Clicky

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7

Portability
92
Imaging
44
Features
63
Overall
51
Nikon 1 J3 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-7 front
Portability
84
Imaging
63
Features
71
Overall
66

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs

Nikon 1 J3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 201g - 101 x 61 x 29mm
  • Announced November 2013
  • Superseded the Nikon 1 J2
  • Replacement is Nikon 1 J4
Sony NEX-7
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 400g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Introduced December 2011
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Overview

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Nikon and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the 1 J3 (14MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the 1 J3 (1") and NEX-7 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The 1 J3 was manufactured 24 months after the NEX-7 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the 1 J3 matches up vs the NEX-7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Nikon 1 J3 over the Sony NEX-7

 1 J3 NEX-7 
IntroducedNovember 2013December 2011Newer by 24 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-7 over the Nikon 1 J3

 NEX-7 1 J3 
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Common features in the Nikon 1 J3 and Sony NEX-7

 1 J3 NEX-7 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing
Screen resolution921k921kEqual screen resolution
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen Neither features Touch screen

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Physical Comparison

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon 1 J3 enjoys outer dimensions of 101mm x 61mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 201 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the 1 J3 and the NEX-7.

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the 1 J3 and NEX-7 is 92 and 84 respectively.

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 top view buttons comparison

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The image underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1 J3 and NEX-7.

As you can tell, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 1 J3 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-7 will offer greater detail due to its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs much more aggressively. The newer 1 J3 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 sensor size comparison

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 Portrait photography factors
Sony NEX-7 Portrait photography factors
58
you can focus manually
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
external flash not possible
77
has manual focus
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
offers face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Street Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 as a Street photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Street photography camera
70
good sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
lighter than competitors in class (201g)
screen is fixed
does not have image stabilization
76
tilting screen
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Sports Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 Sports photography factors
Sony NEX-7 Sports photography factors
57
silent shutter (1/16,000s)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (1")
comes with tracking focus
supports phase detect AF
does not have image stabilization
not so great battery (220 shots)
61
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
good battery pack (430 CIPA)
lack of image stabilization
no phase detect AF
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Travel Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 Travel photography information
Sony NEX-7 Travel photography information
69
lighter than competitors in class (201g)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
has built in flash
not so great battery (220 per charge)
screen is not selfie friendly
70
good battery pack (430 shots)
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
screen is not selfie friendly
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Landscape Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Landscape photography camera
64
you can focus manually
change lenses (Nikon 1 mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
good sensor size (1")
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
not so great battery (220 per charge)
72
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
good battery pack (430 shots)
lack of image stabilization
doesn't have Timelapse recording
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon 1 J3 as a Vlogging camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Vlogging camera
30
high video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competitors in class (201 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
lack of microphone jack
35
offers face detection focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
comes with external microphone jack
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Nikon 1 J3 vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon 1 J3 and Sony NEX-7
 Nikon 1 J3Sony Alpha NEX-7
General Information
Brand Nikon Sony
Model type Nikon 1 J3 Sony Alpha NEX-7
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced Mirrorless
Announced 2013-11-30 2011-12-13
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1" APS-C
Sensor measurements 13.2 x 8.8mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 116.2mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3072 6000 x 4000
Max native ISO 6400 16000
Min native ISO 160 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 135 25
Cross type focus points 41 -
Lens
Lens support Nikon 1 Sony E
Number of lenses 13 121
Crop factor 2.7 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Screen resolution 921k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen tech TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Max silent shutter speed 1/16000 seconds -
Continuous shutter speed 15.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 5.00 m 6.00 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, Rear curtain Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync 1/60 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
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, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Optional Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 201 grams (0.44 lb) 400 grams (0.88 lb)
Dimensions 101 x 61 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.1") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 52 81
DXO Color Depth rating 20.4 24.1
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.0 13.4
DXO Low light rating 420 1016
Other
Battery life 220 photos 430 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID EN-EL20 NPFW50
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 or 5 images))
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Price at release $170 $699