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Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Comparison

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Nikon S6100

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

Nikon S6100
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Canon ELPH 520 HS

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

Canon ELPH 520 HS
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Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing S6100 and ELPH 520 HS, two Compact cameras from Nikon and Canon. Nikon Coolpix S6100 is a Small Sensor Compact class camera and Canon ELPH 520 HS is a Ultracompact class camera.

Nikon S6100 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Canon ELPH 520 HS was launched in January 2012. There is only 11 months difference between S6100 and ELPH 520 HS 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 S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon S6100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 28-196 mm F3.7-5.6 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 175g. 98 x 58 x 27 mm

Canon ELPH 520 HS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-09
  • 10MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 28-336 mm F3.4-5.6 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 155g. 87 x 54 x 19 mm
  • Also known as IXUS 500 HS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS 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 S6100 over Canon ELPH 520 HS
Internal Storage
20 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Battery Life
210 shots vs 190 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Flash Coverage
4.5m vs 2.5m 2m longer range
CHECK S6100 PRICE


Reasons to choose Canon ELPH 520 HS over Nikon Coolpix S6100
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
3.0fps vs 1.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
155 g vs 175 g 20 g lighter
Focal Length - Tele
336mm vs 196mm 140 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
12× vs 7× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.40 vs 3.70 faster lens at wide
Sensor Pixel Area
2.81µm2 vs 1.76µm2 59% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
CHECK ELPH 520 HS PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS
Image Stabilization
Optical 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
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 461k dots Low resolution screens
Manual Exposure
No vs No No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS: 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 S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S6100 has external dimensions of 98 x 58 x 27 mm (3.86 x 2.28 x 1.06″) and weighs 175 g (0.39 lb / 6.17 oz) (including batteries). Canon ELPH 520 HS has external dimensions of 87 x 54 x 19 mm (3.43 x 2.13 x 0.75″) and weighs 155 g (0.34 lb / 5.47 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS. Canon ELPH 520 HS is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 11mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Nikon S6100.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS.
Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon ELPH 520 HS is 20g lighter than the Nikon S6100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S6100 nor Canon ELPH 520 HS (IXUS 500 HS) 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 S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS: Sensor Comparison

Nikon S6100 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Canon ELPH 520 HS has a 10.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 5 processor.

Nikon S6100's sensor provides 6MP more than Canon ELPH 520 HS'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 S6100 and ELPH 520 HS sensor size comparison.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS Cameras


Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon ELPH 520 HS has 59% larger pixel area (2.81µm2 vs 1.76µm2) compared to Nikon S6100, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S6100 features a 28-196 mm F3.7-5.6 7× zoom lens whereas Canon ELPH 520 HS features a 28-336 mm F3.4-5.6 12× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.40, Canon ELPH 520 HS is faster than Nikon S6100 at this focal length. On the tele end, Canon ELPH 520 HS has 140mm longer reach than the Nikon S6100. Both cameras has a max aperture of f5.60 at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

S6100
ELPH 520 HS
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS 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 S6100 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Canon ELPH 520 HS for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
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 Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
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

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon ELPH 520 HS for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Slow Lens at Wide: f3.70
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
28 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

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon ELPH 520 HS for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
196 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 Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 210 shots
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
336 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: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 190 shots
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon ELPH 520 HS for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
175g
7.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Compact Body
155g
Body Thickness 19mm
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon ELPH 520 HS for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Focus Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Canon ELPH 520 HS: 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 S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS, 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 S6100 and Canon ELPH 520 HS scores compare:

Nikon S6100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #185 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #793 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Canon ELPH 520 HS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #35 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #918 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon S6100 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon ELPH 520 HS in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Nikon S6100.

Nikon S6100
Nikon S6100
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Canon ELPH 520 HS
Canon ELPH 520 HS
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Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S6100 Canon ELPH 520 HS
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-01-09
Body Type Compact Ultracompact
Sensor
Type CCD BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 28.07mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 3,200 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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 28-196 mm (7×) 28-336 mm (12×)
Max Aperture F3.7-5.6 F3.4-5.6
Macro Focus Range 3cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 460k dots 461k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
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 4.50 m 2.50 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 3.0 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 MPEG-4, Motion JPEG H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 175g 155g
Dimensions 98 x 58 x 27mm 87 x 54 x 19mm
Battery Life 210 shots 190 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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