Nikon 1 J5 review

A retro design and a rethought mode dial widens the appeal of Nikon's J-series CSC

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Nikon 1 J5

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This is a test of the camera's noise levels. The higher the signal to noise ratio, the greater the difference in strength between the real image data and random background noise, so the 'cleaner' the image will look. The higher the signal to noise ratio, the better.

Nikon 1 J5 signal to noise ratio

Nikon 1 J5 signal to noise ratio chart

JPEG analysis: The Nikon 1 J5's signal to noise ratio is significantly worse than the rest – you can expect its JPEG images to show more noise than those from the rival cameras in this group.

Nikon 1 J5 signal to noise ratio chart

Raw analysis: When the raw files are compared, though, the situation is turned around completely. Now, the J5 is one of the best in the group.

Test scene samples

We also carry out real-world noise tests across the camera's ISO range with a specially set-up studio test scene. You can see two of the results below:

Nikon 1 J5 noise test

This was shot at the J5's base ISO of 160. The right side of the scene is deliberately under-lit because this makes shadow noise more obvious.

Click here for a full size version.

Nikon 1 J5 noise test

This is the same scene shot at ISO 6400, and you can clearly see the effect on the image quality.

Click here for a full size version.

Amy Davies
Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.