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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N

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

Sony NEX-5N
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 1 J4 and NEX-5N, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Sony. Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1" sensor whereas Sony NEX-5N has a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. Nikon 1 J4 was introduced to market in April 2014 and Sony NEX-5N was launched in October 2011. As you can see, NEX-5N is 3 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 Sony NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-10-03
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 269g. 111 x 59 x 38 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha NEX-5 Compare

Sony NEX-5N was replaced by Sony Alpha NEX-5R. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha NEX-5R vs Sony Alpha NEX-5N
Sony Alpha NEX-5R vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N 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 NEX-5N
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 16 MP 12% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 25 146 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 920k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 269 g 37 g lighter


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha NEX-5N over Nikon 1 J4
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life
460 shots vs 300 shots 160 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 5.0m 7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
22.77µm2 vs 6.36µm2 258% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New4
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N: 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 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

1 J4
NEX-5N
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 J4
NEX-5N
Min
Average
Max

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 vs Sony NEX-5N: 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 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.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N 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 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

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Sony NEX-5N Good for?
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

POOR

Sony NEX-5N 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony NEX-5N 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
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

GOOD

Sony NEX-5N 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
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

AVERAGE

Sony NEX-5N 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
269g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony NEX-5N 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: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony NEX-5N: 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 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
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1221 in all Cameras
Sony NEX-5N
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
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.

Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Sony NEX-5N
Sony NEX-5N
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Sony NEX-5N vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
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
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