I had a small break in my hectic schedule today and I used it to spend a bit of time at Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls capturing some high ISO test images with my Nikon 1 J5. While I wouldn’t normally use ISO-6400 for all of my images purposely, I did so today at Bird Kingdom. As you look at the sample images some of the EXIF data will look quite strange in terms of using a high ISO setting along with a fairly fast shutter speed. These rather bizarre settings are simply products of the test conditions and my goal to purposely shoot at ISO-6400.
Whenever I buy any new gear I like to go out and push it well beyond where I would normally use it just to find out what it can do. I certainly wasn’t expecting great results shooting at ISO-6400 with a camera like the Nikon 1 J5 with its small 1″ CX sensor.
According to DxO sensor test data the 20.8MP BSI sensor in the Nikon 1 J5 is rated at 12EV at ISO-160 in terms of dynamic range, and 22.1-bits of colour depth at this same base ISO. While these scores are quite a bit better than the Aptina sensors used in previous Nikon 1 cameras like my V2’s, sensor performance drops off as higher ISO’s are used. This happens with all digital cameras of course.
For example, dynamic range of the J5 at ISO-6400 drops to 7.85EV and colour depth reduces down to 13.7-bits. As a result I expected to see some colour blocking and a lack of definition in shadow areas, as well as a loss of detail in the highlight areas of images. And, this is certainly the case with the sample images in this article.
Colour transitions are also not particularly smooth, but again this can be expected when shooting at a high ISO with a small sensor camera.
I was expecting the Nikon 1 J5 to perform better than my Nikon 1 V2 when used at higher ISO’s and it did not disappoint. I was actually somewhat surprised with how well the sensor did given its much higher pixel density compared to my Nikon 1 V2’s.
All of the images in this article were captured hand-held and produced from RAW files using my standard workflow: DxO OpticsPro 10 Elite with PRIME noise reduction, CS6 and Nik Suite. I simply applied the typical settings that I use for images taken at Bird Kingdom as I wanted to gauge the J5’s performance against other images I had taken in the past at the facility. The PRIME noise reduction function in OpticsPro 10 Elite did quite a reasonable job with the J5’s high ISO files. I never spend time fussing with custom settings with PRIME, preferring to use a ‘one click’ approach with its standard settings.
It is unlikely that I would ever push the Nikon 1 J5 to ISO-12800 in this kind of shooting environment, but depending on end use quite a few of the images taken at ISO-6400 would be acceptable for the web or other small size applications. Trying to do larger sized prints with these kinds of files would obviously be a challenge. It should be noted that there is a difference between manufacturer stated ISO and measured ISO when examining DxO testing for the Nikon 1 J5. At a manufacturer stated ISO of 6400 for the J5 the measured ISO is 3777. This is quite common for there to be a difference between manufacturer stated ISO and measured ISO for cameras as noted in DxO testing.
The auto-focus performance of the Nikon 1 J5 is a tad slower than that of my V2, especially in lower light situations. Since I won’t be using the J5 for moving subjects in low light this won’t be an issue for me.
I haven’t spent too much time with my Nikon 1 J5 so far but I am really enjoying it! So much so that I ordered a second one a few days ago and I’ll be picking it up early next week. Pairing up a Nikon 1 J5 with a Nikon 1 V-series camera extends the overall flexibility of the Nikon 1 system quite a bit as these cameras compliment each other well.
All images and article are Copyright 2016 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, adaptation or reproduction of any kind is allowed without express, written permission. Photography Life is the only approved user of this article. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use.
Very beautiful photos.
Thanks Jorge!
Tom
Great, thanks for sharing your work with us. Based on your experience with the Nikon 1 series, i decided to buy a J5 for basic experiments here at our university in germany.
Hi Markus,
You’re welcome! It’s great to hear that you folks are giving the J5 a try!
Tom
Hi Thomas. How do you rate thie J5 against the V3? Thanks.
Hi all, I wondered if anyone has rated the J5 against the Sony models A5000 and A6300 yet?
Hi Ian,
People that need an EVF and prefer a more DSLR-like experience will like the V3 compared to the J5. From an image quality standpoint the new 20.8MP BSI sensor in the J5 is noticeably better than the Aptina sensor in the V3, with improved dynamic range and colour depth. I did not find low light performance that different between the cameras with the J5 having a very slight edge. I did not buy any V3’s for my business as I did not see a sufficient improvement in terms of image quality over the trio of V2’s that I use. I also did not like the detachable EVF and grip with the V3. Although I do not personally like cameras without an EVF, I did buy a J5 a few weeks ago because of the performance of the new sensor. I will be picking up a second J5 this afternoon.
Tom
Very impressive images. Even at ISO 6400 the results are more than usable. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed them Anders!
Tom
Hi Thomas, great to see you pushing the envelope on new gear. Your previous articles about, or using the Nikon 1 series inspired me when buying a travel suitable camera for my daughter last month. We actually ended up with the Sony a5000, which is very similar to the Nikon 1 J5 as you’ll know. The two things that swayed us to that model were that she is a newbie to photography and much of her shooting will be done in good bright light, so high iso performance was not high on the ‘needs’ list. The other thing was that the A5000 features a full sized APS-C sensor, which dwarfs the 1″ sensors on the Nikon 1 and several other bridge cameras that made it to the short list.
She has come back from her travels with some great images and is very very pleased. Her compositional skills are pretty good, she does have an eye. The images which needed a bit of cropping have turned out great too, because coming from that large sensor, and with 20 Mp to play with, moderate cropping makes no difference to her final prints.
I am beginning to wonder if the end is nigh for entry-to-medium quality DSLR cameras. I say this on the heels of the D500 launch. That camera is clearly designed for semi professional or high end hobby use, action photography, but like any camera, can be tuned down to single shot and used for social and mainstream photography also.
Nikon are being very clever, producing such a camera which will attract legacy gear owners (talking about lenses mostly) and as with all such things, I am sure the price will eventually become more affordable in time.
More to the point, I wonder what Nikons intentions are for future models. Will they launch updates of the x7 and x5 DSLR range with features trickling down from the D500, or will they tie off the x3 x5 and x7 ranges with one last upgrade, and develop mirrorless instead?
I was so impressed with the Sony A5000 I started thinking about moving my DSLR gear out, and going onto the new A6300.
I was quite shocked to find out pretty quickly that their 70-300 Sony lens is all but £1000 and has a starting aperture of f/4.5, while the (brilliant) Tamron SP 70-300 I have in Nikon fit, starts at f/4.0 and costs £230 typically. That is a quarter of the price!
What a shame. All things being more or less equal, I would have made the change, based on the experiences of the A5000 we own, but I guess in time there will be Tamron lenses in the Sony E mount which are as good as the DSLR models I have here now.
Until then, I’ll have to make sure my monopod is packed – not getting any younger here, a 6kg shoulder bag (when packed) is becoming a nuisance and is counter productive to enjoyable photography.
Sorry if I am rambling, but I saw the huge importance these compact but potent mirrorless cameras are bringing, and I am sure it is only a matter of time before they are mainstream and the DSLR products will be taking a back seat. Anyone who has dismissed the new genre as not up to snuff may wish to re-visit the market and look at the newer models emerging. Nikon has a fight on it’s hands, as do they all, but it is clear with the Nikon 1 used in the article, they are more than capable of fielding top quality products in this arena.
Hi Ross,
Thank you for sharing your recent experiences with your daughter and your thoughts on the camera market. It certainly will be interesting to see how the camera market evolves over time. I would not be surprised if mirror-less technology becomes the norm. Ultimately it will depend on consumer preferences.
As far as the Nikon 1 J5 goes, it is great little camera for a modest price. Overall image quality falls short of cameras with larger sensors as can be expected, but the new 20.8MP BSI sensor is a definite improvement over the Aptina sensors used in previous Nikon 1 models.
Tom
Hi Tom, I am sure mirrorless will be the way forward. I hesitate saying it because I love my DSLR but I can see that the weight and size benefits are too strong an attraction for future users.
All that is missing from the picture at the moment is a range of lenses broadly similar in price and focal lengths – and when they do emerge, I am convinced large inroads into the DSLR markets will occur – in fact, I am pretty sure I would be on a Sony A6300 right now, had the required lenses, at a fair price, been in place.
I am new to this, does anyone know if the Sony E mount, found on the A5000, is proffered for sale by independents like Sigma and Tamron? I had a look online but it seems the only option to Sony home grown lenses involve using an adaptor or converter, and then you lose autofocus (and maybe Image Stabilisation too?).
I would appreciate the heads up on any third party but good quality options for this range.
I think Tom’s images — street, landscape, telephoto, birds in flight, macro and closeup — prove you don’t need an APS-C or full frame camera to get excellent quality images. That Nikon J5 and Nikon 1 lenses are first class and the autofocus on the Nikon 1 cameras is professional grade.
I have own Sony A6300 and the Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens. Sony has a proprietary processing algorithm called Clear Image Zoom. With this lens I can achieve 450mm (35mm efov) and 900mm (35mm efov) with Clear Image Zoom. This setup weighs about 2.8 lb and, with the Sony 16-70mm f/4 lens, costs around $3200.
The equivalent setup with the Nikon J5 (J5 + 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (810mm efov)) weighs about 1.6 lb and, with the Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6 lens, costs around $2000.
The same equivalent focal length range in a full frame camera will cost around $6000 to $7000.
In my opinion, it all comes down to the size of your prints, the importance of minimizing what is in focus, your need to shoot hand-held in low light, and how much weight you want to carry around and hand-hold . . . and, of course, your budget.
I haven’t used the Nikon setup, but I might buy into it if Nikon puts the J5 sensor in a V-series camera with an EVF.
Hi Jack, I agree with everything you say. The use of aps-c in the sony was useful in our case as my daughter is not very experienced with composition and it was very handy do be able to crop down to two thirds of the original, from a high res aps -c original image, to exclude distracting items, or backgrounds, or to get the intention of the shot extracted from the original.
Smaller sensors in the right hands are every bit as potent, and useful, as putting an aps-c in the hands of a newbie, and dealing with any slight issues later in post.
This is one of the reasons we were swerved from a very good panasonic bridge, onto the A5000. Budget, ability, image quality and portability were all in the mix, it made buying a camera quite difficult.
I am VERY grateful on your take of the A6300 – it seems the consensus, from reviews, is that it can be a tad noisy in shadow details, but otherwise, very good. Your point on image size (in prints) is obviously important too, as the intention of the shot should be biased to what equipment you use to capture it.
This stuff is not easy, and with technological progress always accelerating, it is impossible to keep up with it all. I think we are fast heading for the demise of the DSLR in the entry and middle level areas of photography, being replaced by better, and slightly cheaper versions of the current genre of mirrorless cameras, and more importantly, a more matured range of marque and independent options for lenses.
We are not there yet, but, it is not going to take much longer.
Nice article and pictures. The Nikon 1 family is impressive, especially with the 70-300 mm lens. I rented the Nikon 200-500 lens this weekend to play with. It is really an impressive lens, but it is so heavy and massive that I am afraid it would never leave home if I owned it. The Nikon 1’s are so much easier to take along. Too bad there is no viewfinder on the J5.
I always enjoy your articles. Thank you for writing them, and sharing your experiences.
Hi Don,
Like you, I wish that the J5 had an EVF. It is one of those trade-offs that often happens with photography gear. I haven’t had my J5 too long but I am really enjoying shooting with it…so much so that I have ordered a second J5 that I will be picking up early next week. I was willing to trade-off not having an EVF for the improved image quality of the J5’s 20.8MP BSI sensor.
Tom
Love your bird work Thomas:
Do you ever rely solely on auto-focus on any of your cameras?
Thanks
Have a great Memorial Day everyone!
Hi Greg,
I always use auto-focus for all of my images when using Nikon 1 gear. Over the past number of years using Nikon 1 gear I do not recall using manual focus even once. I typically shoot with single point auto-focus with my Nikon 1 cameras so I can place it exactly where I want in the frame. One of the things that I love about my various Nikon 1 bodies is the fast and accurate auto-focus.
Tom
Hi Thomas
How are you adjusting to the J5 when not having a EVF?
Great pictures as usual!
Regards
Duane
Hi Duane,
I am starting to come around to not having an EVF. I’ve only had my J5 for a little over a week now, but I am enjoying it so much that I have ordered a second one that I will be picking up early next week.
Tom
For posting images on the web, these noise levels seem ok. Now….according to dxo mark, ISO6400 in the J5 is only Real ISO 3777, is about 1/3 darker than the ISO6400 from the D7100.
Thanks for sharing the pictures!
I would love to see a 100% crop raw file just to make a fair comparison to my system.
Hi Tomas,
As I mentioned in the article shooting the J5 at ISO-6400 (measured ISO is 3777 as your post notes) is really only good for web and smaller sized prints. Image quality would not compare to a D7100 for any kind of larger application. To do larger prints I would keep the ISO to 1600 maximum, which is ISO-929 based on DxO measured ISO testing.
Tom
Thank you!