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Nikon D5 vs Canon S120

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Nikon D5

21 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5
$6,496.95
or
BUY
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Canon S120

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon S120
$449.00
or
BUY
Nikon D5 vs Canon S120 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D5, which was introduced in January 2016 is a Pro DSLR camera with a 21.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon S120, which was introduced in November 2013 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7" sensor.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Compact camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Nikon D5 is ranked #3 out of 34 Pro DSLR cameras with an overall score of 85 whereas Canon S120 is ranked #7 out of 262 Small Sensor Compact cameras with an overall score of 63.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D5 and Canon S120 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-01-05
  • 21MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 102400 ( expands to 3280000)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 14.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 1415g. 160 x 158.5 x 92 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D4s Compare

Canon S120 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-11-26
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • 24-120 mm F1.8-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 12 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 217g. 100 x 59 x 29 mm
  • Replaced Canon PowerShot S110 Compare
Reasons to choose Nikon D5 over Canon PowerShot S120
External Flash Shoe Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Optical vs None Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution 21 MP vs 12 MP 75% more pixels
Max ISO 102.400 vs 12.800 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 153 vs 9 144 more focus points
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3″ 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 2.359k dots vs 922k dots 155% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 14.0fps vs 12.0fps 2 fps faster
Battery Life 3780 shots vs 230 shots 3550 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Color Depth 25.1 vs 21.3 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 12.3 vs 11.9 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 2434 vs 246 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 41.25µm2 vs 3.46µm2 1092% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
4K Photo Mode Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Illuminated Buttons Yes vs No Find the buttons easily in dark
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture 15 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot S120 over Nikon D5
Wireless Connection Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight 217 g vs 1415 g 1198 g lighter
Price $449 vs $6,497 $6,048 cheaper
Common Strengths of Nikon D5 and Canon PowerShot S120
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting 14.0fps vs 12.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D5 and Canon PowerShot S120
Articulating Screen No vs No No flexible viewing angles
Nikon D5 vs Canon S120: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D5 and Canon S120. Canon S120 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 60mm narrower, 100mm shorter and 63mm thinner than Nikon D5. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon S120 has a built-in lens but Nikon D5 doesn't. Once you put a lens on D5, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon D5 vs Canon S120 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D5 and Canon S120.
Nikon D5 vs Canon S120 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon D5 vs Canon S120 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon S120 is significantly lighter (1198g ) than the Nikon D5 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 D5, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Nikon D5 vs Canon S120: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D5 has a 21.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 5 processor. On the other hand, Canon S120 has a 12.0MP 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Digic 6 processor.

Nikon D5's sensor provides 9MP more than Canon S120'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 D5 and S120 sensor size comparison.

Nikon D5 vs Canon S120 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Nikon D5 has a 20.6x Larger sensor area than Canon S120. 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 D5 and Canon S120 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D5 and Canon S120 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 D5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Canon S120 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon S120 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon S120 for Sports Photography

POOR
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 14.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
99 Cross Type Focus sensors
153 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 3780 shots
Good Low Light ISO
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
120 mm Tele Lens
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon S120 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1415g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details
Compact Body
217g
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Nikon D5 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Canon S120 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 21.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Nikon D5 vs Canon S120: 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 D5 and Canon S120, 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 D5 and Canon S120 scores compare:

Nikon D5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 11 in Large SLR cameras
Ranked #29 out of 1166 in all Cameras
Canon S120
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 469 in Compact cameras
Ranked #264 out of 1166 in all Cameras

Nikon D5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon S120 in all criterias except one: Portability. Canon S120 is significantly smaller than Nikon D5. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon S120. Otherwise, Nikon D5 is the better camera overall.

Nikon D5
Nikon D5
$6,496.95

Canon S120
Canon S120
$449.00

Canon S120 vs Nikon D5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D5 Canon PowerShot S120
Brand Nikon Canon
Announced 2016-01-05 2013-11-26
Body Type Large SLR Compact
Price $6,496.95 $449.00
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame 1/1.7"
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area 855.62mm2 41.52mm2
Megapixels 21 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5588 x 3712 4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity 102,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 3280000 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 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 153 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F fixed lens
Number of Available Lenses 299 n/a
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-120 mm (5×)
Max Aperture no lens F1.8-5.7
Macro Focus Range no lens 3cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.2″ 3″
Resolution 2,359k dots 922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.72 n/a
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 7.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 14.0 fps 12.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1415g 217g
Dimensions 160 x 158.5 x 92mm 100 x 59 x 29mm
Battery Life 3780 shots 230 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 88 56
DxO Color Depth 25.1 21.3
DxO Dynamic Range 12.3 11.9
DxO Low Light ISO 2434 246
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