Wide-field J- and K-band galaxy counts in the European large-area Infrared Space Observatory survey fields

New near-infrared galaxy counts in the J and K bands are presented over a total area of 0.70 and 0.97 deg(2), respectively. The limiting magnitudes of the deepest regions are 19.5 in J and 18.0 in K. At J > 16 and K > 15, our J- and K-band number counts agree well with existing surveys, provided that all data are corrected to a common magnitude scale. There are real differences from held to held, and the European Large-Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) N1 and N2 fields show an overdensity of J < 16, K < 15 galaxies. The slopes of log N(m)/dm are similar to 0.40-0.45 at 15 < K < 18 and 16 < J < 19.5. Our counts favor galaxy models with a high normalization of the local luminosity function and without strong evolution.