Nikon S6100 vs Canon 1D C Comparison

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Nikon S6100

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

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Canon 1D C

18 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon S6100 vs Canon 1D C Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon S6100, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Canon 1D C, which was introduced in April 2012 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 18.0MP Full frame sensor. There is 14 months difference between S6100 and 1D C so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger 1D C, especially in sensor tech.

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 S6100 and Canon 1D C 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" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

175g. 98 x 58 x 27 mm

Canon 1D C Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-04-12

18MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 204800)

Canon EF Mount

3.2" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

14 fps continuous shooting

4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution

1500g. 158 x 164 x 83 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S6100 over Canon EOS-1D C

Image Stabilization	Optical vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Weight	175 g vs 1500 g	1325 g lighter

Reasons to choose Canon EOS-1D C over Nikon Coolpix S6100

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
Max Sensor Resolution	18 MP vs 16 MP	12% more pixels
Max ISO	51.200 vs 3.200	1500% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	61 vs 9	52 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3.2" vs 3"	0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 460k dots	126% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	14.0fps vs 1.0fps	13 fps faster
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area	48.21µm² vs 1.76µm²	2639% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture	Center point vs none	Autofocus with teleconverters

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon EOS-1D C

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 3.2"	Large display

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon EOS-1D C

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles

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Nikon S6100 vs Canon 1D C: 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 1D C 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 1D C has external dimensions of 158 x 164 x 83 mm (6.22 x 6.46 x 3.27″) and weighs 1500 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C. Nikon S6100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 60mm narrower, 106mm shorter and 56mm thinner than Canon 1D C. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S6100 has a built-in lens but Canon 1D C doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1D C, its thickness will increase significantly.

Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C.

Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon S6100 is significantly lighter (1325g ) than the Canon 1D C which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 1D C, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of 1D C, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to S6100.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 1D C's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S6100's 3" screen.

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

Nikon S6100 vs Canon 1D C: 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 1D C has a 18.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual Digic 5+ processor.

Below you can see the S6100 and 1D C sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C Cameras

As seen above, Canon 1D C has a 30.8x Larger sensor area than Nikon S6100. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Canon 1D C 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 1D C for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon 1D C for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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
Slow Lens at Wide: f3.70
Read the details

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon 1D C for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
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

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 1D C 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
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Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1500g
Body Thickness 83mm
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon 1D C for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Canon 1D C: 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 1D C, 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 S6100 and Canon 1D C scores compare:

Nikon S6100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #184 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #749 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Canon 1D C

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #11 out of 36 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #245 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Canon 1D C has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon S6100 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon S6100

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Canon 1D C

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Canon 1D C vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix S6100	Canon EOS-1D C
Brand	Nikon	Canon
Announced	2011-02-09	2012-04-12
Body Type	Compact	Large SLR
Sensor
Type	CCD	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	Full frame
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	36 x 24 mm
Area	28.07mm²	864.00mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	18 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	5184 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	204800 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	61
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	Canon EF
Lens Focal Range	28-196 mm (7×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F3.7-5.6	no lens
Macro Focus Range	3cm	no lens
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3.2"
Resolution	460k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.76x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.50 m	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	14.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	4096 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, Motion JPEG	MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	175g	1500g
Dimensions	98 x 58 x 27mm	158 x 164 x 83mm
Battery Life	210 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction