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Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R 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 RX1R

24 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony RX1R
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Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Sony. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Sony RX1R was launched in June 2013. As you can see, L120 is 2 years older than RX1R. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Nikon L120 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sony RX1R has a 24.0MP Full frame sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R 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 RX1R Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-26
  • 24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 35 mm f2.00 Prime Lens
  • 3 Fixed Type Screen
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 482g. 113 x 65 x 70 mm

Sony RX1R was replaced by Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II vs Nikon Coolpix L120

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R 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-RX1R
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Battery Life
330 shots vs 270 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Weight
431 g vs 482 g 51 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
25mm vs 35mm 10 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
525mm vs 35mm 490 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
21× vs 1x more flexible focal coverage


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R over Nikon Coolpix L120
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 14 MP 71% 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
5.0fps vs 1.0fps 4 fps faster
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Max Aperture - Wide
2.00 vs 3.10 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
2.00 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
35.65µm2 vs 2.01µm2 1673% 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

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R
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-RX1R
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R: 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 RX1R 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 RX1R has external dimensions of 113 x 65 x 70 mm (4.45 x 2.56 x 2.76″) and weighs 482 g (1.06 lb / 17.00 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R. Sony RX1R is 12mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Nikon L120 but it is also 3mm wider.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R.
Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L120 is 51g lighter than the Sony RX1R but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R 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 RX1R'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 RX1R: 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 RX1R has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Sony RX1R'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 Sony RX1R'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 RX1R sensor size comparison.

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R Cameras


As seen above, Sony RX1R has a 30.5x 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 RX1R Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Sony RX1R features a 35 mm F2.0 Prime lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Nikon L120's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Sony RX1R's 35mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, RX1R's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 490mm longer reach than the Sony RX1R. However, with a max aperture of f2.00, Sony RX1R is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

L120
RX1R
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Sony RX1R 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 RX1R for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony RX1R 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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
Optional External Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony RX1R 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
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
35 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony RX1R for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
482g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony RX1R 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 Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Sony RX1R: 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 RX1R, 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 RX1R 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 RX1R
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #177 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony RX1R 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 RX1R
Sony RX1R
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Sony RX1R vs Nikon L120 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L120 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-06-26
Body Type Compact Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Full frame
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 35.8 x 23.9 mm
Area 28.07mm2 855.62mm2
Megapixels 14 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 4320 x 3240 6000 x 4000
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×) 35 mm (1x)
Max Aperture F3.1-5.8 F2.0
Macro Focus Range 1cm n/a
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3
Resolution 921k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic and Optical (optional)
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 6.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/4000s
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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 431g 482g
Dimensions 110 x 77 x 78mm 113 x 65 x 70mm
Battery Life 330 shots 270 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 91
DxO Color Depth not tested 25.0
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.6
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2537
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