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Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison

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Olympus E-PL8

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

Olympus E-PL8
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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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Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing E-PL8 and 1 J4, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Nikon. Olympus E-PL8 was introduced to market in September 2016 and Nikon 1 J4 was launched in April 2014. As you can see, 1 J4 is 2 years older than E-PL8. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-PL8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 8.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 357g. 115 x 67 x 38 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL7 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

Olympus E-PL8 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PL8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PL8 vs Olympus PEN E-PL8
Olympus PEN E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-PL8 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 Olympus PEN E-PL8 over Nikon 1 J4
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life
350 shots vs 300 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 6.36µm2 122% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-PL8 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Olympus PEN E-PL8
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 16 MP 12% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 81 90 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 8.0fps 52 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 357 g 125 g lighter
CHECK 1 J4 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4
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
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Olympus E-PL8 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 Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-PL8 has external dimensions of 115 x 67 x 38 mm (4.53 x 2.64 x 1.5″) and weighs 357 g (0.79 lb / 12.59 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 Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 9mm thinner than Olympus E-PL8.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4.
Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-PL8 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 (125g ) than the Olympus E-PL8 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.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL8
1 J4
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL8
1 J4
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus PEN E-PL8 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 Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus E-PL8 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 E-PL8.


Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-PL8 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII 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.

Below you can see the E-PL8 and 1 J4 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-PL8 vs Nikon 1 J4 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PL8 has a 1.9x 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.

Olympus E-PL8 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 Olympus E-PL8 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J4. There are 121 lenses for Olympus E-PL8's Micro Four Thirds 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. Olympus E-PL8 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. E-PL8's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 3.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Nikon 1 J4 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Nikon 1 mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-PL8 Lenses # of Nikon 1 J4 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 4
Standard Prime 15 2
Wideangle Zoom 6 1
Wideangle Prime 32 2
Telephoto Zoom 19 2
Telephoto Prime 11 n/a
SuperZoom 8 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 5 n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 121 13

What types of Photography are Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-PL8 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.

Olympus E-PL8 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
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

Olympus E-PL8 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 J4 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized 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

Olympus E-PL8 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
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

Olympus E-PL8 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
357g
Read the details
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Olympus E-PL8 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 J4 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
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

Olympus E-PL8 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 Olympus E-PL8 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 Olympus E-PL8 and Nikon 1 J4 scores compare:

Olympus E-PL8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #38 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #226 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

Olympus E-PL8 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 J4 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 Olympus E-PL8.

Olympus E-PL8
Olympus E-PL8
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Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
CHECK PRICE

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-PL8 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN E-PL8 Nikon 1 J4
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2016-09-19 2014-04-10
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds 1'
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 224.90mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5232 x 3488
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 160 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 81 171
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses 121 13
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
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 Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 5.00 m (ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.0 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 H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 357g 232g
Dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm 100 x 60 x 29mm
Battery Life 350 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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