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Nikon J5 vs YI M1 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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YI M1

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

YI M1
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Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the J5 and the M1, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Nikon and YI. Nikon 1 J5 was introduced to the market in April 2015 and YI M1 was launched in September 2016. There is 18 months difference between J5 and M1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger M1, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1 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

YI M1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 0g. 114 x 64 x 34 mm

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J5 over YI M1
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Sensor Resolution
21 MP vs 20 MP 5% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 81 90 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 5.0fps 15 fps faster
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
CHECK J5 PRICE


Reasons to choose YI M1 over Nikon 1 J5
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life
450 shots vs 250 shots 200 more frames with a single charge
Weight
0 g vs 231 g 231 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
11.16µm2 vs 5.62µm2 98% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
CHECK M1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
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
Max Resolution
21 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1: 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 YI M1 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). YI M1 has external dimensions of 114 x 64 x 34 mm (4.49 x 2.52 x 1.34″) and weighs 350 (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon 1 J5 and the YI M1. Nikon 1 J5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 16mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 2mm thinner than YI M1.

Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Nikon 1 J5 and the YI M1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. YI M1 is 231g lighter than the Nikon 1 J5 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
M1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

J5
M1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Nikon 1 J5 nor YI M1 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 YI M1's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Nikon 1 J5 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 YI M1 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to J5.


Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1: 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, YI M1 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

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 M1 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1 Cameras


As seen above, YI M1 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 YI M1 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 YI M1 has an advantage over the Nikon 1 J5 There are 121 lenses for the YI M1'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 YI M1 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 YI M1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 J5 and YI M1 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

YI M1 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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

YI M1 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
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

YI M1 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: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

YI M1 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
0g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 for Landscape Photography

POOR

YI M1 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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 J5 vs YI M1: 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 YI M1, 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 YI M1 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
YI M1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #74 out of 135 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #355 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 J5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats YI M1 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon 1 J5.

Nikon 1 J5
Nikon 1 J5
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YI M1
YI M1
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YI M1 vs Nikon 1 J5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon 1 J5 YI M1
Brand Nikon YI
Announced 2015-04-03 2016-09-19
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 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 5568 x 3712 5184 x 3888
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 81
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon 1 Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 13 121
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
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 1/4000s
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) no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 5.0 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 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 231g 0g
Dimensions 98 x 60 x 32mm 114 x 64 x 34mm
Battery Life 250 shots 450 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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