Nikon S9100 vs Olympus VH-515 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 VH-515

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

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Nikon S9100 vs Olympus VH-515 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Olympus. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Olympus VH-515 was launched in August 2012. There is 13 months difference between S9100 and VH-515 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger VH-515, especially in sensor tech.

Both Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 cameras have 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 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 VH-515 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-08-21

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

ISO 100 - 1600

26-130 mm F2.8-6.5 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

152g. 102 x 60 x 21 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 VH-515

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Olympus VH-515

Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 2.0fps	8 fps faster
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 26mm	1 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	450mm vs 130mm	320 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	18× vs 5×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.90 vs 6.50	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Olympus VH-515 over Nikon Coolpix S9100

Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Weight	152 g vs 214 g	62 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus VH-515

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

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Olympus VH-515

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 6.50	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus VH-515: 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 VH-515 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 VH-515 has external dimensions of 102 x 60 x 21 mm (4.02 x 2.36 x 0.83″) and weighs 152 g (0.34 lb / 5.36 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515. Olympus VH-515 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 2mm shorter and 14mm thinner than Nikon S9100.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus VH-515 is significantly lighter (62g ) than the Nikon S9100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Olympus VH-515 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

Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515'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 VH-515: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 have 1/2.3-inch sized 12.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the S9100 and VH-515 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 Cameras

Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 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 VH-515 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Olympus VH-515 features a 26-130 mm F2.8-6.5 5× zoom lens.

Nikon S9100 has 1mm wider coverage than the Olympus VH-515. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.80, Olympus VH-515 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon S9100 has 320mm longer reach than the Olympus VH-515. At f5.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

S9100

VH-515

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Olympus VH-515 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 VH-515 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: 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 Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus VH-515 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
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
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 VH-515 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
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
130 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus VH-515 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

Compact Body
152g
Body Thickness 21mm
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus VH-515 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

26 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 Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Olympus VH-515: 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 VH-515, 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 VH-515 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 VH-515

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #233 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #822 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon S9100 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus VH-515 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus VH-515 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix S9100	Olympus VH-515
Brand	Nikon	Olympus
Announced	2011-07-19	2012-08-21
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
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	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4608 x3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	1,600 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	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-450 mm (18×)	26-130 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.9	F2.8-6.5
Macro Focus Range	4cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m	4.70 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	2.0 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	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	214g	152g
Dimensions	105 x 62 x 35mm	102 x 60 x 21mm
Battery Life	270 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction