Nikon 1 J4 vs Olympus E-PL1s

Below is a in-depth review of the Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-PL1s, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by rivals Nikon and Olympus. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the 1 J4 (18MP) and E-PL1s (12MP) and the 1 J4 (1") and E-PL1s (Four Thirds) have totally different sensor size.

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The 1 J4 was unveiled 3 years later than the E-PL1s and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the 1 J4 grades vs the E-PL1s when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon 1 J4 & Olympus PEN E-PL1s. The full galleries are available at Nikon 1 J4 Gallery & Olympus E-PL1s Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and measurements. The Nikon 1 J4 comes with outside dimensions of 100mm x 60mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 232 grams (0.51 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL1s has proportions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon 1 J4 and Olympus E-PL1s in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the 1 J4 vs the E-PL1s.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the 1 J4 and E-PL1s is 92 and 86 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by going through specifications. The visual underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1 J4 and E-PL1s.

To sum up, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 1 J4 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Nikon 1 J4 will produce more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger 1 J4 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.