- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Sony NEX-5N
- Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1
- Sony NEX-F3
- Sony Alpha NEX-6
Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The NEX-5 features a full-size APS-C 14.2-megapixel sensor, a large articulated 7.5cm monitor and full 1080p HD video with stereo audio, with a body not much bigger than a standard compact camera.
Rated 100% by by H.-Puukka (Nov, 2011)It's small compared to DSLRs, feels solid, the viewfinder is a pleasure and I have the possibility to watch the shot pictures at the viewfinder, where I can judge focus etc.And at the end the picture quality is surprisingly high.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Sony NEX-5 compared to the Nikon 1 V1
MP14
APS-C
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)Edge to edge sharpness is similarly reasonable, though - another Sony regular - pixel fringing makes an appearance between areas of high contrast.
10 MP
Nikon CX
Rated 100% by by alf-randell (Nov, 2012)The electronic viewfinder is perfect for eye level operation in all conditions, and the screen works very well when holding the camera at arms length, or using it on a tripod.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 14 MP   | 20 MP |
NEX-5 by Carmin-A.-Politano (Dec, 2010)A high megaPixel count is impressive, but I doNot concern myself with a megaPixel here or there.
1 V1 by DPReview (Jan, 2012)That said, with an absolute resolution of approximately 2000 LPH (Lines Per Picture Height) their 10MP sensor does a decent, if not outstanding job in our resolution test, partly helped by fairly strong default sharpening.
sensor size
NEX-5 by G.W. (Jul, 2011)I wanted DSLR quality in a compact profile, but this camera isn't even close to DSLR quality, forget the sensor size.
body size
111 x 59 x 38 mm
113 x 76 x 44 mm
NEX-5 by Hendi-Koesuma--Dad-for-two (Feb, 2011)The weight is just amazing!! For the picture, there are many modes to choose from to get a nice quality picture.
1 V1 by Photography Blog (Oct, 2011)With an essentially grip-less design, the Nikon V1 is very much a two-handed affair that requires you to hold the camera's weight in the left hand, clutching the lens, and use your right hand for balance and operating the controls.
focus points
| 0 | 135 | 200 |
NEX-5 by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)Set at four points around this scroll wheel/pad are a means of adjusting the display, calling up the various flash settings (accessible only if the flash has first been attached of course), exposure compensation (+/- 2EV selectable), and drive mode (single shot, continuous, continuous with speed priority, so focus/exposure fixed from the first shot), or self timer option (10 seconds).
1 V1 by John-Green (Sep, 2012)With the adapter, you can strap on any Nikon lens but you lose a lot of functionality like continues focus, the ability to move focus points so that kinda of sucks in some situations, especially for video where you pretty much have to use the Nikon 1 lenses.
Performance Real world tests of Sony NEX-5 vs Nikon 1 V1
DxOMark image quality
NEX-5 by Haidong-Huang (Dec, 2011)Other than that, it has stunning good performance under low light, very little noise in low light images.
1 V1 by DPReview (Jan, 2012)As we'd expect from Nikon's DSLR and Coolpix ranges the cameras' auto WB behavior consistently produces generally accurate colors and natural, attractive skin tones, too.
DxOMark low light performance
NEX-5 by Thomas-Krafft (Dec, 2012)I've read the other reviews about pretty good night time/dark photos, but still haven't had a chance to see for myself.
1 V1 by J.-Porter--jaypeepz (Nov, 2011)The camera also has good noise control when shooting in low light!
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 97 ms | 100 ms |
NEX-5 by rj45 (May, 2011)Other micro 4/3 cameras on the market may have better sharpness for images, but have high shutter lag; you're better off with a modern p&s; I have the Nikon S8100.
1 V1 by D.-Bannister (Mar, 2012)The V1 does take a few seconds to wake up if it has gone to sleep so if it is a long time between shots it is best to power down and power up again.
continuous shooting
1 V1 by DPReview (Jan, 2012)In the case of the V1, the number of frames in a burst is limited to 34 at 10 fps and 30 at 30 fps and 60 fps respectively which means that, depending on the selected framerate, you can capture between roughly 1 and 3 seconds of subject action.
battery life
330 photos
350 photos
NEX-5 by Emily-V. (Jan, 2012)We used it at Christmas and it works great, takes great pictures, great battery life.
1 V1 by laylarath (Dec, 2012)The battery life is great, the viewfinder is great, and the camera is very fast.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Nikon 1 V1
| Significantly larger sensor | APS-C | vs | Nikon CX |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 3x larger sensor; higher quality photos | |||
| Significantly better overall image quality | 69.0 | vs | 54.0 |
| Around 30% better image quality | |||
| Has a flip out screen | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Great for recording movies | |||
| Create realistic 3D images | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV | |||
| Significantly higher light sensitivity | 12,800 ISO | vs | 3,200 ISO |
| 4x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Significantly less noise at high ISO | 796 ISO | vs | 346 ISO |
| Around 2.5x higher low light performance | |||
| Significantly more contrast-detection focus points | 25 | vs | 0 |
| 25 more contrast detection focus points; Better autofocus in low light settings | |||
| Better dynamic range | 12.2 ev | vs | 11.0 ev |
| More than 10% better dynamic range | |||
| Higher resolution | 14 MP | vs | 10 MP |
| Around 40% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Automatic panorama | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| More color depth | 22.2 bits | vs | 21.3 bits |
| Almost the same | |||
| Significantly more highly reviewed by consumers | 83.16% | vs | 76.18% |
| Around 10% more highly reviewed by consumers | |||
| Less startup delay | 1,000 ms | vs | 1,300 ms |
| More than 20% less startup delay; Be ready for anything | |||
| Smaller | 111 x 59 x 38 mm | vs | 113 x 76 x 44 mm |
| More than 30% smaller | |||
| Thinner | 38 mm | vs | 44 mm |
| More than 10% thinner | |||
Advantages compared to the Sony NEX-5
| Much faster rapid fire | 60 fps | vs | 7 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 8.5x faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Many more phase-detection focus points | 135 | vs | 0 |
| 135 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Has a viewfinder | Gives you more flexibility when framing your shot | vs | Allows for less stability when taking a photo |
| Most cameras don't have a viewfinder; Avoids glare in bright sunlight | |||
| Shoots high speed video | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create slow motion video | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Sep, 2011 | vs | May, 2010 |
| Announced date over 1 years later | |||
| Less delay taking photos | 97 ms | vs | 670 ms |
| 6.9x less shutter lag; Avoid missing spontaneous moments | |||
| Much faster max shutter speed | 1/16000 s | vs | 1/4000 s |
| 4x faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Sony NEX-5 | Nikon 1 V1 | ||
 |  
|
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  Rated by 173 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by n00b Rated 80% by by Matt-Eye--Matthew (Jul, 2011) Rated 100% by by James-B.-Beavan (Dec, 2011) | Rated by 81 users at amazon.com Rated 60% by by R.-Richardson (Nov, 2011) Rated 80% by by John-Green (Sep, 2012) Rated 100% by by laylarath (Dec, 2012) | |
type
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by Y.-Wang (Jan, 2013)I've tested both cameras with v1 and v2 for the new Hybrid auto focus.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2011)The Nikon 1 V1 has an intriguing hybrid auto-focus system that combines contrast- and phase-difference detection in a similar fashion as the Fujifilm F300EXR did.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 69% by by DPReview (Jan, 2012)It is worth noting that one aspect of the J1/V1's feature set over which you get absolutely no control is one of the most interesting - their 'hybrid' AF systems.
viewfinder
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 100% by by Mikhail-ArkhipovViewfinder is so much more convenient and V1 sports excellent EVF.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2011)The Nikon V1 has a smooth, fluid and high-resolution electronic viewfinder with natural-looking colours, but a somewhat low magnification.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by waeshael--theologian (Jun, 2012)The Optical viewfinder of my M6 doesn't compare with the Hoodman on the NEX-5.
flips out
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)Add in HD video, a tilting LCD and while not cheap for anyone investing in the system from scratch, the NEX-5 at least feels like it is earning your pennies and perhaps, begrudgingly and gradually, your respect.
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Jul, 2010)The NEX-5's external backplate is a similarly pared down affair, the majority of it taken up by the 3-inch widescreen ratio angle-adjustable LCD that stretches from base to top plate.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 60% by by ATK--ATK (Nov, 2011)Even NEX-5 has tilting LCD, it's still thinner.NEX-5N = 110.8 x 58.8 x 38.2mm.
screen
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by waeshael--theologian (Jun, 2012)Unlike most cameras, the SOny NEX-5 shows you exactly what you will get when you display the picture on a monitor, because the brightness/contrast/color of the display changes to match the exposure conditions you have selected - i.e it doesn't brighten up as you swing into shadow areas of the scene.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 69% by by DPReview (Jan, 2012)If you're a member of the cameras' target audience and you want a point and shoot camera in its purest sense, you'll encounter the warm, welcoming and considerate faces of the J1 and V1 that quietly usher you away from the noisy, confusing and intricate world of exposure control and towards a clean, bright future where you only have one button to worry about - the shutter release.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 100% by by Roy (Feb, 2012)But none of them can touch the V1 for speed and accuracy.
autofocus
Sony NEX-5 | Rated 100% by by D.-E.-Goode--Dr.-Dale (Mar, 2011)I own a Nikon D80 and a Canon 50D both with high end non kit lenses and the NEX-5's af is just as fast and picture quality is at times much sharper.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 69% by by DPReview (Jan, 2012)What worries us is that even genuine novices - those happy with point and shoot operation but who want a step up in terms of image quality and AF performance from their compact cameras - will find themselves poorly served by certain facets of the J1 and V1's design and performance.
Nikon 1 V1 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2011)In good light, the Nikon V1 is indeed as fast as anything out there when it comes to auto-focus speed.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony NEX-5N 3-way tie: Highest ISO |
 | 2 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen |
 | 3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 2-way tie: Long long exposure |
 | 4 | Sony NEX-F3 Least noise at high ISO |
 | 5 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 6 | Nikon 1 J2 Many many cross-type focus points |
 | 7 | Canon EOS M Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 8 | Samsung NX1000 Largest sensor |
Popular Questions
April 19, 2012
I would be clicking the pictures of Office Spaces and some street photography
I'm a beginner at photography and I'm a bit confused in picking the right camera. My main use of the cam would be to click pictures of office spaces(well, for a image oriented websites. So, the I...
Visitor
3
Answers Sony NEX-5
JayPandaaa 
Beginner I
The Nikon 1 V1 does infact seems like a great all-rounder, however, for the small but importanr fact that the Sony NEX-5 takes slightly crispier and better quality images for less money is surely... View JayPandaaa's recommendation
- 0 comments
- August 18, 2012
- Reply to: I would be clicking the pictures of Office Spaces and some street photography
Nikon 1 V1
Sven-Hudak 
Beginner II
Yes the v1 has a small sensor ...but this camera is amazing at capturing the picture...fast focus...and silent shutter makes it great for street photography and the lenses are really nice...I as... View Sven-Hudak's recommendation
- 0 comments
- December 4, 2012
- Reply to: I would be clicking the pictures of Office Spaces and some street photography
