Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2

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Nikon 1 V3

18 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

$1,096.95

BUY from B&H PHOTO

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Nikon 1 V2

14 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

$599.00

BUY from B&H PHOTO

Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras by Nikon. Both cameras have 1" sensors but Nikon 1 V3 has a 18.0 MP and Nikon 1 V2 has a 14.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon 1 V3 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-03-13

18MP - 1" CMOS Sensor

ISO 160 - 12800

Nikon 1 Mount

3″ Tilting Screen

60 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

1,200 fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

381g. 111 x 65 x 33 mm

Replaced Nikon 1 V2 Compare

Nikon 1 V2 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-10-24

14MP - 1" CMOS Sensor

ISO 160 - 6400

Nikon 1 Mount

3″ Fixed Type Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

15 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

278g. 109 x 82 x 46 mm

Replaced Nikon 1 V1 Compare

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 V3 over Nikon 1 V2

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Optional	Better connectivity
Articulating Screen	Yes vs No	Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution	18 MP vs 14 MP	28% more pixels
Max ISO	12.800 vs 6.400	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	171 vs 73	98 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.037k dots vs 921k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	60.0fps vs 15.0fps	45 fps faster
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution	2359k dot vs 1440k dot	63% higher resolution
Color Depth	20.8 vs 20.2	higher color depth

Reasons to choose Nikon 1 V2 over Nikon 1 V3

Viewfinder	Electronic vs Electronic (Optional)	Better framing and control
Weight	278 g vs 381 g	103 g lighter
Dynamic Range	10.8 vs 10.7	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	403 vs 384	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	8.20µm² vs 6.36µm²	28% larger pixel area
Price	$599 vs $1,097	$498 cheaper

Common Strengths of Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting	60.0fps vs 15.0fps	Fast shooting speeds

Common Weaknesses of Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2

Image Stabilization	No vs Unknown	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

Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2. Nikon 1 V3 is 17mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Nikon 1 V2 but it is also 2mm wider.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2.

Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 V2 is significantly lighter (103g ) than the Nikon 1 V3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 both Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 have the same 1" sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 V3

1 V2

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

1 V3

1 V2

Min

Average

Max

Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2: Sensor Comparison

Nikon 1 V3 has a 18.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4A processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 V2 has a 14.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 3A processor.

Below you can see the 1 V3 and 1 V2 sensor size comparison.

Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Nikon 1 V2 has 28% larger pixel area (8.20µm² vs 6.36µm²) compared to Nikon 1 V3, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

What types of Photography are Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 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 V3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 V2 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 V3 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 V2 for Street Photography

GOOD

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon 1 V3 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 V2 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
171 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
73 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 V3 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 V2 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
381g
Read the details

278g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Body Thickness 46mm
Read the details

Nikon 1 V3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 V2 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

Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon 1 V2 vs Nikon 1 V3 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Nikon 1 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 have the same Nikon 1 lens mount and currently there are 13 native lenses available for these cameras.

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 with Image stabilization for Nikon 1 mount.

Lens Type	# of Nikon 1 V3 Lenses	# of Nikon 1 V2 Lenses
Standard Zoom	4	4
Standard Prime	2	2
Wideangle Zoom	1	1
Wideangle Prime	2	2
Telephoto Zoom	2	2
Telephoto Prime	n/a	n/a
SuperZoom	2	2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	n/a
Macro Prime	n/a	n/a
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	13	13

Nikon 1 V3 vs Nikon 1 V2: 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 V3 and Nikon 1 V2, 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 V3 and Nikon 1 V2 scores compare:

Nikon 1 V3

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #12 out of 115 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #96 out of 1143 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 V2

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #41 out of 53 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #218 out of 1143 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 V3 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 V2 in all criterias 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 V3.

$1,096.95

$599.00

Nikon 1 V2 vs Nikon 1 V3 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon 1 V3	Nikon 1 V2
Brand	Nikon	Nikon
Announced	2014-03-13	2012-10-24
Body Type	Rangefinder-style mirrorless	SLR-style mirrorless
Price	$1,096.95	$599.00
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	1"	1"
Dimensions	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	116.16mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	18 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	5232 x 3488	4608 x 3072
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	160 ISO	160 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	73
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon 1	Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses	13	13
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3″	3″
Resolution	1,037k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic (optional)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/16000s	1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Unknown
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.00 m (ISO 100)	n/a
Max Flash Sync	1/250s	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	60.0 fps	15.0 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	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	381g	278g
Dimensions	111 x 65 x 33mm	109 x 82 x 46mm
Battery Life	310 shots	310 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	52	50
DxO Color Depth	20.8	20.2
DxO Dynamic Range	10.7	10.8
DxO Low Light ISO	384	403
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