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Nikon J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Comparison

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Nikon 1 J5

21 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 J5
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Panasonic GF7

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic GF7
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Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the J5 and the GF7, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon 1 J5 was introduced to the market in April 2015 and Panasonic GF7 was launched in February 2015. There is only 2 months difference between J5 and GF7 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon 1 J5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-04-03
  • 21MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 20.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 231g. 98 x 60 x 32 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 J4 Compare

Panasonic GF7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-01
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 5.8fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 266g. 107 x 65 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 Compare

Panasonic GF7 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 vs Nikon 1 J5

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J5 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
Sensor Resolution
21 MP vs 16 MP 31% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 23 148 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 5.8fps 14.2 fps faster
Battery Life
250 shots vs 230 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Weight
231 g vs 266 g 35 g lighter
Flash Coverage
5.0m vs 4.0m 1m longer range
CHECK J5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 over Nikon 1 J5
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/16000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Sensor Pixel Area
14.21µm2 vs 5.62µm2 152% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
CHECK GF7 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 5.8fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon 1 J5 has external dimensions of 98 x 60 x 32 mm (3.86 x 2.36 x 1.26″) and weighs 231 g (0.51 lb / 8.15 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic GF7 has external dimensions of 107 x 65 x 33 mm (4.21 x 2.56 x 1.3″) and weighs 266 g (0.59 lb / 9.38 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon 1 J5 and the Panasonic GF7. Nikon 1 J5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 1mm thinner than Panasonic GF7.

Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Nikon 1 J5 and the Panasonic GF7 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7.

Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Nikon 1 J5 and the Panasonic GF7 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7.
Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Nikon 1 J5 and the the Panasonic GF7 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 J5 is 35g lighter than the Panasonic GF7 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 also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

J5
GF7
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

J5
GF7
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Nikon 1 J5 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, 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 J5 and Panasonic GF7's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels.


Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7: Sensor Comparison

Nikon 1 J5 has a 21.0MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5A processor. On the other hand, Panasonic GF7 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Nikon 1 J5's sensor provides 5MP more than Panasonic GF7'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.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Nikon 1 J5's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the J5 and GF7 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GF7 has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 J5. 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 J5 vs Panasonic GF7 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that the Panasonic GF7 has an advantage over the Nikon 1 J5 There are 121 lenses for the Panasonic GF7's Micro Four Thirds mount, but on the other hand, there are only 13 lenses for the Nikon 1 J5'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 34 lenses for Micro Four Thirds mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon 1 J5 Lenses # of Panasonic GF7 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 18
Standard Prime 2 15
Wideangle Zoom 1 6
Wideangle Prime 2 32
Telephoto Zoom 2 19
Telephoto Prime n/a 11
SuperZoom 2 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a 5
Macro Prime n/a 5
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 13 121

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J5 and Panasonic GF7 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 J5 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF7 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF7 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF7 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
171 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.8fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GF7 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
231g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
266g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GF7 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic GF7: 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 J5 and Panasonic GF7, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 J5 and Panasonic GF7 scores compare:

Nikon 1 J5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 135 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #285 out of 1260 in all Cameras
Panasonic GF7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #53 out of 135 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #293 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J5 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic GF7 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon 1 J5
Nikon 1 J5
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Panasonic GF7
Panasonic GF7
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Panasonic GF7 vs Nikon 1 J5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2015-04-03 2015-02-01
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1' Four Thirds
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 116.16mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 21 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5568 x 3712 4592 x 3448
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 13 121
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/16000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.00 m (ISO 100) 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 5.8 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 231g 266g
Dimensions 98 x 60 x 32mm 107 x 65 x 33mm
Battery Life 250 shots 230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 65 not tested
DxO Color Depth 22.1 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 12.0 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 479 not tested
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