Nikon 1 J3 vs Nikon 1 J5

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon 1 J3 and the Nikon 1 J5, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon 1 J3 was introduced in November 2013 and Nikon 1 J5 was introduced in April 2015. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon 1 J3 over Nikon 1 J5.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon 1 J5 over Nikon 1 J3.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon 1 J3 and Nikon 1 J5 have 3.0" screens with 921k dot and 1,037k dot resolutions respectively. Nikon 1 J3 has a Fixed screen Nikon 1 J5 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Nikon 1 J5 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Nikon 1 J5) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Nikon 1 J3 features a 14.2 megapixel 1-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 13.2 x 8.8 mm and a total area of 116.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 6,400. Nikon 1 J5 features a 20.8 megapixel 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 13.2 x 8.8 mm and a total area of 77.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 12,800.

Nikon 1 J5 has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Nikon 1 J3 can take pictures up to 4608 x 3072 resolution. Nikon 1 J5 is equipped with EXPEED 5A processor and can take pictures up to 5568 x 3712 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4176 x 2784, 2784 x 1856 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Nikon 1 lens mount. Due to their 1-inch sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2.7x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.7.

No Low-Pass Filter on Nikon 1 J5

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Nikon 1 J5. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon 1 J3 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon 1 J5 nothing can be done. On Nikon 1 J5 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon 1 J3 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Nikon 1 J5

Nikon 1 J5 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Nikon 1 J5

Nikon 1 J5 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon 1 J3 has a Type C HDMI and Nikon 1 J5 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon 1 J3 comes with EN-EL20 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots and Nikon 1 J5 comes with EN-EL24 battery pack with battery life of 250 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon 1 J3 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Nikon 1 J5 has a single MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Nikon 1 J3 and Nikon 1 J5 have Electronic. shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with mechanical shutter on both models. Nikon 1 J3 can shoot continuously up to 15.0 fps. Nikon 1 J5 can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps.

Focusing

Both cameras have Hybrid autofocus (phase detection/contrast-detect AF)
AF-assist illuminator system with Nikon 1 J3 having 135 (41 cross-type) focusing points and with Nikon 1 J5 having 171 focusing points and ..

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m on Nikon 1 J3 and 5.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon 1 J5. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/60 sec on Nikon 1 J3.

Nikon 1 J3 body has dimensions of 101 x 61 x 29 mm (3.98 x 2.4 x 1.14") and Nikon 1 J5 body has dimensions of 98 x 60 x 32 mm (3.86 x 2.36 x 1.26"). Nikon 1 J3 weighs 201 g (0.44 lb / 7.09 oz) and Nikon 1 J5 weighs 231 g (0.51 lb / 8.15 oz).

Nikon 1 J3

Nikon 1 J5

101 mm

61 mm

98 mm

60 mm

61 mm

60 mm