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Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Comparison

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Nikon S3500

20 MP | 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) CCD Sensor

Nikon S3500
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Nikon P7800

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P7800
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Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S3500 and P7800, two Small Sensor Compact cameras by Nikon. Nikon S3500 was introduced to market in February 2013 and Nikon P7800 was launched in November 2013. There is only 9 months difference between S3500 and P7800 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon S3500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-02-21
  • 20MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 26-182 mm F3.4-6.4 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.70" Fixed Type Screen
  • fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 129g. 97 x 58 x 21 mm mm

Nikon P7800 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-11-25
  • 12MP - 1/1.7-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)
  • 28-200 mm F2.0-4.0 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 921k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 8.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • 399g. 119 x 78 x 50 mm
  • Replaced Nikon P7700 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S3500 over Nikon Coolpix P7800
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Max ISO
3.200 vs 1.600 100% higher Max ISO
Weight
129 g vs 399 g 270 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
26mm vs 28mm 2 mm wider coverage
CHECK S3500 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P7800 over Nikon Coolpix S3500
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.7" 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
921k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele
200mm vs 182mm 18 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
7.1� vs 7× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
2.00 vs 3.40 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.00 vs 6.40 faster lens at tele
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
Built-in ND Filter
3.0-stops vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
CHECK P7800 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S3500 and Nikon Coolpix P7800
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
fps vs 8.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S3500 and Nikon Coolpix P7800
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800: 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 S3500 and Nikon P7800 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S3500 has external dimensions of and weighs 129 g (including batteries). Nikon P7800 has external dimensions of 119 x 78 x 50 mm (4.69 x 3.07 x 1.97″) and weighs 399 g (0.88 lb / 14.07 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800. Nikon S3500 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 22mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 29mm thinner than Nikon P7800.

Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800.

Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800.
Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon S3500 is significantly lighter (270g ) than the Nikon P7800 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S3500 nor Nikon Coolpix P7800 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 P7800's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S3500's 2.7" screen.

Moreover, Nikon P7800 sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Nikon S3500 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to P7800.
Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800: Sensor Comparison

Nikon S3500 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.16 x 4.62 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Nikon P7800 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Nikon S3500's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon P7800'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 S3500 and P7800 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon P7800 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon S3500. 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 S3500 vs Nikon P7800 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S3500 features a 26-182 mm F3.4-6.4 7× zoom lens whereas Nikon P7800 features a 28-200 mm F2.0-4.0 7.1� zoom lens.

Nikon S3500 has 2mm wider coverage than the Nikon P7800. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.00, Nikon P7800 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P7800 has 18mm longer reach than the Nikon S3500. At f4.00, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

S3500
P7800
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S3500 and Nikon P7800 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 S3500 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon P7800 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
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 Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon S3500 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P7800 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
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
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon S3500 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon P7800 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
182 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
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
99 Focus Points
200 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f4.00
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S3500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P7800 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
129g
Body Thickness 21mm
7.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
7.1X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
399g
Body Thickness 50mm
Read the details

Nikon S3500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon P7800 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S3500 vs Nikon P7800: 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 S3500 and Nikon P7800, 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 S3500 and Nikon P7800 scores compare:

Nikon S3500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #397 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #1100 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Nikon P7800
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #1 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #236 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Nikon P7800 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon S3500 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon S3500. Otherwise, Nikon P7800 is the better camera overall.

Nikon S3500
Nikon S3500
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Nikon P7800
Nikon P7800
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Nikon P7800 vs Nikon S3500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S3500 Nikon Coolpix P7800
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2013-02-21 2013-11-25
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type CCD BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/1.7-inch
Dimensions 6.16 x 4.62 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 28.46mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5152 x 3864 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 6400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 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 n/a 99
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 26-182 mm (7×) 28-200 mm (7.1�)
Max Aperture F3.4-6.4 F2.0-4.0
Macro Focus Range n/a 5cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 2.70" 3.00"
Resolution 230k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 921k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range n/a 10.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 8.0 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 1920 x 1080
Video Formats n/a MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Eye-Fi Connected Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 129g 399g
Dimensions 97 x 58 x 21 mmmm 119 x 78 x 50mm
Battery Life n/a 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 54
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.2
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 200
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