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Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
60
Overall
48
Nikon 1 J2 front
 
Olympus PEN E-P3 front
Portability
86
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Key Specs

Nikon 1 J2
(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
Olympus E-P3
(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
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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.

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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.

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Reasons to pick Nikon 1 J2 over the Olympus E-P3

 1 J2 E-P3 
ReleasedAugust 2012August 2011Newer by 12 months
Display resolution921k614kClearer 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 typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display dimension3"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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 size comparison

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 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Nikon 1 J2
Portrait photography with Olympus E-P3
48
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW formats
cannot use external flash
low MP (10MP)
60
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
includes face detect focus
saves RAW formats
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 as a Street photography camera
Olympus E-P3 as a Street photography camera
69
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW formats
lighter than average in class (238 grams)
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
76
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
features focus by touch
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 Sports photography features
Olympus E-P3 Sports photography features
48
silent mode (1/16,000s)
sensor size is decent (1")
features tracking focus
sensor has phase detect AF
no image stabilization
low MP (10MP)
not so great battery life (230 per charge)
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
includes tracking focus
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames per second)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 Travel photography details
Olympus E-P3 Travel photography details
60
lighter than average in class (238g)
has built in flash
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
low MP (10MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
60
features focus by touch
has built in flash
no Timelapse function
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 Landscape photography highlights
Olympus E-P3 Landscape photography highlights
56
has manual focus
change lenses (Nikon 1 mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
sensor size is decent (1")
delivers RAW formats
no image stabilization
low MP (10 megapixels)
not so great battery life (230 shots)
65
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
no Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Nikon 1 J2 Vlogging highlights
Olympus E-P3 Vlogging highlights
30
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average in class (238 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
missing microphone socket
35
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen is not selfie friendly
no microphone jack
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Nikon 1 J2 vs Olympus E-P3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon 1 J2 and Olympus E-P3
 Nikon 1 J2Olympus 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