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Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Comparison

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Nikon S9100

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

Nikon S9100
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Nikon 1 S1

10 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 S1
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Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Nikon cameras cameras with different body types: Nikon S9100, which was introduced in July 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Nikon 1 S1, which was introduced in June 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 10.0MP 1-inch sensor. There is 23 months difference between S9100 and 1 S1 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger 1 S1, 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 S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 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
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 214g. 105 x 62 x 35 mm

Nikon 1 S1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-06-21
  • 10MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 15.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 197g. 102 x 61 x 30 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 Nikon 1 S1

Nikon 1 S1 was replaced by Nikon 1 S2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon 1 S2 vs Nikon 1 S1
Nikon 1 S2 vs Nikon Coolpix S9100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Nikon 1 S1
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Internal Storage
71 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 10 MP 19% more pixels
LCD Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Battery Life
270 shots vs 220 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
CHECK S9100 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 S1 over Nikon Coolpix S9100
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
12.800 vs 3.200 300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
135 vs 9 126 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 10.0fps 5 fps faster
Weight
197 g vs 214 g 17 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
5.0m vs 4.0m 1m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
11.57µm2 vs 2.34µm2 394% larger pixel area
CHECK 1 S1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Nikon 1 S1
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Nikon 1 S1
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
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
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
New4
Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1: 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 Nikon 1 S1 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). Nikon 1 S1 has external dimensions of 102 x 61 x 30 mm (4.02 x 2.4 x 1.18″) and weighs 197 g (0.43 lb / 6.95 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1. Nikon 1 S1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 5mm thinner than Nikon S9100. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S9100 has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 S1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1 S1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1.

Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1.
Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon 1 S1 is 17g lighter than the Nikon S9100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

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 1 S1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Nikon 1 S1 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 S9100 and Nikon 1 S1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1: Sensor Comparison

Nikon S9100 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 S1 has a 10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the S9100 and 1 S1 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 S1 has a 4.1x 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Nikon 1 S1 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

Nikon 1 S1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
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
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 S1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
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
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 S1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
135 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon 1 S1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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
197g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 S1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
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
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Nikon 1 S1: 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 Nikon 1 S1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 Nikon 1 S1 scores compare:

Nikon S9100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #175 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #773 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 S1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #114 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #487 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 S1 scores higher than the Nikon S9100 thanks to its better general imaging quality, compact size and higher value for the money. On the other hand, Nikon S9100 has some extra features which may become a game changer if you have some specific requirements.
We recommend you to read our detailed Pro's and Con's section and see if any Pro of Nikon S9100 is a must-have for you. If not, choose the Nikon 1 S1.

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
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Nikon 1 S1
Nikon 1 S1
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Nikon 1 S1 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Nikon 1 S1
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2011-07-19 2013-06-21
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 28.07mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 3872 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 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 9 135
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon 1
Lens Focal Range 25-450 mm (18×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.5-5.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 4cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m 5.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/60s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 15.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 214g 197g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 102 x 61 x 30mm
Battery Life 270 shots 220 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 56
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.4
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.1
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 397
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