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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 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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Sony A550

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

Sony A550
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 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 Sony A550, which was introduced in December 2009 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 14.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, A550 is 5 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 Sony A550 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

Sony A550 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-12-09
  • 14MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 632g. 137 x 104 x 84 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 14 MP 28% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 9 162 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 922k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 7.0fps 53 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 632 g 400 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs None Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
Battery Life
480 shots vs 300 shots 180 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 5.0m 7m 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 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
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
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 7.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550: 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 Sony A550 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). Sony A550 has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31″) and weighs 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 37mm narrower, 44mm shorter and 55mm thinner than Sony A550.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 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 (400g ) than the Sony A550 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 Sony A550 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 Sony A550 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
A550
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

1 J4
A550
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 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 and Sony A550's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony A550 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Nikon 1 J4 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A550.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550: 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, Sony A550 has a 14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and A550 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A550 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 Sony A550 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 Sony A550 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 143 lenses for Sony A550's Sony/Minolta Alpha 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. Sony A550 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 Sony A550 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 20
Standard Prime 2 9
Wideangle Zoom 1 11
Wideangle Prime 2 18
Telephoto Zoom 2 26
Telephoto Prime n/a 12
SuperZoom 2 19
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 4
Macro Prime n/a 12
Perspective Control Prime n/a 10
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 2
TOTAL 13 143

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Sony A550 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

Sony A550 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 APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A550 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 APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A550 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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A550 for Daily Photography

GOOD
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
Large Body
632g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A550 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 APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony A550: 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 Sony A550, 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 Sony A550 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
Sony A550
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #36 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #273 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A550 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, Sony A550 is the better camera overall.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Sony A550
Sony A550
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Sony A550 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2014-04-10 2009-12-09
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact 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 14 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 4592 x 3056
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 12,800 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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of Available Lenses 13 143
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 95%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.53x
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) 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 60.0 fps 7.0 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 632g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 137 x 104 x 84mm
Battery Life 300 shots 480 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 66
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.9
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.8
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 807
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