Canon SX40 HS vs Nikon 1 J3

Its time to take a closer look at the Canon SX40 HS and Nikon 1 J3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Canon and Nikon. The image resolution of the SX40 HS (12MP) and the 1 J3 (14MP) is very comparable but the SX40 HS (1/2.3") and 1 J3 (1") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SX40 HS was manufactured 3 years prior to the 1 J3 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Canon SX40 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Nikon 1 J3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the SX40 HS matches up against the 1 J3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX40 HS & Nikon 1 J3. The entire galleries are viewable at Canon SX40 HS Gallery & Nikon 1 J3 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Canon SX40 HS offers outer measurements of 123mm x 92mm x 108mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 4.3") with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Nikon 1 J3 has specifications of 101mm x 61mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 201 grams (0.44 lbs).

Contrast the Canon SX40 HS and Nikon 1 J3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the SX40 HS vs the 1 J3.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SX40 HS and 1 J3 is 64 and 92 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through specs. The visual below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SX40 HS and 1 J3.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SX40 HS because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Nikon 1 J3 will provide extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The older SX40 HS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.