What is the pixel pitch of the Nikon 1 J5?

The Nikon 1 J5 provides 20.7 megapixels from an one-inch sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 2.37µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Nikon 1 J5 measures 13.2mm in width and 8.8mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 116 mm². Moreover, the J5 has 5 568 horizontal pixels and 3 712 vertical pixels, for a total of 20.7 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (116 mm²) to the MP count (20 668 416).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Nikon 1 J5 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon 1 J5	1-inch	20.7	5568	3712	4K/15p	21.1	12.0	479	65
2.		Canon SX720	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.3	11.8	817	48
3.		Canon G9 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.5	12.3	495	63
4.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
5.		Canon 1200D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
6.		Nikon 1 V3	1-inch	18.2	5232	3488	1080/60p	20.8	10.7	384	52
7.		Nikon 1 J4	1-inch	18.2	5232	3488	1080/60p	20.8	10.7	426	53
8.		Sony HX80	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.4	11.8	822	48
9.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
10.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79
11.		YI M1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Nikon 1 J5 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the J5 was initially launched in April 2015 at a price of $399.

Check J5 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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