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 Samsung GX-20 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). Samsung GX-20 has external dimensions of 142 x 101 x 72 mm (5.59 x 3.98 x 2.83″) and weighs 800 g (1.76 lb / 28.22 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 42mm narrower, 41mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Samsung GX-20.
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20.
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20 Size and Weight - Back 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 (568g ) than the Samsung GX-20 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 Samsung GX-20 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 Samsung GX-20 lenses.
Weight Comparison
DSLR Cameras
Thickness Comparison
DSLR Cameras
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather sealed body of GX-20, 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's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Samsung GX-20's 2.7" screen.
Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
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, Samsung GX-20 has a 15.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the 1 J4 and GX-20 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20 Cameras
As seen above, Samsung GX-20 has a 3.1x 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.
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 Samsung GX-20 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 151 lenses for Samsung GX-20's Pentax KAF2 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. Samsung GX-20 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 Samsung GX-20 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 |
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung GX-20 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
Samsung GX-20 for Portrait Photography
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 (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography
Samsung GX-20 for Street Photography
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 (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Large Body
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography
Samsung GX-20 for Sports Photography
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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography
Samsung GX-20 for Daily Photography
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
800g
Body Thickness 72mm
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography
Samsung GX-20 for Landscape Photography
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 (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
Read the details
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 Samsung GX-20, 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 Samsung GX-20 scores compare:
Nikon 1 J4
Ranked
#70 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked
#327 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Samsung GX-20
Ranked
#56 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked
#390 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 J4 has a higher Overall Score than the Samsung GX-20. 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 GX-20: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Samsung GX-20. If not, we recommend the Nikon 1 J4.
General |
Nikon 1 J4 |
Samsung GX-20 |
Brand |
Nikon |
Samsung |
Announced |
2014-04-10 |
2008-01-24 |
Body Type |
Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Mid-size SLR |
Sensor |
|
|
Type |
CMOS |
CMOS |
Size |
1" |
APS-C |
Dimensions |
13.2 x 8.8 mm |
23.4 x 15.6 mm |
Area |
116.16mm2 |
365.04mm2 |
Megapixels |
18 megapixels |
15 megapixels |
Max Resolution |
5232 x 3488 |
4688 x 3120 |
Max Native Light sensitivity |
12,800 ISO |
3,200 ISO |
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity |
- |
6400 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 |
11 |
Lens |
|
|
Manual Focus |
|
|
Lens Mount |
Nikon 1 |
Pentax KAF2 |
Number of Available Lenses |
13 |
151 |
Screen |
|
|
Type |
Fixed type |
Fixed type |
Size |
3" |
2.7" |
Resolution |
1,037k dots |
230k dots |
Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
Viewfinder |
None |
Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder Coverage |
n/a |
95% |
Viewfinder Magnification |
n/a |
0.64x |
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 |
Sensor-shift |
Built-in Flash |
|
|
Flash Range |
5.00 m (ISO 100) |
13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Max Flash Sync |
n/a |
1/180s |
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 |
None |
Video Formats |
MPEG-4, H.264 |
n/a |
Microphone Port |
|
|
Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
Wireless Connectivity |
Built-In |
None |
HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
Environmental Sealing |
|
|
Weight |
232g |
800g |
Dimensions |
100 x 60 x 29mm |
142 x 101 x 72mm |
Battery Life |
300 shots |
n/a |
Other Features |
|
|
Timelapse Recording |
|
|
GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
DxO Overall Score |
not tested |
68 |
DxO Color Depth |
not tested |
23.1 |
DxO Dynamic Range |
not tested |
11.2 |
DxO Low Light ISO |
not tested |
714 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |