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Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 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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Samsung NX5

15 MP | APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Samsung NX5
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 1 J4 and NX5, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Samsung. Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Samsung NX5 has a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. Nikon 1 J4 was introduced to market in April 2014 and Samsung NX5 was launched in June 2010. As you can see, NX5 is 4 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 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

Samsung NX5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2010-06-01
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 499g. 123 x 87 x 40 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Samsung NX5
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 15 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 15 156 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 3.0fps 57 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 499 g 267 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Samsung NX5 over Nikon 1 J4
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Battery Life
400 shots vs 300 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
11.0m vs 5.0m 6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
26.02µm2 vs 6.36µm2 309% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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 Samsung NX5
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5: 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 Samsung NX5 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 NX5 has external dimensions of 123 x 87 x 40 mm (4.84 x 3.43 x 1.57″) and weighs 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 23mm narrower, 27mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Samsung NX5.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 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 (267g ) than the Samsung NX5 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 NX5 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 NX5 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
NX5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
NX5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Samsung NX5 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 Samsung NX5'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 Samsung NX5: 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, Samsung NX5 has a 15.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIM Engine processor.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and NX5 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 Cameras


As seen above, Samsung NX5 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.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5 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 Samsung NX5 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 32 lenses for Samsung NX5's Samsung NX 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 7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses # of Samsung NX5 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 4
Standard Prime 2 5
Wideangle Zoom 1 1
Wideangle Prime 2 11
Telephoto Zoom 2 2
Telephoto Prime n/a 3
SuperZoom 2 1
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 4
Macro Prime n/a 1
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 13 32

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Samsung NX5 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

Samsung NX5 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 (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX5 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 APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX5 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
15 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX5 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
499g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung NX5 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 (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Samsung NX5: 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 Samsung NX5, 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 NX5 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
Samsung NX5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #84 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #439 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX5 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Samsung NX5
Samsung NX5
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Samsung NX5 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Samsung NX5
Brand Nikon Samsung
Announced 2014-04-10 2010-06-01
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
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 4592 x 3056
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 3,200 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 15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Samsung NX
Number of Available Lenses 13 32
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
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) 11.00 m
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 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 499g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 123 x 87 x 40mm
Battery Life 300 shots 400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
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