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Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1

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Panasonic GX8

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

Panasonic GX8
$997.98

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Nikon 1 AW1

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

Nikon 1 AW1

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Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Nikon. Panasonic GX8 was introduced to market in July 2015 and Nikon 1 AW1 was launched in September 2013. As you can see, 1 AW1 is 2 years older than GX8. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Panasonic GX8 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Nikon 1 AW1 has a 14.0MP 1" sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic GX8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-07-16
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 487g. 133 x 78 x 63 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Compare

Nikon 1 AW1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-09-19
  • 14MP - 1" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 60 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1,200 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in GPS
  • 356g. 114 x 72 x 37 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Panasonic GX8 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 over Nikon 1 AW1
Wireless Connection Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs No 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
Max Sensor Resolution 20 MP vs 14 MP 42% more pixels
Max ISO 25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life 330 shots vs 220 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth 23.5 vs 20.2 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 12.6 vs 10.9 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 806 vs 428 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 11.16µm2 vs 8.20µm2 36% 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 Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Post Focus Mode Yes vs No Change focus point after taking a shot
Tilting Viewfinder Yes vs No Use viewfinder in different angles
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Reasons to choose Nikon 1 AW1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
GPS BuiltIn vs None track your location
Number of Focus Points 135 vs 49 86 more focus points
Continuous Shooting 60.0fps vs 12.0fps 48 fps faster
Weight 356 g vs 487 g 131 g lighter
Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1
Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1: 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 GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1. Nikon 1 AW1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 6mm shorter and 26mm thinner than Panasonic GX8.

Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1.

Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1.
Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 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 AW1 is significantly lighter (131g ) than the Panasonic GX8 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

GX8
1 AW1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

GX8
1 AW1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic GX8 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 AW1's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to GX8.
Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic GX8 has a 20.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 AW1 has a 14.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXPEED 3A processor.

Panasonic GX8's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon 1 AW1'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.

Below you can see the GX8 and 1 AW1 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Panasonic GX8 has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Nikon 1 AW1. 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 GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 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, GX8 has scored 75, 24 points higher than 1 AW1.

What types of Photography are Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 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 GX8 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 AW1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic GX8 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 AW1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 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
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

Panasonic GX8 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 AW1 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
135 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Read the details

Panasonic GX8 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 AW1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
487g
Body Thickness 63mm
Read the details
Environmental Sealings
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
356g
Read the details

Panasonic GX8 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 AW1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Read the details


Nikon 1 AW1 vs Panasonic GX8 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 GX8 has an advantage over Nikon 1 AW1. There are 101 lenses for Panasonic GX8's Micro Four Thirds mount, on the other hand there are only 13 lenses for Nikon 1 AW1's Nikon 1 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic GX8 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon 1 AW1 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 GX8 Lenses # of Nikon 1 AW1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 14 4
Standard Prime 12 2
Wideangle Zoom 5 1
Wideangle Prime 27 2
Telephoto Zoom 17 2
Telephoto Prime 8 n/a
SuperZoom 8 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 4 n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 101 13
Panasonic GX8 vs Nikon 1 AW1: 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 GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1, 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 Panasonic GX8 and Nikon 1 AW1 scores compare:

Panasonic GX8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 124 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #66 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 AW1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #54 out of 124 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #262 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Panasonic GX8 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 AW1 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 Panasonic GX8.

Panasonic GX8
Panasonic GX8
$997.98

Nikon 1 AW1
Nikon 1 AW1

Nikon 1 AW1 vs Panasonic GX8 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 Nikon 1 AW1
Brand Panasonic Nikon
Announced 2015-07-16 2013-09-19
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 20 megapixels 14 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 4608 x 3072
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 6,400 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 49 135
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses 101 13
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 1,040k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.77 n/a
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 5.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync no built-in flash 1/60s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 12.0 fps 60.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 487g 356g
Dimensions 133 x 78 x 63mm 114 x 72 x 37mm
Battery Life 330 shots 220 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None BuiltIn
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 75 51
DxO Color Depth 23.5 20.2
DxO Dynamic Range 12.6 10.9
DxO Low Light ISO 806 428
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