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 NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N has external dimensions of 111 x 59 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.32 x 1.5″) and weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N. Nikon 1 J4 is 11mm narrower and 9mm thinner than Sony NEX-5N but it is also 1mm taller.
![Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N.
![Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N Camera Size Comparison - Back View]()
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N Size and Weight - Back View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N.
![Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N Camera Size Comparison - Top View]()
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N 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 37g lighter than the Sony NEX-5N but we don't think this will make a significant difference.
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 NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N lenses.
Weight Comparison
Mirrorless Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Mirrorless Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Sony Alpha NEX-5N 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 Sony NEX-5N's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".
On the other hand, Sony NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N.
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 NEX-5N has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Below you can see the 1 J4 and NEX-5N sensor size comparison.
![Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N Cameras
As seen above, Sony NEX-5N 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 Sony NEX-5N has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 128 lenses for Sony NEX-5N's Sony E 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 31 lenses for Sony E mount with IS.
| Lens Type |
# of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses |
# of Sony NEX-5N Lenses |
| Standard Zoom |
4 |
12 |
| Standard Prime |
2 |
18 |
| Wideangle Zoom |
1 |
7 |
| Wideangle Prime |
2 |
42 |
| Telephoto Zoom |
2 |
9 |
| Telephoto Prime |
n/a |
18 |
| SuperZoom |
2 |
8 |
| Wideangle Fisheye Prime |
n/a |
2 |
| Macro Prime |
n/a |
8 |
| Perspective Control Prime |
n/a |
2 |
| Telephoto Mirror Prime |
n/a |
n/a |
| TOTAL |
13 |
128 |
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N 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
Sony NEX-5N 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography
Sony NEX-5N 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
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography
Sony NEX-5N 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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography
Sony NEX-5N for Daily Photography
Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography
Sony NEX-5N 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
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
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 Sony NEX-5N, 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 NEX-5N scores compare:
Nikon 1 J4
Ranked
#70 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked
#327 out of 1221 in all Cameras
Sony NEX-5N
Ranked
#60 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked
#298 out of 1221 in all Cameras
Sony NEX-5N scores higher than the Nikon 1 J4 in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Nikon 1 J4. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J4 is more portable and has more features than Sony NEX-5N.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Sony NEX-5N.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Nikon 1 J4 is the right choice for you.
| General |
Nikon 1 J4 |
Sony Alpha NEX-5N |
| Brand |
Nikon |
Sony |
| Announced |
2014-04-10 |
2011-10-03 |
| Body Type |
Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Rangefinder-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 |
16 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
5232 x 3488 |
4912 x 3264 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
12,800 ISO |
25,600 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 |
25 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
Nikon 1 |
Sony E |
| Number of Available Lenses |
13 |
128 |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fixed type |
Tilting |
| Size |
3" |
3" |
| Resolution |
1,037k dots |
920k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
None |
Electronic (optional) |
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) |
12.00 m |
| Max Flash Sync |
n/a |
1/160s |
| 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 |
AVCHD |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Built-In |
Eye-Fi Connected |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
232g |
269g |
| Dimensions |
100 x 60 x 29mm |
111 x 59 x 38mm |
| Battery Life |
300 shots |
460 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
| DxO Overall Score |
not tested |
77 |
| DxO Color Depth |
not tested |
23.6 |
| DxO Dynamic Range |
not tested |
12.7 |
| DxO Low Light ISO |
not tested |
1079 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |