Nikon 1 J5 vs Nikon D7100

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon 1 J5 and the Nikon D7100, 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 J5 was introduced in April 2015 and Nikon D7100 was introduced in April 2013. 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 J5 over Nikon D7100.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D7100 over Nikon 1 J5.

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 J5 has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 1,037k dot resolution and Nikon D7100 has a 3.2" Fixed screen with 1,229k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes Nikon 1 J5 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 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.

Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder on Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.94x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Nikon 1 J5.

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 116.2 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 12,800. Nikon D7100 features a 24.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.

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 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. Nikon D7100 can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 6000 x 3368, 4800 x 3200, 4800 x 2696, 4494 x 3000, 4496 x 2528, 3600 x 2400, 3600 x 2024, 2992 x 2000, 2992 x 1680, 2400 x 1600, 2400 x 1344 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Nikon 1 J5 has Nikon 1 lens mount and Nikon D7100 has Nikon F lens mount. Due to 1-inch sensor in Nikon 1 J5 its crop factor 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. Due to APS-C sensor in Nikon D7100 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Low-Pass Filter

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on either of the cameras. 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 J5 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon D7100 nothing can be done. On Nikon D7100 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Nikon 1 J5 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 J5 has a Micro HDMI and Nikon D7100 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon 1 J5 comes with EN-EL24 battery pack with battery life of 250 shots and Nikon D7100 comes with EN-EL15 battery pack with battery life of 950 shots.

External Storage Slots

Nikon 1 J5 has a single MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Nikon D7100 has Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slots.

Shutter

Nikon 1 J5 has Electronic shutter. Nikon D7100 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with mechanical shutter on Nikon 1 J5, and up to 1/8000 sec on Nikon D7100. Nikon 1 J5 can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps. Nikon D7100 can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps.

Focusing

Nikon 1 J5 has Hybrid autofocus (phase detection/contrast-detect AF)
AF-assist illuminator system with 171 focusing points and Nikon D7100 has 51 (15 cross-type) focusing points. Nikon D7100 has detection range from -2 to +19 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Nikon D7100 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Nikon 1 J5 and ±5 EV range on Nikon D7100. You can also do exposure lock and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon 1 J5 and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D7100.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 5.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon 1 J5 and 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D7100. Nikon D7100 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Nikon D7100.

Nikon 1 J5 body has dimensions of 98 x 60 x 32 mm (3.86 x 2.36 x 1.26") and Nikon D7100 body has dimensions of 136 x 107 x 76 mm (5.35 x 4.21 x 2.99"). Nikon 1 J5 weighs 231 g (0.51 lb / 8.15 oz) and Nikon D7100 weighs 765 g (1.69 lb / 26.98 oz).

Nikon 1 J5

Nikon D7100

98 mm

60 mm

136 mm

107 mm

60 mm

107 mm

32 mm

76 mm