
Wideangle Prime 2 24
Telephoto Zoom 2 21
Telephoto Prime n/a 12
SuperZoom 2 15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 3
Macro Prime n/a 14
Perspective Control Prime n/a 8
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 13 151

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Pentax ist DL2 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

Pentax ist DL2 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax ist DL2 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax ist DL2 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
5 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax ist DL2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Large Body
565g
Body Thickness 66mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax ist DL2 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 APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Pentax ist DL2: 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 Pentax ist DL2, 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 Pentax ist DL2 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
Pentax ist DL2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #80 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #715 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax ist DL2. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that 1 J4 trails behind the ist DL2: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Pentax ist DL2. If not, we recommend the Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Pentax ist DL2
Pentax ist DL2
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Pentax ist DL2 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Pentax ist DL2
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2014-04-10 2006-01-27
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CCD
Size 1" APS-C
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 116.16mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 6 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 3008 x 2008
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 200 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 5
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Pentax KAF
Number of Available Lenses 13 151
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 2.5"
Resolution 1,037k dots 210k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 95%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.57x
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 No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) n/a
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 n/a
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In No
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 565g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 125 x 93 x 66mm
Battery Life 300 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 65
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.9
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.1
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 639
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