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Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 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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Pentax X-5

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Pentax X-5
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Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 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 Pentax X-5, which was introduced in August 2012 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. There is 18 months difference between S6100 and X-5 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger X-5, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 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

Pentax X-5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-08-22
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 22-580 mm F3.1-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 230k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 595g. 119 x 86 x 107 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S6100 over Pentax X-5
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Mech. Shutter
1/2000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
175 g vs 595 g 420 g lighter
Max Aperture - Tele
5.60 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele


Reasons to choose Pentax X-5 over Nikon Coolpix S6100
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Battery Life
330 shots vs 210 shots 120 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
22mm vs 28mm 6 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
580mm vs 196mm 384 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
26× vs 7× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.10 vs 3.70 faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage
9.1m vs 4.5m 4.6m longer range
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Pentax X-5
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift 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
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Pentax X-5
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5: 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 Pentax X-5 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). Pentax X-5 has external dimensions of 119 x 86 x 107 mm (4.69 x 3.39 x 4.21″) and weighs 595 g (1.31 lb / 20.99 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5. Nikon S6100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 21mm narrower, 28mm shorter and 80mm thinner than Pentax X-5.

Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5.
Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 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 (420g ) than the Pentax X-5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S6100
X-5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S6100
X-5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S6100 nor Pentax X-5 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 Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Pentax X-5 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Nikon S6100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to X-5.
Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 have 1/2.3-inch sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the S6100 and X-5 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 Cameras


Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S6100 features a 28-196 mm F3.7-5.6 7× zoom lens whereas Pentax X-5 features a 22-580 mm F3.1-5.9 26× zoom lens.

Pentax X-5 has 6mm wider coverage than the Nikon S6100. At f3.10, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Pentax X-5 has 384mm longer telezoom reach than the Nikon S6100. However, with a max aperture of f5.60, Nikon S6100 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S6100
X-5
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

S6100
X-5
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

S6100
X-5
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

S6100
X-5
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Pentax X-5 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

Pentax X-5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax X-5 for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
22 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax X-5 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
580 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax X-5 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
26.4X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
595g
Body Thickness 107mm
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax X-5 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
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
22 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Pentax X-5: 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 Pentax X-5, 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 Pentax X-5 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
Pentax X-5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #45 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #527 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax X-5 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
Nikon S6100
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Pentax X-5
Pentax X-5
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Pentax X-5 vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S6100 Pentax X-5
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-08-22
Body Type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CCD BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 28.07mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 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×) 22-580 mm (26×)
Max Aperture F3.7-5.6 F3.1-5.9
Macro Focus Range 3cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 230k dots
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/1500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.50 m 9.10 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 10.0 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 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 175g 595g
Dimensions 98 x 58 x 27mm 119 x 86 x 107mm
Battery Life 210 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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