Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon SX30 IS has external dimensions of 123 x 92 x 108 mm (4.84 x 3.62 x 4.25″) and weighs 601 g (1.32 lb / 21.20 oz) (including batteries). Nikon S9100 has external dimensions of 105 x 62 x 35 mm (4.13 x 2.44 x 1.38″) and weighs 214 g (0.47 lb / 7.55 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 18mm narrower, 30mm shorter and 73mm thinner than Canon SX30 IS.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Nikon S9100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Nikon S9100 is significantly lighter (387g ) than the Canon SX30 IS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Weight Comparison
Compact Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Compact Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot SX30 IS nor Nikon Coolpix S9100 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Nikon S9100's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon SX30 IS's 2.7" screen.
On the other hand, Canon SX30 IS sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Nikon S9100 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to SX30 IS.
Canon SX30 IS has a 14.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4 processor. On the other hand, Nikon S9100 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor.
Below you can see the SX30 IS and S9100 sensor size comparison.
![Canon SX30 IS vs Nikon S9100 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 Cameras
Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
Canon SX30 IS features a 24-840 mm F2.7-5.8 35× zoom lens whereas Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens.
Canon SX30 IS has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon S9100. At f2.70, it is also faster at widest end.
On the tele end, Canon SX30 IS has 390mm longer reach than the Nikon S9100. At f5.80, it is also faster at tele end.
Wide Coverage
DSLR-Like Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Wide
Compact Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.
Canon SX30 IS for Portrait Photography
Nikon S9100 for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Street Photography
Nikon S9100 for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Sports Photography
Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
840 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/3200s
No RAW shooting capability
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
450 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Daily Photography
Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography
35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
601g
Body Thickness 108mm
Read the details
Compact Body
214g
18.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Canon SX30 IS for Landscape Photography
Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.
Here is a summary of how Canon SX30 IS and Nikon S9100 scores compare:
Canon SX30 IS
Ranked
#69 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked
#626 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Nikon S9100
Ranked
#174 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#724 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon SX30 IS has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon S9100 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.
| General |
Canon PowerShot SX30 IS |
Nikon Coolpix S9100 |
| Brand |
Canon |
Nikon |
| Announced |
2010-09-14 |
2011-07-19 |
| Body Type |
SLR-like (bridge) |
Compact |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
BSI-CMOS |
| Size |
1/2.3" |
1/2.3" |
| Dimensions |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
6.17 x 4.55 mm |
| Area |
28.07mm2 |
28.07mm2 |
| Megapixels |
14 megapixels |
12 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4320 x 3240 |
4000 x 3000 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
1,600 ISO |
3,200 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
80 ISO |
160 ISO |
| RAW Support |
|
|
Autofocus |
|
|
| AF Touch |
|
|
| AF Continuous |
|
|
| AF Single |
|
|
| AF Tracking |
|
|
| AF Selective |
|
|
| AF Center |
|
|
| AF Multi Area |
|
|
| AF Live View |
|
|
| AF Face Detection |
|
|
| AF Contrast Detection |
|
|
| AF Phase Detection |
|
|
| Number of Focus Points |
9 |
9 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
| Lens Focal Range |
24-840 mm (35×) |
25-450 mm (18×) |
| Max Aperture |
F2.7-5.8 |
F3.5-5.9 |
| Macro Focus Range |
0cm |
4cm |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fixed type |
| Size |
2.7" |
3" |
| Resolution |
230k dots |
921k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Electronic |
None |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/3200s |
1/2000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Sensor-shift |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
6.80 m |
4.00 m |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
1.0 fps |
10.0 fps |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
1920 x 1080 |
| Video Formats |
Motion JPEG |
MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
601g |
214g |
| Dimensions |
123 x 92 x 108mm |
105 x 62 x 35mm |
| Battery Life |
n/a |
270 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |