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Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon J5

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Sony RX100 VII

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony RX100 VII
$1198.00

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
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Nikon 1 J5

21 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 J5
$799.95

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony RX100 VII, which was introduced in July 2019 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 20.0MP 1" sensor whereas Nikon 1 J5, which was introduced in April 2015 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 21.0MP 1" sensor. As you can see, J5 is 4 years older than RX100 VII. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony RX100 VII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-07-25
  • 20MP - 1" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • 24-200 mm F2.8-4.5 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 960 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 302g. 102 x 58 x 43 mm
  • Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI Compare

Nikon 1 J5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-04-03
  • 21MP - 1" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 160 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 20.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 231g. 98 x 60 x 32 mm
  • Replaced Nikon 1 J4 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII over Nikon 1 J5
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max Electronic Shutter 1/32000s vs 1/16000s faster electronic shutter
Battery Life 260 shots vs 250 shots 10 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Real time Animal Eye AF Tracking Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Reasons to choose Nikon 1 J5 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
Max Sensor Resolution 21 MP vs 20 MP 5% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight 231 g vs 302 g 71 g lighter
Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
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
Max Resolution 20 MP vs 21 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 921k dots vs 1.037k dots Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting 20.0fps vs 20.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5
External Flash Shoe No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Environmental Sealing No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5: 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 Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5. Nikon 1 J5 is 4mm narrower and 11mm thinner than Sony RX100 VII but it is also 2mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony RX100 VII has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 J5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on J5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5.

Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5.
Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 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 J5 is significantly lighter (71g ) than the Sony RX100 VII which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on J5, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII nor Nikon 1 J5 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5: Sensor Comparison

Sony RX100 VII has a 20.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 J5 has a 21.0MP 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5A processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Nikon 1 J5's sensor doesn't have an 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 RX100 VII and J5 sensor size comparison.

Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5 Sensor Size Comparison


Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 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.

Sony RX100 VII for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon 1 J5 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J5 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Wireless Connection
200 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Read the details
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
171 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 J5 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
8.3X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
302g
Body Thickness 43mm
Read the details
231g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Sony RX100 VII for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 J5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Sony RX100 VII vs Nikon 1 J5: 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 Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5, 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 Sony RX100 VII and Nikon 1 J5 scores compare:

Sony RX100 VII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 58 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #90 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 J5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #29 out of 124 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #176 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 VII is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon 1 J5 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 Sony RX100 VII.

Sony RX100 VII
Sony RX100 VII
$1198.00

Nikon 1 J5
Nikon 1 J5
$799.95

Nikon 1 J5 vs Sony RX100 VII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII Nikon 1 J5
Brand Sony Nikon
Announced 2019-07-25 2015-04-03
Body Type Large sensor compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1" 1"
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 116.16mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 21 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 5568 x 3712
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 160 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 64 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 n/a 171
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon 1
Number of Available Lenses n/a 13
Lens Focal Range 24-200 mm (8.3x) no lens
Max Aperture F2.8-4.5 no lens
Macro Focus Range 8cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3"
Resolution 921k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.59 n/a
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.90 m (at Auto ISO) 5.00 m (ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/2000s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 20.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 3840 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 302g 231g
Dimensions 102 x 58 x 43mm 98 x 60 x 32mm
Battery Life 260 shots 250 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 65
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.1
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 479
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