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Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 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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Olympus E-M10

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

Olympus E-M10
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Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two 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 Olympus E-M10, which was introduced in March 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, S9100 is 3 years older than E-M10. 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 S9100 and Olympus E-M10 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

Olympus E-M10 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-03-18
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 1440k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 8.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 396g. 119 x 82 x 46 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 Olympus OM-D E-M10

Olympus E-M10 was replaced by Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus OM-D E-M10 II vs Olympus OM-D E-M10
Olympus OM-D E-M10 II vs Nikon Coolpix S9100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 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 Olympus OM-D E-M10
Internal Storage
71 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.0fps 2 fps faster
Weight
214 g vs 396 g 182 g lighter
CHECK S9100 PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M10 over Nikon Coolpix S9100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
81 vs 9 72 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
320 shots vs 270 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
5.8m vs 4.0m 1.8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 2.34µm2 503% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-M10 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus OM-D E-M10
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 Resolution
921k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus OM-D E-M10
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10: 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 Olympus E-M10 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). Olympus E-M10 has external dimensions of 119 x 82 x 46 mm (4.69 x 3.24 x 1.81″) and weighs 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 14mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Olympus E-M10. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S9100 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M10 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M10, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10.

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10.
Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 Size

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 (182g ) than the Olympus E-M10 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 E-M10, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Olympus OM-D E-M10 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 Olympus E-M10's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus E-M10 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 S9100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M10.
Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10: 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, Olympus E-M10 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor.

Below you can see the S9100 and E-M10 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-M10 has a 8.0x 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 Olympus E-M10 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Olympus E-M10 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

Olympus E-M10 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M10 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus E-M10 for Sports Photography

GOOD
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
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M10 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
396g
Body Thickness 46mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-M10 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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus E-M10: 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 Olympus E-M10, 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 Olympus E-M10 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
Olympus E-M10
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #88 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #171 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M10 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, Olympus E-M10 is the better camera overall.

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
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Olympus E-M10
Olympus E-M10
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Olympus E-M10 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Olympus OM-D E-M10
Brand Nikon Olympus
Announced 2011-07-19 2014-03-18
Body Type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS 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 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 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 81
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
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 Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.58x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m 5.80 m (ISO100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 8.0 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 H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 214g 396g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 119 x 82 x 46mm
Battery Life 270 shots 320 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 72
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.3
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 884
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