Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ 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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Olympus SP-810 UZ

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S9100 and SP-810 UZ, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Olympus. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon S9100 has a 12.0 MP and Olympus SP-810 UZ has a 14.0 MP resolution. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Olympus SP-810 UZ was launched in July 2011. Both S9100 and SP-810 UZ were launched within the same month so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and available technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ 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

Olympus SP-810 UZ Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-27

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

24-864 mm F2.9-5.7 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

0.7 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

413g. 106 x 76 x 74 mm

Replaced Olympus SP-800 UZ Compare

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 SP-810 UZ

Olympus SP-810 UZ was replaced by Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ vs Olympus SP-810 UZ
Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ vs Nikon Coolpix S9100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Olympus SP-810 UZ

LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1200s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 0.7fps	9.3 fps faster
Weight	214 g vs 413 g	199 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Olympus SP-810 UZ over Nikon Coolpix S9100

Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 12 MP	16% more pixels
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 25mm	1 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	864mm vs 450mm	414 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	36× vs 18×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.90 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	6.2m vs 4.0m	2.2m longer range

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ

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
Focal Length - Tele	450mm vs 864mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 5.70	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ: 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 SP-810 UZ 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 SP-810 UZ has external dimensions of 106 x 76 x 74 mm (4.17 x 2.99 x 2.91″) and weighs 413 g (0.91 lb / 14.57 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 14mm shorter and 39mm thinner than Olympus SP-810 UZ.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ 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 (199g ) than the Olympus SP-810 UZ which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Olympus SP-810 UZ 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 S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ: 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 SP-810 UZ has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features TruePic III+ processor.

Below you can see the S9100 and SP-810 UZ sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ Cameras

Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Olympus SP-810 UZ features a 24-864 mm F2.9-5.7 36× zoom lens.

Olympus SP-810 UZ has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon S9100. At f2.90, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Olympus SP-810 UZ has 414mm longer reach than the Nikon S9100. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

SP-810 UZ

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Olympus SP-810 UZ 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 SP-810 UZ for Portrait Photography

POOR

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
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
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 Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus SP-810 UZ for Street Photography

GOOD

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

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus SP-810 UZ for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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
864 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Slow Continuous Shooting: 0.7fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1200s
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus SP-810 UZ 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

36.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
413g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus SP-810 UZ 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

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus SP-810 UZ: 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 SP-810 UZ, 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 Olympus SP-810 UZ 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

Olympus SP-810 UZ

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #100 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #820 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon S9100 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus SP-810 UZ and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus SP-810 UZ vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix S9100	Olympus SP-810 UZ
Brand	Nikon	Olympus
Announced	2011-07-19	2011-07-27
Body Type	Compact	SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4288 x 3216
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	3,200 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-450 mm (18×)	24-864 mm (36×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.9	F2.9-5.7
Macro Focus Range	4cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/1200s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m	6.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	0.7 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	214g	413g
Dimensions	105 x 62 x 35mm	106 x 76 x 74mm
Battery Life	270 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction