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Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison

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Nikon AW120

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon AW120
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Casio EX-100

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

Casio EX-100
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Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon AW120, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Waterproof camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Casio EX-100, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. Both AW120 and EX-100 were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon AW120 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-07
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • 24-120 mm F2.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 213g. 110 x 66 x 26 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix AW110 Compare

Casio EX-100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-06
  • 12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • 28-300 mm F2.8 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.5" Tilting Screen
  • 30 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1000fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 389g. 119x67x50 mm

Nikon AW120 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix AW130. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix AW130 vs Nikon Coolpix AW120
Nikon Coolpix AW130 vs Casio Exilim EX-100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix AW120 over Casio Exilim EX-100
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Weight
213 g vs 389 g 176 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 28mm 4 mm wider coverage
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Casio Exilim EX-100 over Nikon Coolpix AW120
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3.5" vs 3" 0.5 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/20000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
30.0fps vs 7.0fps 23 fps faster
Battery Life
390 shots vs 350 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele
300mm vs 120mm 180 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
10.7× vs 5x more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
2.80 vs 4.90 faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage
6.1m vs 5.2m 0.9m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
3.46µm2 vs 1.76µm2 96% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix AW120 and Casio Exilim EX-100
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.5" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 922k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix AW120 and Casio Exilim EX-100
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

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 Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon AW120 has external dimensions of 110 x 66 x 26 mm (4.33 x 2.6 x 1.02″) and weighs 213 g (0.47 lb / 7.51 oz) (including batteries). Casio EX-100 has external dimensions of 119x67x50 mm and weighs 389 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100. Nikon AW120 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 9mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 24mm thinner than Casio EX-100.

Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100.

Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon AW120 is significantly lighter (176g ) than the Casio EX-100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Casio EX-100's 3.5" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon AW120's 3" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Casio EX-100 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Nikon AW120 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to EX-100.
Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100: Sensor Comparison

Nikon AW120 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Casio EX-100 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the AW120 and EX-100 sensor size comparison.

Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 Cameras


As seen above, Casio EX-100 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon AW120. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon AW120 features a 24-120 mm F2.8-4.9 5x zoom lens whereas Casio EX-100 features a 28-300 mm F2.8 10.7× zoom lens.

Nikon AW120 has 4mm wider coverage than the Casio EX-100. Both cameras has a max aperture of f2.80 at the wide end. On the tele end, Casio EX-100 has 180mm longer reach than the Nikon AW120. At f2.80, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

AW120
EX-100
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 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.

Nikon AW120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
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 Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon AW120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Casio EX-100 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon AW120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
120 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Unknown Focus Points
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 30.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/20000s
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
300 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon AW120 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Casio EX-100 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
213g
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
10.7X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
389g
Body Thickness 50mm
Read the details

Nikon AW120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Landscape Photography

POOR
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon AW120 vs Casio EX-100: OUR DECISION

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 Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100, 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 Nikon AW120 and Casio EX-100 scores compare:

Nikon AW120
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #60 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #492 out of 1225 in all Cameras
Casio EX-100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #303 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Casio EX-100 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon AW120 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon AW120. Otherwise, Casio EX-100 is the better camera overall.

Nikon AW120
Nikon AW120
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Casio EX-100
Casio EX-100
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Casio EX-100 vs Nikon AW120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix AW120 Casio Exilim EX-100
Brand Nikon Casio
Announced 2014-02-07 2014-02-06
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/1.7-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 28.07mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 80 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 n/a 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-120 mm (5x) 28-300 mm (10.7×)
Max Aperture F2.8-4.9 F2.8
Macro Focus Range 1cm 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3.5"
Resolution 921k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/20000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 5.20 m 6.10 m
Max Flash Sync n/a s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 30.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 213g 389g
Dimensions 110 x 66 x 26mm 119x67x50mm
Battery Life 350 shots 390 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
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