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Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 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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Sony a5000

20 MP | APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony a5000
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Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 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 Sony a5000, which was introduced in January 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, S6100 is 3 years older than a5000. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

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 Sony a5000 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

Sony a5000 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-01-07
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 269g. 110 x 63 x 36 mm
  • Replaced Sony Alpha NEX-3N Compare

Sony a5000 was replaced by Sony Alpha a5100. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha a5100 vs Sony Alpha a5000
Sony Alpha a5100 vs Nikon Coolpix S6100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S6100 over Sony Alpha a5000
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Weight
175 g vs 269 g 94 g lighter


Reasons to choose Sony Alpha a5000 over Nikon Coolpix S6100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
16.000 vs 3.200 400% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 9 16 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
4.0fps vs 1.0fps 3 fps faster
Battery Life
420 shots vs 210 shots 210 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area
18.03µm2 vs 1.76µm2 924% 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
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Sony Alpha a5000
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 Sony Alpha a5000
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 461k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
New4
Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000: 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 Sony a5000 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). Sony a5000 has external dimensions of 110 x 63 x 36 mm (4.33 x 2.48 x 1.42″) and weighs 269 g (0.59 lb / 9.49 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000. Nikon S6100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 9mm thinner than Sony a5000. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S6100 has a built-in lens but Sony a5000 doesn't. Once you put a lens on a5000, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000.

Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000.
Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 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 (94g ) than the Sony a5000 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 a5000, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S6100 nor Sony Alpha a5000 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 Sony a5000's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Sony a5000 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 a5000.
Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000: 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, Sony a5000 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Below you can see the S6100 and a5000 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 Cameras


As seen above, Sony a5000 has a 12.7x 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 Sony a5000 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S6100 and Sony a5000 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

Sony a5000 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 (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony a5000 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 APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony a5000 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
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Sony a5000 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 (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
269g
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon S6100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony a5000 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 APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S6100 vs Sony a5000: 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 Sony a5000, 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 Sony a5000 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
Sony a5000
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #51 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #273 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony a5000 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, Sony a5000 is the better camera overall.

Nikon S6100
Nikon S6100
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Sony a5000
Sony a5000
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Sony a5000 vs Nikon S6100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S6100 Sony Alpha a5000
Brand Nikon Sony
Announced 2011-02-09 2014-01-07
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.2 x 15.4 mm
Area 28.07mm2 357.28mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5456 x 3632
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 16,000 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 25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Sony E
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 Tilting
Size 3" 3"
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
Image Stabilization Optical No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.50 m 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
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, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 175g 269g
Dimensions 98 x 58 x 27mm 110 x 63 x 36mm
Battery Life 210 shots 420 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 79
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1089
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