Nikon L31 vs Sigma SD1 Comparison

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Nikon L31

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sigma SD1

15 MP | APS-C (24 x 16 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

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Nikon L31 vs Sigma SD1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon L31, which was introduced in January 2015 is a Ultracompact camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3' sensor whereas Sigma SD1, which was introduced in September 2010 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, SD1 is 5 years older than L31. 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 L31 and Sigma SD1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L31 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-01-14

16MP - 1/2.3' CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

26-130 mm F3.2-6.5 Zoom Lens

2.70" Fixed Type Screen

fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

160g. 96 x 59 x 29 mm

Sigma SD1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-09-21

15MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO -

Sigma SA Bayonet Mount

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

5.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

g. 146 x 113 x 80 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Sigma SD1 was replaced by Sigma SD1 Merrill. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sigma SD1
Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Nikon Coolpix L31

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L31 over Sigma SD1

Internal Storage	17MB vs None	Extra built-in storage
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 15 MP	6% more pixels
Max ISO	1.600 vs 0	0% higher Max ISO
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
Selfie & Vlogger LCD	Yes vs No	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

CHECK L31 PRICE

Reasons to choose Sigma SD1 over Nikon Coolpix L31

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
LCD Screen Size	3 vs 2.7"	0.3 inches larger display
LCD Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	g vs 160 g	160 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area	25.00µm2 vs 1.76µm2	1320% larger pixel area

CHECK SD1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L31 and Sigma SD1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L31 and Sigma SD1

In-body Image Stabilization	Digital only vs No	No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 460k dots	Low resolution screens
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

Nikon L31 vs Sigma SD1: 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 L31 and Sigma SD1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L31 has external dimensions of 96 x 59 x 29 mm (3.78 x 2.32 x 1.14″) and weighs 160 g (0.35 lb / 5.64 oz) (including batteries). Sigma SD1 has external dimensions of 146 x 113 x 80 mm (5.75 x 4.45 x 3.15″) and weighs (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1. Nikon L31 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 50mm narrower, 54mm shorter and 51mm thinner than Sigma SD1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon L31 has a built-in lens but Sigma SD1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on SD1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sigma SD1 is 160g lighter than the Nikon L31 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 SD1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of SD1, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to L31.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sigma SD1's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon L31's 2.7" screen.

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

Nikon L31 vs Sigma SD1: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L31 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3' (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Sigma SD1 has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual True II processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Sigma SD1'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 moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the L31 and SD1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L31 and Sigma SD1 Cameras

As seen above, Sigma SD1 has a 13.7x Larger sensor area than Nikon L31. 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 L31 vs Sigma SD1: 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 L31 and Sigma SD1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 L31 and Sigma SD1 scores compare:

Nikon L31

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #105 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1132 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sigma SD1
This camera is not rated yet!

Sigma SD1 vs Nikon L31 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L31	Sigma SD1
Brand	Nikon	Sigma
Announced	2015-01-14	2010-09-21
Body Type	Ultracompact	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS (Foveon X3)
Size	1/2.3'	APS-C
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	24 x 16 mm
Area	28.07mm²	384.00mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	15 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4800 x 3200
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	0 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	0 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	n/a	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Sigma SA Bayonet
Lens Focal Range	26-130 mm (5×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F3.2-6.5	no lens
Macro Focus Range	10cm	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.70"	3.00"
Resolution	230k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	96%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Digital only	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	3.60 m	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	n/a	5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	None
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	160g	n/a
Dimensions	96 x 59 x 29mm	146 x 113 x 80mm
Battery Life	200 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction