Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3
91 Imaging
40 Features
60 Overall
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86 Imaging
48 Features
60 Overall
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Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Nikon 1 Mount
- 238g - 106 x 61 x 30mm
- Revealed August 2012
- Replaced the Nikon 1 J1
- New Model is Nikon 1 J3
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Released August 2011
- Succeeded the Olympus E-P2
- Updated by Olympus E-P5

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Overview
Lets look a little more closely at the Nikon 1 J2 and Olympus E-P3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Olympus. The image resolution of the 1 J2 (10MP) and the E-P3 (12MP) is very well matched but the 1 J2 (1") and E-P3 (Four Thirds) use different sensor size.

The 1 J2 was announced 12 months after the E-P3 so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the 1 J2 grades versus the E-P3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon 1 J2 & Olympus PEN E-P3. The whole galleries are provided at Nikon 1 J2 Gallery & Olympus E-P3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon 1 J2 over the Olympus E-P3
1 J2 | E-P3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | August 2012 | ![]() | August 2011 | Newer by 12 months |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 614k | Clearer display (+307k dot) |
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Nikon 1 J2
E-P3 | 1 J2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Nikon 1 J2 and Olympus E-P3
1 J2 | E-P3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen |
Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon 1 J2 enjoys external dimensions of 106mm x 61mm x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 238 grams (0.52 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-P3 has dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs).
See the Nikon 1 J2 and Olympus E-P3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the 1 J2 compared to the E-P3.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the 1 J2 and E-P3 is 91 and 86 respectively.

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it's hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by checking specifications. The picture here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1 J2 and E-P3.
To sum up, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The 1 J2 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus E-P3 will resolve more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern 1 J2 should have an edge in sensor tech.

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Specifications
Nikon 1 J2 | Olympus PEN E-P3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Nikon | Olympus |
Model type | Nikon 1 J2 | Olympus PEN E-P3 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2012-08-09 | 2011-08-17 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Expeed 3 | TruePic VI |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1" | Four Thirds |
Sensor measurements | 13.2 x 8.8mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor surface area | 116.2mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 12MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 |
Maximum resolution | 3872 x 2592 | 4032 x 3024 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 135 | 35 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Nikon 1 | Micro Four Thirds |
Total lenses | 13 | 107 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.7 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 921k dot | 614k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic (optional) |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 60 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/16000 seconds | - |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 5.00 m | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/60 seconds | 1/180 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
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 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | AVCHD, Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 238 gr (0.52 pounds) | 369 gr (0.81 pounds) |
Dimensions | 106 x 61 x 30mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.2") | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 54 | 51 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.3 | 20.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.8 | 10.1 |
DXO Low light rating | 363 | 536 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 230 photographs | 330 photographs |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | EN-EL20 | BLS-5 |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC card |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at launch | $550 | $0 |