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Nikon 1 J5 Summary
20 Megapixels
High ISO: ISO 6400 or more is available at full-resolution.
Continuous Drive
Ultra HD (4K) video: 3840x2160 resolution or more.
Manual Controls: Both fully-manual (M) and semi-automatic modes (T and V).
Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.
Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.
Night Photography: Reaches shutter-speeds longer than 4 seconds.
Spot Metering
Accepts Micro Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC), SDHC and SD memory.
Neocamera detailed review
Discontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.Nikon 1 J5 Assessment
The Nikon 1 J5 is a compact mirrorless with a unique 20 megapixels sensor which provides ultra-fast Phase-Detect autofocus, 60 FPS continuous drive and 4K Ultra-HD video at 15 FPS. The J5 packs all this into a sturdy compact body which features dual control-dials and a traditional mode-dial.
The J5 produces image with no visible noise until ISO 400 for very large prints. ISO 800 and 1600 are barely show any nose and still completely usable up to large sizes. The most impressive aspect of the J5 is its speed. The autofocus and stutter-lag are class-leading with excellent shot-to-shot speeds, as long as Instant Review is disabled. If not, then there is a noticeable blackout.
This small mirrorless delivers a solid improvement over its previous generation. It now shows the image-quality expected of its digital camera class and has intuitive ergonomics which do not take long to learn. The display could definitely be improved as it fails to preview exposure and framing, among other issues. Overall though, the Nikon 1 J5 is satisfying to use considering its small size and that of its lenses.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Noise-free until ISO 400 | Limited dynamic-range |
| Nicely usable images until ISO 3200 | Cropped LCD coverage & not Exposure-Priority |
| Ultra-fast autofocus until very low light | Poor LCD visibility in bright and low light |
| Excellent metering | Video recording delay |
| Virtually no blackout without Instant Review | Instant Review impacts performance |
| Superb shot-to-shot speed without Review | Cropped field-of-view for 4K Ultra-HD video |
| Quick and responsive | Short battery-life |
| Good LCD sharpness | |
| Extremely quiet | |
| Solid build quality |  Good Good |
Recent Similar Cameras
Nikon 1 J5 Related Information
| Previous Models |
|---|
Nikon 1 J4 Nikon 1 J4 - 18 MP, 100% Coverage, 1 Control-Dial, 1080p Max Video, DNG |
| Reviews | |
|---|---|
| Neocamera | Photography Blog |
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Nikon J5 Highlights
Mirrorless digital cameraSensor-Size: 13 x 9mm
Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI
| 20 Megapixels Mirrorless | ISO 160-12800 |
| Nikon 1 Mount 2.7X FLM | Shutter 1/16000-30s |
| 60 FPS Drive, 20 Images | Full manual controls, including Manual Focus |
| 3840x2160 @ 15 FPS Video Recording | Custom white-balance with 2 axis fine-tuning |
| 3" LCD 1 Megapixels | Spot-Metering |
| Lithium-Ion Battery | |
| Micro Secure Digital Extended Capacity |
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