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Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill 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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Sigma DP3 Merrill

15 MP | APS-C (24 x 16 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

Sigma DP3 Merrill
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Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Nikon and Sigma. Nikon S9100 was introduced to market in July 2011 and Sigma DP3 Merrill was launched in January 2013. There is 18 months difference between S9100 and DP3 Merrill so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger DP3 Merrill, especially in sensor tech.

Nikon S9100 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Sigma DP3 Merrill has a 15.0MP APS-C sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill 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

Sigma DP3 Merrill Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-01-08
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 75 mm f2.80 Prime Lens
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 4 fps continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 330g. 122 x 67 x 59 mm
  • Replaced Sigma DP2 Merrill 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix S9100 over Sigma DP3 Merrill
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
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Mech. Shutter
1/2000s vs 1/s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 4.0fps 6 fps faster
Weight
214 g vs 330 g 116 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide
25mm vs 75mm 50 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele
450mm vs 75mm 375 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
18× vs 1× more flexible focal coverage
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video


Reasons to choose Sigma DP3 Merrill over Nikon Coolpix S9100
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
15 MP vs 12 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide
2.80 vs 3.50 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
2.80 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 920k dots High resolution screens
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill: 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill 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). Sigma DP3 Merrill has external dimensions of 122 x 67 x 59 mm (4.8 x 2.64 x 2.32″) and weighs 330 g (0.73 lb / 11.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill. Nikon S9100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 49mm thinner than Sigma DP3 Merrill.

Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill.

Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill.
Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill 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 (116g ) than the Sigma DP3 Merrill which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix S9100 nor Sigma DP3 Merrill 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill'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 Sigma DP3 Merrill: 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, Sigma DP3 Merrill has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual TRUE II engine processor.

Below you can see the S9100 and DP3 Merrill sensor size comparison.

Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill Cameras


As seen above, Sigma DP3 Merrill has a 13.7x 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon S9100 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens whereas Sigma DP3 Merrill features a 75 mm F2.8 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill's 75mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, DP3 Merrill'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 375mm longer reach than the Sigma DP3 Merrill. However, with a max aperture of f2.80, Sigma DP3 Merrill is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Widest - Ricoh WG-M1
Average
Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

S9100
DP3 Merrill
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon S9100 and Sigma DP3 Merrill 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

Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
75 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Sports Photography

POOR

Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/s
Unknown Focus Points
75 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
330g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details

Nikon S9100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
75 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Nikon S9100 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill: 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill, 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 Sigma DP3 Merrill 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
Sigma DP3 Merrill
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #54 out of 61 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #704 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon S9100
Nikon S9100
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Sigma DP3 Merrill
Sigma DP3 Merrill
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Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Nikon S9100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix S9100 Sigma DP3 Merrill
Brand Nikon Sigma
Announced 2011-07-19 2013-01-08
Body Type Compact Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS (Foveon X3)
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 24 x 16 mm
Area 28.07mm2 384.00mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 15 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4704 x 3136
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 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×) 75 mm (1×)
Max Aperture F3.5-5.9 F2.8
Macro Focus Range 4cm n/a
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s n/a
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
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 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 330g
Dimensions 105 x 62 x 35mm 122 x 67 x 59mm
Battery Life 270 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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