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Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison

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Olympus E-PL9

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

Olympus E-PL9
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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-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the E-PL9 and the 1 J4, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Nikon. Olympus E-PL9 was introduced to the market in February 2018 and Nikon 1 J4 was launched in April 2014. As you can see, 1 J4 is 4 years older than E-PL9. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-PL9 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-02-08
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 6400 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 8.6fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 380g. 117 x 68 x 39 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL8 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

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 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 Olympus PEN E-PL9 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
Battery Life
350 shots vs 300 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
7.6m vs 5.0m 2.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 6.36µm2 122% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 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
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-PL9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J4 over Olympus PEN E-PL9
Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 16 MP 12% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
171 vs 121 50 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
60.0fps vs 8.6fps 51.4 fps faster
Weight
232 g vs 380 g 148 g lighter
CHECK 1 J4 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
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
1.040k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4: 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 Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-PL9 has external dimensions of 117 x 68 x 39 mm (4.61 x 2.68 x 1.54″) and weighs 380 g (0.84 lb / 13.40 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 the Olympus E-PL9 and the Nikon 1 J4. Nikon 1 J4 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 10mm thinner than Olympus E-PL9.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Nikon 1 J4 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Nikon 1 J4 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4.
Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the the 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 (148g ) than the Olympus E-PL9 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 also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL9
1 J4
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL9
1 J4
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Olympus PEN E-PL9 nor Nikon 1 J4 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

Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

On the other hand, Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9.


Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII 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-PL9 and 1 J4 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9 vs Nikon 1 J4 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 Olympus E-PL9 has an advantage over the Nikon 1 J4. There are 121 lenses for the Olympus E-PL9's Micro Four Thirds mount, but on the other hand, there are only 13 lenses for the Nikon 1 J4's Nikon 1 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Olympus E-PL9 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. 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-PL9 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-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J4 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
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

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-PL9 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
Medium sized Body
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Street Photography
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

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Olympus E-PL9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.6fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
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

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Olympus E-PL9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J4 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
380g
Read the details
232g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Olympus E-PL9 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

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9 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-PL9 and Nikon 1 J4 scores compare:

Olympus E-PL9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #28 out of 137 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #177 out of 1268 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 J4
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #89 out of 137 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #391 out of 1268 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL9 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-PL9.

Olympus E-PL9
Olympus E-PL9
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Nikon 1 J4
Nikon 1 J4
CHECK PRICE

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Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-PL9 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN E-PL9 Nikon 1 J4
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2018-02-08 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 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 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 121 171
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 1,040k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.60 m (at ISO 200) 5.00 m (ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.6 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 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
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 380g 232g
Dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm 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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