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Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 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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Sony RX100

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX100
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Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Sony. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Sony RX100 was launched in August 2012. There is 19 months difference between L120 and RX100 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger RX100, especially in sensor tech.

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sony RX100 has a 20.0MP 1-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 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

Sony RX100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-08-28
  • 20MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240g. 102 x 58 x 36 mm

Sony RX100 was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Focal Length - Wide
25mm vs 28mm 3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
525mm vs 100mm 425 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
21× vs 3.6x more flexible focal coverage


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 over Nikon Coolpix L120
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 14 MP 42% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 6.400 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 9 16 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 921k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Weight
240 g vs 431 g 191 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide
1.80 vs 3.10 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
5.82µm2 vs 2.01µm2 189% 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
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
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
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.229k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
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
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100: 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 Sony RX100 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). Sony RX100 has external dimensions of 102 x 58 x 36 mm (4 x 2.29 x 1.41″) and weighs 240 g (0.53 lb / 8.47 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100. Sony RX100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 8mm narrower, 19mm shorter and 42mm thinner than Nikon L120.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100.
Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony RX100 is significantly lighter (191g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 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 and Sony RX100's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100: 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, Sony RX100 has a 20.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Sony RX100's sensor provides 6MP 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.

Below you can see the L120 and RX100 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 Cameras


As seen above, Sony RX100 has a 4.1x 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.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Sony RX100 features a 28-100 mm F1.8-4.9 3.6x zoom lens.

Nikon L120 has 3mm wider coverage than the Sony RX100. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Sony RX100 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 425mm longer reach than the Sony RX100. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Sony RX100 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX100
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Sony RX100 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

Sony RX100 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
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony RX100 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
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 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
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
25 Focus Points
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX100 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
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
240g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
3.6X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX100 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: 20.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX100: 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 Sony RX100, 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 Sony RX100 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
Sony RX100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #42 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #383 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony RX100 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon L120 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon L120
Nikon L120
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Sony RX100
Sony RX100
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Sony RX100 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-08-28
Body Type Compact Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 28.07mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 25,600 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-525 mm (21×) 28-100 mm (3.6x)
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 F1.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range 1cm 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/2000s
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
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/2000s
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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 240g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 102 x 58 x 36mm
Battery Life 330 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 66
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.6
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 390
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