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Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300 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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Samsung NX300

20 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Samsung NX300
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Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon S9100, which was introduced in July 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Samsung NX300, which was introduced in November 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, S9100 is 2 years older than NX300. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 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

Samsung NX300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-11-24
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3.3" Tilting Screen
  • 9 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 331g. 122 x 64 x 41 mm
  • Replaced Samsung NX210 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 Samsung NX300

Samsung NX300 was replaced by Samsung NX500. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Samsung NX500 vs Samsung NX300
Samsung NX500 vs Nikon Coolpix S9100

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Samsung NX300
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 768k dots 19% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 9.0fps 1 fps faster
Weight
214 g vs 331 g 117 g lighter


Reasons to choose Samsung NX300 over Nikon Coolpix S9100
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
247 vs 9 238 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.3" vs 3" 0.3 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
330 shots vs 270 shots 60 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area
18.48µm2 vs 2.34µm2 689% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Samsung NX300
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.3" Large display
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 9.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Samsung NX300
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300: 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 Samsung NX300 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). Samsung NX300 has external dimensions of 122 x 64 x 41 mm (4.8 x 2.52 x 1.61″) and weighs 331 g (0.73 lb / 11.68 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 2mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Samsung NX300. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S9100 has a built-in lens but Samsung NX300 doesn't. Once you put a lens on NX300, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300.
Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 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 (117g ) than the Samsung NX300 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on NX300, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Samsung NX300 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 Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Samsung NX300's 3.3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S9100's 3" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Samsung NX300 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Nikon S9100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to NX300.
Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300: 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, Samsung NX300 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIMe IV processor.

Samsung NX300's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon S9100's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the S9100 and NX300 sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 Cameras


As seen above, Samsung NX300 has a 13.1x 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Samsung NX300 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

Samsung NX300 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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 Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Samsung NX300 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
247 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300 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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
331g
Body Thickness 41mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung NX300 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Samsung NX300: 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 Samsung NX300, 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 Samsung NX300 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
Samsung NX300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #45 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #252 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Samsung NX300 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon S9100 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon S9100. Otherwise, Samsung NX300 is the better camera overall.

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
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Samsung NX300
Samsung NX300
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Samsung NX300 vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Samsung NX300
Brand Nikon Samsung
Announced 2011-07-19 2013-11-24
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 28.07mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 25,600 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 9 247
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Samsung NX
Lens Focal Range 25-450 mm (18×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.5-5.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 4cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3" 3.3"
Resolution 921k dots 768k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 9.0 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 Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 214g 331g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 122 x 64 x 41mm
Battery Life 270 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 76
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.6
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.7
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 942
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