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Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
56
Overall
46
Nikon 1 J1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 front
Portability
83
Imaging
52
Features
62
Overall
56

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Key Specs

Nikon 1 J1
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 234g - 106 x 61 x 30mm
  • Released January 2012
  • Replacement is Nikon 1 J2
Panasonic G3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 336g - 115 x 84 x 47mm
  • Introduced July 2011
  • Earlier Model is Panasonic G2
  • New Model is Panasonic G5
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Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Overview

On this page, we are matching up the Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by companies Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the 1 J1 (10MP) and G3 (16MP) and the 1 J1 (1") and G3 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor sizing.

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The 1 J1 was manufactured 7 months later than the G3 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon 1 J1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the 1 J1 matches up versus the G3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Nikon 1 J1 over the Panasonic G3

 1 J1 G3 
IntroducedJanuary 2012July 2011More recent by 7 months

Reasons to pick Panasonic G3 over the Nikon 1 J1

 G3 1 J1 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Nikon 1 J1 and Panasonic G3

 1 J1 G3 
Manual focus More precise focusing
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Display resolution460k460kIdentical display resolution

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Nikon 1 J1 features outside dimensions of 106mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 234 grams (0.52 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G3 has sizing of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") and a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs).

Check the Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the 1 J1 compared to the G3.

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 1 J1 and G3 is 91 and 83 respectively.

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 top view buttons comparison

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is hard to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by researching a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 1 J1 and G3.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 1 J1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic G3 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more recent 1 J1 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 sensor size comparison

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 Portrait photography advice
Panasonic G3 Portrait photography advice
48
you can focus manually
decent sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
no external flash support
low resolution (10MP)
71
focusing manually
decent megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detection focusing
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 as a Street photography camera
Panasonic G3 as a Street photography camera
69
decent sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
lighter than others in class (234g)
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
75
fully articulated screen
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
provides focus by touch
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 Sports photography details
Panasonic G3 Sports photography details
48
quiet mode (1/16,000 seconds)
decent sensor size (1")
offers tracking focus
supports phase detect autofocus
lack of image stabilization
low resolution (10MP)
bad battery (230 CIPA)
47
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
low fps (4.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
not so great battery pack (270 CIPA)
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 Travel photography advice
Panasonic G3 Travel photography advice
60
lighter than others in class (234 grams)
flash built-in
bad battery (230 CIPA)
low resolution (10MP)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
70
provides focus by touch
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
selfie friendly screen
no Time Lapse recording
not so great battery pack (270 shots)
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic G3 Landscape photography highlights
56
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Nikon 1 mount)
good sized screen (3")
decent sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
low resolution (10 megapixels)
bad battery (230 CIPA)
62
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
not so great battery pack (270 CIPA)
no Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Nikon 1 J1 Vlogging information
Panasonic G3 Vlogging information
30
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than others in class (234g)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
missing mic socket
70
selfie friendly screen
touch screen
supports face detection focusing
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not have image stabilization
no external mic support
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Nikon 1 J1 vs Panasonic G3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon 1 J1 and Panasonic G3
 Nikon 1 J1Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
General Information
Brand Name Nikon Panasonic
Model Nikon 1 J1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2012-01-20 2011-07-11
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by - Venus Engine FHD
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1" Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 13.2 x 8.8mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 116.2mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3872 x 2592 4592 x 3448
Maximum native ISO 6400 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 160
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 135 23
Lens
Lens mounting type Nikon 1 Micro Four Thirds
Number of lenses 13 107
Crop factor 2.7 2.1
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology TFT LCD TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Min shutter speed 30 seconds 60 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Max silent shutter speed 1/16000 seconds -
Continuous shutter rate 10.0 frames/s 4.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 5.00 m 11.00 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize 1/60 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 1072 x 720 (60 fps) 640 x 240 (400), 320 x 120 (1200) 1920 x 1080 (60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps))
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 234 gr (0.52 lb) 336 gr (0.74 lb)
Physical dimensions 106 x 61 x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2") 115 x 84 x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 56 56
DXO Color Depth score 21.5 21.0
DXO Dynamic range score 11.0 10.6
DXO Low light score 372 667
Other
Battery life 230 shots 270 shots
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model EN-EL20 -
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots One One
Pricing at release $625 $500