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Is the Nikon 1 J5 good for Portrait Photography?

Nikon 1 J5
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Nikon 1 J5 Portrait Photography Score

POOR
Nikon 1 J5 has a score of 39 for Portrait Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait Photography is important for you, we strongly recommend you to consider the Alternative cameras listed at the bottom of this page.
Read our detailed Nikon 1 J5 Review

  • See Also: Best Nikon 1 Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Nikon 1 J5 Portrait Photography Detailed Analysis
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor

Even though Nikon 1 J5's sensor is significantly larger than a typical compact camera sensor, it is still hard to achieve that shallow depth of field and a blurry background for your portrait shots.

Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP

Nikon 1 J5's 21.0MP sensor will provide larger room for cropping, and you will be able print your portrait shots larger with more fine detail.

Average Ergonomics&Handling

Good handling and existence of well placed physical controls on the camera body is very important during portrait shooting. It is faster and more intuitive to change the camera settings with dedicated buttons and knobs instead delving into the menus on the LCD.

No Image Stabilization

Due to the lack of sensor based Image stabilization, Nikon 1 J5 users have to rely on lenses with optical IS in order to maximize the sharpness of their handheld portrait shots. Currently there are native Nikon 1 mount lenses with Image Stabilization for Nikon 1 J5.

No Built-in Viewfinder

In the lack of a a viewfinder, holding the camera away from the body while using live view is not very stable, especial with heavy camera bodies and lenses. Besides, LCD screens are very hard to read under bright sunlight.

You may also be interested in these reviews:

Nikon 1 J5 for Street Photography
Nikon 1 J5 for Sports Photography
Nikon 1 J5 for Carrying Everywhere
Nikon 1 J5 for Landscape Photography

Nikon 1 J5 Alternatives in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras for Portrait Photography

Fujifilm X-S10

Compare J5 vs X-S10

26 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS Sensor
Fujifilm X Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #56
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #45

Fujifilm X-S10
Imaging
Features
Value for Money 93
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street 93
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Olympus E-M10 III

Compare J5 vs E-M10 III

16 MP | Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
Micro Four Thirds Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #148
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #103

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Olympus E-M10 IV

Compare J5 vs E-M10 IV

20 MP | Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
Micro Four Thirds Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #141
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #95

Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Olympus E-PL8

Compare J5 vs E-PL8

16 MP | Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
Micro Four Thirds Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #217
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #134

Olympus PEN E-PL8
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability 90
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Olympus E-P7

Compare J5 vs E-P7

20 MP | Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
Micro Four Thirds Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #164
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #109

Olympus PEN E-P7
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability 91
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Olympus E-PL9

Compare J5 vs E-PL9

16 MP | Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
Micro Four Thirds Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #177
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #119

Olympus PEN E-PL9
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability 90
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Fujifilm X-T20

Compare J5 vs X-T20

24 MP | APS-C CMOS X-TRANS III Sensor
Fujifilm X Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #135
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #101

Fujifilm X-T20
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Fujifilm X-E3

Compare J5 vs X-E3

24 MP | APS-C CMOS X-TRANS III Sensor
Fujifilm X Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #181
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #122

Fujifilm X-E3
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability 90
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Fujifilm X-T100

Compare J5 vs X-T100

24 MP | APS-C CMOS Sensor
Fujifilm X Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #143
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #96

Fujifilm X-T100
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape

Fujifilm X-T30

Compare J5 vs X-T30

26 MP | APS-C X-Trans CMOS Sensor
Fujifilm X Mount

Rank in All Cameras: #93
Rank in Mirrorless Cameras: #72

Fujifilm X-T30
Imaging
Features
Value for Money
Portability
Overall Score
Portrait
Street
Sports
Daily
Landscape
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