Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic FZ47 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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Panasonic FZ47

12 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic FZ47 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S9100 and FZ47, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Both Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 cameras have 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Panasonic FZ47 was launched in July 2011. Both S9100 and FZ47 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 Panasonic FZ47 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

Panasonic FZ47 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-21

12MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)

25-600 mm F2.8-5.2 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Electronic viewfinder

4 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

498g. 120 x 80 x 92 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-FZ48

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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 (Lumix DMC-FZ48)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

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 4.0fps	6 fps faster
Weight	214 g vs 498 g	284 g lighter

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 over Nikon Coolpix S9100

Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
Number of Focus Points	23 vs 9	14 more focus points
Battery Life	400 shots vs 270 shots	130 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	600mm vs 450mm	150 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	24× vs 18×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.80 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	5.20 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	9.5m vs 4.0m	5.5m longer range
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	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
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Focal Length - Tele	450mm vs 600mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic FZ47: 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 Panasonic FZ47 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). Panasonic FZ47 has external dimensions of 120 x 80 x 92 mm (4.72 x 3.15 x 3.62″) and weighs 498 g (1.10 lb / 17.57 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 18mm shorter and 57mm thinner than Panasonic FZ47.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47.

Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 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 (284g ) than the Panasonic FZ47 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 (Lumix DMC-FZ48) 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 Panasonic FZ47'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 Panasonic FZ47: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 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 FZ47 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 Cameras

Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic FZ47 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Panasonic FZ47 features a 25-600 mm F2.8-5.2 24× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.80, Panasonic FZ47 is faster than Nikon S9100 at this focal length. On the tele end, Panasonic FZ47 has 150mm longer reach than the Nikon S9100. At f5.20, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

S9100

FZ47

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Panasonic FZ47 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

Panasonic FZ47 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic FZ47 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic FZ47 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 Focus Points
600 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic FZ47 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

24.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
498g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic FZ47 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
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic FZ47: 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 Panasonic FZ47, 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 Panasonic FZ47 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

Panasonic FZ47

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #66 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #620 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Panasonic FZ47 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon S9100 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic FZ47 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix S9100	Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2011-07-19	2011-07-21
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	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	28.07mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	1,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	6400 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	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-450 mm (18×)	25-600 mm (24×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.9	F2.8-5.2
Macro Focus Range	4cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a	100%
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m	9.50 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	4.0 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	AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	214g	498g
Dimensions	105 x 62 x 35mm	120 x 80 x 92mm
Battery Life	270 shots	400 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction