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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 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 HX1

9 MP | 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony HX1
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 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 HX1, which was introduced in April 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 9.0MP 1/2.4" sensor. As you can see, HX1 is 5 years older than 1 J4. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 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 HX1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-04-22
  • 9MP - 1/2.4" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 3200
  • 28-560 mm F2.8-5.2 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • - 1440 x 1080 video resolution
  • 544g. 115 x 83 x 92 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 9 MP 100% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 9 162 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps 50 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 544 g 312 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
6.36µm2 vs 3.12µm2 103% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1440 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 over Nikon 1 J4
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Flash Coverage
9.2m vs 5.0m 4.2m longer range

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
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 HX1: 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 HX1 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 HX1 has external dimensions of 115 x 83 x 92 mm (4.53 x 3.27 x 3.62″) and weighs 544 g (1.20 lb / 19.19 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 23mm shorter and 63mm thinner than Sony HX1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony HX1 has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 J4 doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 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 (312g ) than the Sony HX1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 1 J4, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon 1 J4 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 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 Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony HX1 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 HX1.
Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1: 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 HX1 has a 9.0MP 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Nikon 1 J4's sensor provides 9MP more than Sony HX1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the 1 J4 and HX1 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 J4 has a 4.2x Larger sensor area than Sony HX1. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J4 and Sony HX1 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 HX1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 9.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Sony HX1 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony HX1 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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
560 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony HX1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
20.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
544g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony HX1 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
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 9.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J4 vs Sony HX1: 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 HX1, 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 HX1 scores compare:

Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #70 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #327 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony HX1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #85 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #694 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J4 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony HX1 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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Sony HX1
Sony HX1
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Sony HX1 vs Nikon 1 J4 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J4 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2014-04-10 2009-04-22
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1" 1/2.4"
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 6.104 x 4.578 mm
Area 116.16mm2 27.94mm2
Megapixels 18 megapixels 9 megapixels
Max Resolution 5232 x 3488 3456 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 125 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 fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-560 mm (20×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-5.2
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
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 Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) 9.20 m
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 1440 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 232g 544g
Dimensions 100 x 60 x 29mm 115 x 83 x 92mm
Battery Life 300 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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