Nikon L120 vs Panasonic XS1 Comparison

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Nikon L120

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

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Panasonic XS1

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon L120 vs Panasonic XS1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Panasonic XS1 was launched in January 2013. There is 23 months difference between L120 and XS1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger XS1, especially in sensor tech.

Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon L120 has a 14.0 MP and Panasonic XS1 has a 16.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 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

Panasonic XS1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-01-07

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

24-120 mm F2.8-6.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.7" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

103g. 94 x 54 x 14 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	330 shots vs 260 shots	70 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Tele	525mm vs 120mm	405 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	21× vs 5×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.80 vs 6.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	6.0m vs 4.4m	1.6m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	2.01µm² vs 1.74µm²	15% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 over Nikon Coolpix L120

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 14 MP	14% more pixels
Weight	103 g vs 431 g	328 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 25mm	1 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.10	faster lens at wide

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1

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

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.7"	Small display
Continuous Shooting	1.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.80 vs 6.90	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic XS1: 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 Panasonic XS1 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). Panasonic XS1 has external dimensions of 94 x 54 x 14 mm (3.7 x 2.13 x 0.55″) and weighs 103 g (0.23 lb / 3.63 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1. Panasonic XS1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 16mm narrower, 23mm shorter and 64mm thinner than Nikon L120.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic XS1 is significantly lighter (328g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic XS1's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic XS1: 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, Panasonic XS1 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the L120 and XS1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 Cameras

Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 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 Panasonic XS1 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Panasonic XS1 features a 24-120 mm F2.8-6.9 5× zoom lens.

Panasonic XS1 has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon L120. At f2.80, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 405mm longer reach than the Panasonic XS1. At f5.80, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L120

XS1

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Panasonic XS1 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

Panasonic XS1 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

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic XS1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic XS1 for Sports Photography

POOR

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
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
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 260 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.90
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic XS1 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

Compact Body
103g
Body Thickness 14mm
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic XS1 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

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Panasonic XS1: 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 Panasonic XS1, 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 Panasonic XS1 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

Panasonic XS1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #384 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1065 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon L120 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic XS1 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic XS1 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L120	Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2011-02-09	2013-01-07
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	28.07mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-525 mm (21×)	24-120 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.1-5.8	F2.8-6.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.7"
Resolution	921k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/1600s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m	4.40 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	431g	103g
Dimensions	110 x 77 x 78mm	94 x 54 x 14mm
Battery Life	330 shots	260 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction