Nikon 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom

Mirrorless cameras

A 21-megapixel camera from Nikon with a 1 inch sensor, a 2.9-inch LCD, and an image stabilizer.

Unlock to see our ratings and compare products side by side

CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

Unlock ratingswith membership.

Current Range of Tested Mirrorless cameras

What goes into the Overall Score?

Image quality

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Video quality

/ 5

LCD quality

/ 5

Viewfinder

/ 5

Flash photos

/ 5

Image stabilization

/ 5

Sensor types

/ 5

Battery life (shots)

/ 5

4K video

/ 5

WiFi

/ 5

Test lens

/ 5

Megapixels

/ 5

Weight (oz.)

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

PHOTO QUALITY. This 21-megapixel mirrorless camera captured images with good quality. Pictures were very sharp, which means you can see even tiny details and very subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations without a flash, pictures were not quite as sharp as those of most recommended models. We judged this model very good for outdoor performance, such as shooting landscapes in the daytime; good for indoor performance, such as photographing a well-lit basketball game in a gym; and good for low-light performance without a flash, such as capturing a birthday party. Photos taken in our low-light performance tests displayed little image noise; subjects retained most of their correct detail and color.FLASH. The 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom with the 10-30mm kit lens captured flash shots that were good. In our distance test, we found the camera's flash could illuminate most subjects that are closer to the camera, but had some problems with distant subjects. The flash also has very good, even coverage.LENS. This camera has a standard 3x optical zoom lens. The lens also has wide-angle (27mm) capability that's useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance.IMAGE STABILIZATION. This is an important feature; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to the slight movement of your hands. Shooting telephoto in well-lit scenes, this model did a very good job of minimizing the effects of camera shake. In low-light settings, it performed very well and rarely produced blurry photos. Overall, the shake reduction results from our tests were very good.SPEED. In terms of performance, the Nikon 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom powers up in a moderate amount of time. It has a short interval between shots, which can be important when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.VIDEO. The Nikon 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom takes good video. It also captures 4K-UHD video at 3840 x 2160. As for sound, it captures good audio in stereo.ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. Unlike most mirrorless models, this camera does not include a viewfinder, which means you'll need to rely on the LCD to compose your photo or video. This mirrorless is much smaller, thinner and lighter than most in its class.

About

The 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom is a 21-megapixel camera with a kit lens that has a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 27mm-81mm. It has a 2.9-inch LCD (1,037,000 pixels). Because it accepts interchangeable lenses but does not have a mirror and through-the-lens viewfinder, we consider this model a mirrorless SLR-like camera. The camera's kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5. The camera's shutter speed range is 30 seconds to 1/16000 of a second. The 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom stores photos and video on microSD memory cards but has no on-board storage. It captures images as JPEG or RAW files at a top resolution of 5568 x 3712 and UHD-4K-resolution video as MOV files at a top resolution of 3840 x 2160. Like most digital cameras, this model comes with a proprietary rechargeable battery. This mirrorless has 41 autofocus points, 16 exposure modes, and an exposure compensation control that can be set at +/-3 EV. The image stabilization system for this camera is optical. The 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom measures 4.3 inches wide by 2.4 inches high by 1.3 inches deep, and weighs 13 ounces (with battery, memory card, strap, and tested lens).

Features & Specs

Features

Swivelling screen

Hot shoe

Memory card

microSD

Color space

sRGB/Adobe RGB

PC flash sync jack

Maximum aperture

3.5

Touch screen

Yes

Wireless remote

Live view

Exposure modes

Specs

Image stabilizer

LCD size (in.)

2.9

Max. ISO

12800

35mm equivalent multiplier

2.7

Shutter speed range

30 - 1/16000

Height (in.)

2.4

Width (in.)

4.3

Depth (in.)

1.3

Total weight (oz.)

Memory card slots/type

Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW

Full frame

LCD pixel count

Still image formats

Price & Shop

Nikon 1 J5 w/ 1 VR 10-30mm 1:3.5-5.6 PD Zoom

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

Similar Products

Similar Products

Features & Specs

Features & Specs

Features

Specs

Price & Shop

Price & Shop

More From Consumer Reports