CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Nikon S6100

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

Nikon S6100
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Panasonic GH3

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Panasonic GH3
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 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 Panasonic GH3, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Advanced Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. There is 19 months difference between S6100 and GH3 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger GH3, 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 Panasonic GH3 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

Panasonic GH3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-09-17
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 1744k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 550g. 133 x 93 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Compare

Panasonic GH3 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 vs Nikon Coolpix S6100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S6100 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Weight
175 g vs 550 g 375 g lighter


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 over Nikon Coolpix S6100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
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
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
23 vs 9 14 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
614k dots vs 460k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 1.0fps 19 fps faster
Battery Life
540 shots vs 210 shots 330 more frames with a single charge
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
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 4.5m 7.5m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 1.76µm2 702% 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
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
New4
Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3: 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 Panasonic GH3 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). Panasonic GH3 has external dimensions of 133 x 93 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.66 x 3.23″) and weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3. Nikon S6100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 35mm narrower, 35mm shorter and 55mm thinner than Panasonic GH3. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S6100 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GH3 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GH3, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3.

Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3.
Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 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 (375g ) than the Panasonic GH3 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 GH3, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of GH3, 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

Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Panasonic GH3 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. Nikon S6100's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to GH3.
Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 have 16.0 MP resolution sensors but Nikon S6100's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Panasonic GH3's sensor is Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ).

Since Panasonic GH3's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Nikon S6100.

Below you can see the S6100 and GH3 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 Cameras


As seen above, Panasonic GH3 has a 8.0x 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 Panasonic GH3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Panasonic GH3 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

Panasonic GH3 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GH3 for Street Photography

GOOD
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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH3 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
23 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 540 shots
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GH3 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
550g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic GH3 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 Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Panasonic GH3: 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 Panasonic GH3, 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 Panasonic GH3 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
Panasonic GH3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #64 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #138 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic GH3 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, Panasonic GH3 is the better camera overall.

Nikon S6100
Nikon S6100
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic GH3
Panasonic GH3
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Panasonic GH3 vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S6100 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-09-17
Body Type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 28.07mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 200 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 23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
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 Fully Articulated
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 614k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,744k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.67x
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 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 20.0 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, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 175g 550g
Dimensions 98 x 58 x 27mm 133 x 93 x 82mm
Battery Life 210 shots 540 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 71
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 812
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Compact Cameras
Top Compact Cameras Under $200
Top Compact Cameras Under $500
Top Compact Cameras Under $750
Top Compact Cameras Under $1000
Top Rated Mirrorless Cameras
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $500
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $750
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000
Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1500
Latest Cameras
Fujifilm GFX 100S
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Fujifilm X-E4
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Sony a1
50 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Copyright © 2021 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction