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Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison

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Nikon D3400

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D3400
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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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Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Nikon cameras cameras with different body types: Nikon D3400, which was introduced in August 2016 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Nikon 1 J4, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP 1' sensor. As you can see, 1 J4 is 2 years older than D3400. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D3400 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-08-17
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 395g. 124 x 98 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D3300 Compare

Nikon 1 J4 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-10
  • 18MP - 1' CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 60.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 232g. 100 x 60 x 29 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 J3 Compare

Nikon D3400 was replaced by Nikon D3500. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D3500 vs Nikon D3400
Nikon D3500 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 compares 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 D3400 over Nikon 1 J4
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 18 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life
1200 shots vs 300 shots 900 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
7.0m vs 5.0m 2m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
15.28µm2 vs 6.36µm2 140% larger pixel area
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
CHECK D3400 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Nikon D3400
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 11 160 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points
105 vs 1 104 more cross type focus points
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 5.0fps 55 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 395 g 163 g lighter
CHECK 1 J4 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 18 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New4
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4: 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 D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D3400 has external dimensions of 124 x 98 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.86 x 2.99″) and weighs 395 g (0.87 lb / 13.93 oz) (including batteries). 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).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 24mm narrower, 38mm shorter and 47mm thinner than Nikon D3400.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4.
Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 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 (163g ) than the Nikon D3400 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 Nikon D3400 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 Nikon D3400 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D3400
1 J4
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D3400
1 J4
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon D3400 nor Nikon 1 J4 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.


Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D3400 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J4 has a 18.0MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor.

Nikon D3400's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon 1 J4'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 D3400'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 D3400 and 1 J4 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D3400 has a 3.2x 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 D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4 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 Nikon D3400 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4 There are 316 lenses for Nikon D3400's Nikon F 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 107 lenses for Nikon F mount and 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Nikon D3400 Lenses # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses
Standard Zoom 32 4
Standard Prime 22 2
Wideangle Zoom 33 1
Wideangle Prime 50 2
Telephoto Zoom 55 2
Telephoto Prime 46 n/a
SuperZoom 30 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 n/a
Macro Prime 26 n/a
Perspective Control Prime 11 n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 316 13

What types of Photography are Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 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 D3400 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J4 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
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

Nikon D3400 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
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

Nikon D3400 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
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

Nikon D3400 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
395g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon D3400 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon D3400 vs Nikon 1 J4: 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 D3400 and Nikon 1 J4, 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 D3400 and Nikon 1 J4 scores compare:

Nikon D3400
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #267 out of 1259 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #88 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #394 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Nikon D3400 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 J4 in all criteria except one: Portability. Nikon 1 J4 is significantly smaller than Nikon D3400. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon 1 J4. Otherwise, Nikon D3400 is the better camera overall.

Nikon D3400
Nikon D3400
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Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
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Nikon 1 J4 vs Nikon D3400 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D3400 Nikon 1 J4
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2016-08-17 2014-04-10
Body Type Compact SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C 1'
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 366.60mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 5232 x 3488
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 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 11 171
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses 316 13
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder Coverage 95% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.56x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.00 m (at ISO 100) 5.00 m (ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/200s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 60.0 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 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 395g 232g
Dimensions 124 x 98 x 76mm 100 x 60 x 29mm
Battery Life 1200 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 86 not tested
DxO Color Depth 24.8 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.9 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 1192 not tested
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