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Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 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 D5300

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5300
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Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Nikon cameras cameras with different body types: Nikon L120, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Nikon D5300, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, L120 is 3 years older than D5300. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 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 D5300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-12
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 480g. 125 x 98 x 76 mm
  • Replaced Nikon D5200 Compare

Nikon D5300 was replaced by Nikon D5500. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5300
Nikon D5500 vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Nikon D5300
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
431 g vs 480 g 49 g lighter


Reasons to choose Nikon D5300 over Nikon Coolpix L120
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 14 MP 71% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
39 vs 9 30 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 1.0fps 4 fps faster
Battery Life
600 shots vs 330 shots 270 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 6.0m 6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
15.28µm2 vs 2.01µm2 660% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Nikon D5300
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 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Nikon D5300
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300: 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 D5300 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 D5300 has external dimensions of 125 x 98 x 76 mm (4.92 x 3.86 x 2.99″) and weighs 480 g (1.06 lb / 16.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300. Nikon L120 is 15mm narrower and 21mm shorter than Nikon D5300 but it is also 2mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon L120 has a built-in lens but Nikon D5300 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D5300, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300.
Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L120 is 49g lighter than the Nikon D5300 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on D5300, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Nikon D5300 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 DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D5300's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon L120's 3" screen.

Moreover, Nikon D5300 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 D5300.
Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300: 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 D5300 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor.

Nikon D5300's sensor provides 10MP more than Nikon L120's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Nikon D5300's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the L120 and D5300 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon D5300 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Nikon L120. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Nikon D5300 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 D5300 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon D5300 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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon D5300 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 600 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon D5300 for Daily Photography

GOOD
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
480g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon D5300 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
Built-in GPS
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Nikon D5300: 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 D5300, 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 D5300 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 D5300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #9 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #142 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon D5300 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 D5300 is the better camera overall.

Nikon L120
Nikon L120
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Nikon D5300
Nikon D5300
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Nikon D5300 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Nikon D5300
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2011-02-09 2014-02-12
Body Type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 6000 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 100 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 39
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon F
Lens Focal Range 25-525 mm (21×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3.2"
Resolution 921k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 95%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.55x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.00 m 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 5.0 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 None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 480g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 125 x 98 x 76mm
Battery Life 330 shots 600 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 83
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.9
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1338
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