Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison

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Nikon S9100

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Casio EX-100

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S9100 and EX-100, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Casio. Both cameras have 12.0MP sensors but Nikon S9100's sensor is 1/2.3-inch sized whereas Casio EX-100 has a 1/1.7-inch sensor. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Casio EX-100 was launched in February 2014. As you can see, S9100 is 3 years older than EX-100. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon S9100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-19

12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 160 - 3200

25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

214g. 105 x 62 x 35 mm

Casio EX-100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-02-06

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)

28-300 mm F2.8 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.5" Tilting Screen

30 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

1000fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

389g. 119x67x50 mm

Nikon S9100 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix S9300. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix S9300 vs Nikon Coolpix S9100
Nikon Coolpix S9300 vs Casio Exilim EX-100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Casio Exilim EX-100

Weight	214 g vs 389 g	175 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	450mm vs 300mm	150 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	18× vs 10.7×	more flexible focal coverage

Reasons to choose Casio Exilim EX-100 over Nikon Coolpix S9100

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 ISO	12.800 vs 3.200	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 9	16 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3.5" vs 3"	0.5 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter	1/20000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	30.0fps vs 10.0fps	20 fps faster
Battery Life	390 shots vs 270 shots	120 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.80 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	6.1m vs 4.0m	2.1m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	3.46µm² vs 2.34µm²	47% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Casio Exilim EX-100

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift 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
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 3.5"	Large display
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 922k dots	High resolution screens
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Focal Length - Tele	450mm vs 300mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Casio Exilim EX-100

External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100: 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 S9100 and Casio EX-100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S9100 has external dimensions of 105 x 62 x 35 mm (4.13 x 2.44 x 1.38″) and weighs 214 g (0.47 lb / 7.55 oz) (including batteries). Casio EX-100 has external dimensions of 119x67x50 mm and weighs 389 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 14mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 15mm thinner than Casio EX-100.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon S9100 is significantly lighter (175g ) than the Casio EX-100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Casio Exilim EX-100 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Casio EX-100's 3.5" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S9100's 3" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Casio EX-100 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Nikon S9100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to EX-100.

Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Nikon S9100's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Casio EX-100's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Casio EX-100'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 S9100.

Below you can see the S9100 and EX-100 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 Cameras

As seen above, Casio EX-100 has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Nikon S9100. 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.

Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Casio EX-100 features a 28-300 mm F2.8 10.7× zoom lens.

Nikon S9100 has 3mm wider coverage than the Casio EX-100. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.80, Casio EX-100 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon S9100 has 150mm longer reach than the Casio EX-100. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Casio EX-100 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

S9100

EX-100

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Casio EX-100 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 S9100 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
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
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Casio EX-100 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
450 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 270 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 30.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/20000s
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
300 mm Tele Lens
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Casio EX-100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
214g
18.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
10.7X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
389g
Body Thickness 50mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Casio EX-100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
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
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Casio EX-100: 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 S9100 and Casio EX-100, 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 S9100 and Casio EX-100 scores compare:

Nikon S9100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #174 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #727 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Casio EX-100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #11 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #304 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Casio EX-100 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon S9100 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon S9100. Otherwise, Casio EX-100 is the better camera overall.

Casio EX-100 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix S9100	Casio Exilim EX-100
Brand	Nikon	Casio
Announced	2011-07-19	2014-02-06
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	28.07mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	160 ISO	80 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	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-450 mm (18×)	28-300 mm (10.7×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.9	F2.8
Macro Focus Range	4cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Tilting
Size	3"	3.5"
Resolution	921k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/20000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m	6.10 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	30.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	214g	389g
Dimensions	105 x 62 x 35mm	119x67x50mm
Battery Life	270 shots	390 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction