CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison
  • BRANDS
    • Sony Cameras
    • Canon Cameras
    • Nikon Cameras
    • Pentax Cameras
    • Fujifilm Cameras
    • Olympus Cameras
    • Panasonic Cameras
    • Leica Cameras
    • Samsung Cameras
  • BODY TYPE
    • Mirrorless Cameras
    • DSLR Cameras
    • Compact Cameras
    • Bridge Cameras
    • Waterproof Cameras

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Nikon S9100

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

Nikon S9100
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Ricoh GR Digital IV

10 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CCD Sensor

Ricoh GR Digital IV
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Ricoh. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Ricoh GR Digital IV was launched in September 2011. There is only 2 months difference between S9100 and GR Digital IV so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Nikon S9100 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Ricoh GR Digital IV has a 10.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV 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

Ricoh GR Digital IV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-09-15
  • 10MP - 1/1.7-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 28 mm f1.90 Prime Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 190g. 109 x 59 x 33 mm
  • Replaced Ricoh GR Digital III 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 Ricoh GR Digital IV

Ricoh GR Digital IV was replaced by Ricoh GR. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Ricoh GR vs Ricoh GR Digital IV
Ricoh GR vs Nikon Coolpix S9100

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

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Ricoh GR Digital IV
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 10 MP 19% more pixels
Focal Length - Wide
25mm vs 28mm 3 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
450mm vs 28mm 422 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
18× vs 1× more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage
4.0m vs 3.0m 1m longer range
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Ricoh GR Digital IV over Nikon Coolpix S9100
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 921k dots 33% higher resolution screen
Battery Life
390 shots vs 270 shots 120 more frames with a single charge
Weight
190 g vs 214 g 24 g lighter
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Aperture - Wide
1.90 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
1.90 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
4.16µm2 vs 2.34µm2 77% larger pixel area
Built-in ND Filter
Yes vs No Use larger aperture under strong light

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV
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
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 1.230k dots High resolution screens
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV: 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 Ricoh GR Digital IV 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). Ricoh GR Digital IV has external dimensions of 109 x 59 x 33 mm (4.29 x 2.32 x 1.3″) and weighs 190 g (0.42 lb / 6.70 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV. Ricoh GR Digital IV is 3mm shorter and 2mm thinner than Nikon S9100 but it is also 4mm wider.

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV.

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV.
Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Ricoh GR Digital IV is 24g lighter than the Nikon S9100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
GR Digital IV
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
GR Digital IV
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Ricoh GR Digital IV 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 Ricoh GR Digital IV'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 Ricoh GR Digital IV: 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, Ricoh GR Digital IV has a 10.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the S9100 and GR Digital IV sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Cameras


As seen above, Ricoh GR Digital IV has a 1.5x 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.

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Ricoh GR Digital IV features a 28 mm F1.9 Prime lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Nikon S9100's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Ricoh GR Digital IV's 28mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, GR Digital IV's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Nikon S9100 has 422mm longer reach than the Ricoh GR Digital IV. However, with a max aperture of f1.90, Ricoh GR Digital IV is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100
GR Digital IV
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Compact Cameras

S9100
GR Digital IV
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

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

Compact Cameras

S9100
GR Digital IV
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Ricoh GR Digital IV 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

Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.90
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
28 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
190g
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Ricoh GR Digital IV: 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 Ricoh GR Digital IV, 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 Ricoh GR Digital IV 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
Ricoh GR Digital IV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #43 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #452 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Ricoh GR Digital IV is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon S9100 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Ricoh GR Digital IV
Ricoh GR Digital IV
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Ricoh GR Digital IV vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Ricoh GR Digital IV
Brand Nikon Ricoh
Announced 2011-07-19 2011-09-15
Body Type Compact Compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CCD
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/1.7-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 28.07mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 3648 x 2736
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×) 28 mm (1×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.9 F1.9
Macro Focus Range 4cm 1cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 1,230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (optional)
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 3.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 640 x 480
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 214g 190g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 109 x 59 x 33mm
Battery Life 270 shots 390 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Nikon Z7
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Sony A6000
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7 III
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Fujifilm X-T3
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R
30 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Sony A6400
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Sony E Mount
Nikon D5600
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Nikon D850
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon F Mount
Top Rated Compact Cameras
Top Cameras Under $200
Top Compact Cameras Under $500
Top Compact Cameras Under $750
Top Compact Cameras Under $1000
Latest Cameras
Fujifilm GFX 100S
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Fujifilm X-E4
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Sony a1
50 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Leica SL2-S
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Leica Q2 Monochrom
47 MP | Full frame Sensor | 28 mm
Fujifilm X-S10
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Nikon Z7 II
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Nikon Z6 II
25 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Copyright © 2021 by CameraDecision
About Feedback Privacy Cameras

Report a Correction