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Nikon S6100 vs Canon M 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 M

18 MP | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon M
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Nikon S6100 vs Canon M 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 M, which was introduced in July 2012 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 18.0MP APS-C sensor. There is 17 months difference between S6100 and M so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger M, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky 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 M 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 M Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-07-23
  • 18MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • Canon EF-M Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 298g. 109 x 66 x 32 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Canon M 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 M
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
175 g vs 298 g 123 g lighter


Reasons to choose Canon EOS M over Nikon Coolpix S6100
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
18 MP vs 16 MP 12% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
31 vs 9 22 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 460k dots 126% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
4.0fps vs 1.0fps 3 fps faster
Battery Life
230 shots vs 210 shots 20 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Sensor Pixel Area
18.54µm2 vs 1.76µm2 953% larger pixel area
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

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon EOS M
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Canon EOS M
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon S6100 vs Canon M: 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 M 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 M has external dimensions of 109 x 66 x 32 mm (4.29 x 2.6 x 1.26″) and weighs 298 g (0.66 lb / 10.51 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon M. Nikon S6100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 11mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 5mm thinner than Canon M. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S6100 has a built-in lens but Canon M doesn't. Once you put a lens on M, its thickness will increase significantly.

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

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon M.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon M Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon M Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Canon M.
Nikon S6100 vs Canon M Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon M 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 (123g ) than the Canon M 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 M, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S6100 nor Canon EOS M 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
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon S6100 and Canon M's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon S6100 vs Canon M: 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 M has a 18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5 processor.

Below you can see the S6100 and M sensor size comparison.

Nikon S6100 vs Canon M Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Canon M Cameras


As seen above, Canon M has a 11.8x 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 M Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Canon M 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 M for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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 APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon M 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 APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon M for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
31 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon M for Daily Photography

GOOD
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
Large APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
298g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon M for Landscape Photography

POOR
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 APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 18.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Canon M: 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 M, 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 M 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 M
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #72 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #332 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Canon M is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon S6100 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon S6100. Otherwise, Canon M is the better camera overall.

Nikon S6100
Nikon S6100
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Canon M
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Canon M vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S6100 Canon EOS M
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-07-23
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm
Area 28.07mm2 332.27mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 18 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5184 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 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 31
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Canon EF-M
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"
Resolution 460k dots 1,040k 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
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.50 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 4.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 175g 298g
Dimensions 98 x 58 x 27mm 109 x 66 x 32mm
Battery Life 210 shots 230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 65
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.1
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.2
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 827
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