Clicky

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000

Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
14
Overall
26
Canon PowerShot A3100 IS front
 
Nikon Coolpix S8000 front
Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
31
Overall
34

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Key Specs

Canon A3100 IS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 35-140mm (F2.7-5.6) lens
  • 165g - 97 x 58 x 28mm
  • Released January 2010
Nikon S8000
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 30-300mm (F3.5-5.6) lens
  • 183g - 103 x 57 x 27mm
  • Released June 2010
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Overview

Lets take a more detailed look at the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S8000, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by companies Canon and Nikon. The resolution of the A3100 IS (12MP) and the S8000 (14MP) is very well matched and both cameras offer the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The A3100 IS was announced 5 months before the S8000 and they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the A3100 IS scores vs the S8000 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Mastering Nature Photography with a Digital Microscope Camera

        

Reasons to pick Canon A3100 IS over the Nikon S8000

 A3100 IS S8000 

Reasons to pick Nikon S8000 over the Canon A3100 IS

 S8000 A3100 IS 
Display size3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution921k230kSharper display (+691k dot)

Common features in the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S8000

 A3100 IS S8000 
ReleasedJanuary 2010June 2010Similar generation
Focus manually No manual focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch display Neither comes with Touch display

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Physical Comparison

If you are planning to carry your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon A3100 IS comes with outer measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 28mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Nikon S8000 has proportions of 103mm x 57mm x 27mm (4.1" x 2.2" x 1.1") along with a weight of 183 grams (0.40 lbs).

Look at the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S8000 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the A3100 IS versus the S8000.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A3100 IS and S8000 is 94 and 93 respectively.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 top view buttons comparison

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is very hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing simply by checking technical specs. The graphic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A3100 IS and S8000.

As you can tell, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You should expect to see the Nikon S8000 to resolve extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 sensor size comparison

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Portrait photography information
Nikon S8000 Portrait photography information
20
lack of manual focus
no manual mode
no external flash support
low megapixels (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
28
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
no manual focus
no manual control
no external flash support
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Street Comparison

Canon A3100 IS as a Street photography camera
Nikon S8000 as a Street photography camera
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Sports Comparison

Canon A3100 IS as a Sports photography camera
Nikon S8000 as a Sports photography camera
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
max frames per second low (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
34
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
low fps (3.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Travel photography information
Nikon S8000 Travel photography information
51
flash built-in
lack of Time Lapse recording
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
wide angle not great (35mm)
slow max aperture (f2.7)
61
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
very long reach (300mm)
no Time Lapse function
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (30mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Landscape Comparison

Canon A3100 IS as a Landscape photography camera
Nikon S8000 as a Landscape photography camera
27
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (35mm)
slow max aperture (f2.7)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual mode
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
lack of Time Lapse recording
37
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (30mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
no Time Lapse function
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Vlogging features
Nikon S8000 Vlogging features
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not great (35mm)
slow max aperture (f2.7)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
lack of external mic port
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not fantastic (30mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pxls)
no mic support
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S8000 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S8000
 Canon PowerShot A3100 ISNikon Coolpix S8000
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Nikon
Model type Canon PowerShot A3100 IS Nikon Coolpix S8000
Type Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Released 2010-01-05 2010-06-16
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Expeed C2
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 35-140mm (4.0x) 30-300mm (10.0x)
Highest aperture f/2.7-5.6 f/3.5-5.6
Macro focusing range 3cm 2cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 230 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15s 8s
Max shutter speed 1/1600s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter rate 1.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.00 m -
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video format Motion JPEG H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 165 gr (0.36 lbs) 183 gr (0.40 lbs)
Physical dimensions 97 x 58 x 28mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") 103 x 57 x 27mm (4.1" x 2.2" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery ID NB-8L EN-EL12
Self timer Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face) Yes (3 sec or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HD MMCplus SD/SDHC, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $159 $300