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Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Sony TX30

18 MP | 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony TX30
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Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sony TX30, which was introduced in July 2013 is a Ultracompact camera with a 18.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than TX30. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Sony TX30 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-07-26
  • 18MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • 26-130 mm F3.5-4.8 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 141g. 96 x 59 x 15 mm mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 26mm 3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 130mm 680 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 5× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.40 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30 over Nikon Coolpix P500
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 12 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3.3" vs 3" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 921k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/1600s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Weight
141 g vs 494 g 353 g lighter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele
4.80 vs 5.70 faster lens at tele

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30
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
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.3" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.229k dots High resolution screens
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30: 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 P500 and Sony TX30 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Sony TX30 has external dimensions of and weighs 141 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30. Sony TX30 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 20mm narrower, 25mm shorter and 88mm thinner than Nikon P500.

Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30.

Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30.
Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony TX30 is significantly lighter (353g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500
TX30
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500
TX30
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of TX30, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to P500.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony TX30's 3.3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon P500's 3" screen.

On the other hand, Nikon P500 LCD screen has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Sony TX30 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Sony TX30 has a 18.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.16 x 4.62 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Sony TX30's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon P500'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 P500 and TX30 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 Cameras


Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 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 P500 vs Sony TX30 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Sony TX30 features a 26-130 mm F3.5-4.8 5× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 3mm wider coverage than the Sony TX30. At f3.40, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 680mm longer reach than the Sony TX30. However, with a max aperture of f4.80, Sony TX30 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
TX30
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

P500
TX30
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

P500
TX30
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

P500
TX30
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Sony TX30 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 P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony TX30 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony TX30 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Sony TX30 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
130 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Unknown Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony TX30 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Compact Body
141g
Body Thickness 15mm
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony TX30 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Sony TX30: 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 P500 and Sony TX30, 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 P500 and Sony TX30 scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony TX30
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #857 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon P500 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony TX30 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Sony TX30
Sony TX30
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Sony TX30 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX30
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-07-26
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Ultracompact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.16 x 4.62 mm
Area 28.07mm2 28.46mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4896x3672
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 80 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 23-810 mm (36×) 26-130 mm (5×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.5-4.8
Macro Focus Range 1cm n/a
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3" 3.3"
Resolution 921k dots 1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/1600s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m n/a
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 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 141g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 96 x 59 x 15 mmmm
Battery Life 220 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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