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Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Comparison

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Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Nikon L120
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Nikon P520

18 MP | 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P520
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Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing L120 and P520, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by Nikon. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon L120 has a 14.0 MP and Nikon P520 has a 18.0 MP resolution. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Nikon P520 was launched in January 2013. As you can see, L120 is 2 years older than P520. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Nikon P520 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-01-29
  • 18MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 24-1000 mm F3.0-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in GPS
  • 550g. 125 x 84 x 102 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix P510 Compare

Nikon P520 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P530. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P530 vs Nikon Coolpix P520
Nikon Coolpix P530 vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Nikon Coolpix P520
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Battery Life
330 shots vs 200 shots 130 more frames with a single charge
Weight
431 g vs 550 g 119 g lighter
Max Aperture - Tele
5.80 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P520 over Nikon Coolpix L120
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 14 MP 28% more pixels
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 1.0fps 6 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 25mm 1 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
1000mm vs 525mm 475 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
41.7× vs 21× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.00 vs 3.10 faster lens at wide
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Nikon Coolpix P520
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Focal Length - Tele
525mm vs 1000mm Very good Telezoom
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Nikon Coolpix P520
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele
5.80 vs 5.90 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520: 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 L120 and Nikon P520 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Nikon P520 has external dimensions of 125 x 84 x 102 mm (4.92 x 3.31 x 4.02″) and weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520. Nikon L120 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 24mm thinner than Nikon P520.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520.
Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L120 is significantly lighter (119g ) than the Nikon P520 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

L120
P520
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

L120
P520
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Nikon Coolpix P520 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P520's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon L120's 3" screen.

Moreover, Nikon P520 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 L120 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to P520.
Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Nikon P520 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.16 x 4.62 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the L120 and P520 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 Cameras


Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Nikon P520 features a 24-1000 mm F3.0-5.9 41.7× zoom lens.

Nikon P520 has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon L120. At f3.00, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P520 has 475mm longer telezoom reach than the Nikon L120. However, with a max aperture of f5.80, Nikon L120 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120
P520
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

L120
P520
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

L120
P520
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

L120
P520
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Nikon P520 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 L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon P520 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
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
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon P520 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
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
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon P520 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 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
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
1000 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P520 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
41.7X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
550g
Body Thickness 102mm
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon P520 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 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 Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Built-in GPS
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Nikon P520: 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 L120 and Nikon P520, 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 L120 and Nikon P520 scores compare:

Nikon L120
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #216 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #792 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Nikon P520
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #74 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #651 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon P520 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon L120 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon L120. Otherwise, Nikon P520 is the better camera overall.

Nikon L120
Nikon L120
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Nikon P520
Nikon P520
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Nikon P520 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Nikon Coolpix P520
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-01-29
Body Type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CCD BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.16 x 4.62 mm
Area 28.07mm2 28.46mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 4896 x 3672
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 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 9 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-525 mm (21×) 24-1000 mm (41.7×)
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 F3.0-5.9
Macro Focus Range 1cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3.2"
Resolution 921k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 7.0 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 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 550g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 125 x 84 x 102mm
Battery Life 330 shots 200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
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