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Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 Comparison

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Panasonic S5

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic S5
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Nikon 1 J1

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

Nikon 1 J1
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Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing S5 and 1 J1, two Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Nikon. Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is a Pro Mirrorless class camera and Nikon 1 J1 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera.

Panasonic S5 was introduced to market in August 2020 and Nikon 1 J1 was launched in January 2012. As you can see, 1 J1 is 8 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-14
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50 - 204800)
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 714g. 133 x 97 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon 1 J1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-20
  • 10MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • 234g. 106 x 61 x 30 mm

Panasonic S5 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Panasonic S5
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mark II vs Nikon 1 J1

Nikon 1 J1 was replaced by Nikon 1 J2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon 1 J2 vs Nikon 1 J1
Nikon 1 J2 vs Panasonic S5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Nikon 1 J1
Video Record Limit
Unlimited vs Limited Record clips longer than 30 minutes
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
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
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 10 MP 140% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 6.400 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
225 vs 135 90 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.840k dots vs 460k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
440 shots vs 230 shots 210 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth
25.1 vs 21.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.5 vs 11.0 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
2697 vs 372 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
35.30µm2 vs 11.57µm2 205% 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
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (96 MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking
Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode
Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Digital video stabilization
Yes vs No Stabilizes your videos in-camera
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK S5 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J1 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Elect. Shutter
1/16000s vs 1/8000s faster electronic shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 7.0fps 3 fps faster
Weight
234 g vs 714 g 480 g lighter
CHECK 1 J1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Nikon 1 J1
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Nikon 1 J1
New5
New2
Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1: 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 Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S5 has external dimensions of 133 x 97 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.82 x 3.23″) and weighs 714 g (1.57 lb) (including batteries). Nikon 1 J1 has external dimensions of 106 x 61 x 30 mm (4.17 x 2.4 x 1.18″) and weighs 234 g (0.52 lb / 8.25 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1. Nikon 1 J1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 36mm shorter and 52mm thinner than Panasonic S5.

Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1.
Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 J1 is significantly lighter (480g ) than the Panasonic S5 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 Panasonic S5 has a Full frame sensor and Nikon 1 J1 has a smaller 1-inch sensor, Nikon 1 J1's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Panasonic S5 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S5
1 J1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

S5
1 J1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that S5 has a big advantage over 1 J1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Panasonic S5 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Nikon 1 J1's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to S5.
Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J1 has a 10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Panasonic S5's sensor provides 14MP more than Nikon 1 J1'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 Panasonic S5'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 moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S5 and 1 J1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic S5 has a 7.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 J1. 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.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, S5 has scored 94, 38 points higher than 1 J1.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Panasonic S5 94 25.1 bits 14.5 Evs 2697 ISO
Nikon 1 J1 56 21.5 bits 11.0 Evs 372 ISO
Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1 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 Panasonic S5 has an advantage over Nikon 1 J1. There are 59 lenses for Panasonic S5's Leica L mount, on the other hand there are only 13 lenses for Nikon 1 J1's Nikon 1 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic S5 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. S5's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Nikon 1 J1 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 Panasonic S5 Lenses # of Nikon 1 J1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 8 (7 Full Frame) 4
Standard Prime 12 (11 Full Frame) 2
Wideangle Zoom 5 (5 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 18 (17 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Zoom 7 (7 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Prime 7 (7 Full Frame) n/a
SuperZoom n/a 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime n/a n/a
Macro Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 59 (56 Full Frame) 13

What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 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.

Panasonic S5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 J1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
135 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 J1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
714g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
234g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Nikon 1 J1: 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 Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1, 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 Panasonic S5 and Nikon 1 J1 scores compare:

Panasonic S5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #30 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #32 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 J1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #122 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #520 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 J1 in all criteria except one: Portability. Nikon 1 J1 is significantly smaller than Panasonic S5. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon 1 J1. Otherwise, Panasonic S5 is the better camera overall.

Panasonic S5
Panasonic S5
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Nikon 1 J1
Nikon 1 J1
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Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Nikon 1 J1
Brand Panasonic Nikon
Announced 2020-08-14 2012-01-20
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame 1-inch
Dimensions 35.6 x 23.8 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 847.28mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 3872 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 204800 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 225 135
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Leica L Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses 59 13
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,840k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.74x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/8000s 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
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/60s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 10.0 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, H.265 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 714g 234g
Dimensions 133 x 97 x 82mm 106 x 61 x 30mm
Battery Life 440 shots 230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 94 56
DxO Color Depth 25.1 21.5
DxO Dynamic Range 14.5 11.0
DxO Low Light ISO 2697 372
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