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Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 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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Panasonic SZ8

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

Panasonic SZ8
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Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing S9100 and SZ8, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Panasonic. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Panasonic SZ8 was launched in January 2014. As you can see, S9100 is 3 years older than SZ8. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 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

Panasonic SZ8 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-01-06
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600 ( expands to 6400)
  • 24-288 mm F3.1-6.3 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 159g. 100 x 60 x 27 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
Max ISO
3.200 vs 1.600 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Battery Life
270 shots vs 200 shots 70 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Tele
450mm vs 288mm 162 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
18× vs 12× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
5.90 vs 6.30 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
2.34µm2 vs 1.74µm2 34% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
CHECK S9100 PRICE


Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 over Nikon Coolpix S9100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Weight
159 g vs 214 g 55 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 25mm 1 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.10 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage
5.2m vs 4.0m 1.2m longer range
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK SZ8 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
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
Focal Length - Tele
450mm vs 288mm Very good Telezoom
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
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
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 6.30 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8: 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 SZ8 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 SZ8 has external dimensions of 100 x 60 x 27 mm (3.94 x 2.36 x 1.06″) and weighs 159 g (0.35 lb / 5.61 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8. Panasonic SZ8 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 2mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Nikon S9100.

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8.

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8.
Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic SZ8 is significantly lighter (55g ) than the Nikon S9100 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8 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 Panasonic SZ8'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 Panasonic SZ8: 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, Panasonic SZ8 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Below you can see the S9100 and SZ8 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 Cameras


Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 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 SZ8 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Panasonic SZ8 features a 24-288 mm F3.1-6.3 12× zoom lens.

Panasonic SZ8 has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon S9100. At f3.10, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon S9100 has 162mm longer reach than the Panasonic SZ8. At f5.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

S9100
SZ8
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Panasonic SZ8 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 SZ8 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: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 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

Panasonic SZ8 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
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
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic SZ8 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
Wireless Connection
288 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
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: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.30
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic SZ8 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
159g
12.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic SZ8 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: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Panasonic SZ8: 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 SZ8, 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 Panasonic SZ8 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
Panasonic SZ8
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #285 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #943 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon S9100 has a higher Overall Score than the Panasonic SZ8 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
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Panasonic SZ8
Panasonic SZ8
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Panasonic SZ8 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8
Brand Nikon Panasonic
Announced 2011-07-19 2014-01-06
Body Type Compact Compact
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 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 25-450 mm (18×) 24-288 mm (12×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.9 F3.1-6.3
Macro Focus Range 4cm n/a
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 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m 5.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 1.0 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 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 214g 159g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 100 x 60 x 27mm
Battery Life 270 shots 200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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