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Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
14
Overall
26
Canon PowerShot A3100 IS front
 
Nikon Coolpix S9900 front
Portability
88
Imaging
41
Features
60
Overall
48

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Key Specs

Canon A3100 IS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 35-140mm (F2.7-5.6) lens
  • 165g - 97 x 58 x 28mm
  • Launched January 2010
Nikon S9900
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-750mm (F3.7-6.4) lens
  • 289g - 112 x 66 x 40mm
  • Released February 2015
  • Superseded the Nikon S9700
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Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Overview

Let's look closer at the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S9900, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and Nikon. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the A3100 IS (12MP) and S9900 (16MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The A3100 IS was introduced 6 years earlier than the S9900 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the A3100 IS matches up against the S9900 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Canon A3100 IS over the Nikon S9900

 A3100 IS S9900 

Reasons to pick Nikon S9900 over the Canon A3100 IS

 S9900 A3100 IS 
ReleasedFebruary 2015January 2010Fresher by 62 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution921k230kCrisper screen (+691k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S9900

 A3100 IS S9900 
Focus manually No manual focusing
Touch friendly screen Missing Touch friendly screen

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Physical Comparison

If you are intending to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon A3100 IS comes with external dimensions of 97mm x 58mm x 28mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) while the Nikon S9900 has proportions of 112mm x 66mm x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 289 grams (0.64 lbs).

Check the Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S9900 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the A3100 IS compared to the S9900.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A3100 IS and S9900 is 94 and 88 respectively.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 top view buttons comparison

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A3100 IS and S9900.

Clearly, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You can expect the Nikon S9900 to render more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older A3100 IS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 sensor size comparison

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Portrait photography features
Nikon S9900 Portrait photography features
21
no manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
37
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
comes with face detection autofocus
manual focus not available
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Street photography highlights
Nikon S9900 Street photography highlights
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
68
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than average in class (289g)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Sports photography details
Nikon S9900 Sports photography details
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow frames per second (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
53
long zoom range (25-750mm 30.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking autofocus
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Canon A3100 IS as a Travel photography camera
Nikon S9900 as a Travel photography camera
51
flash built-in
does not have Time Lapse function
MP count low (12MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (35mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.7)
77
lighter than average in class (289 grams)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
selfie friendly screen
really wide (25mm)
long reach (750mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.7)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A3100 IS as a Landscape photography camera
Nikon S9900 as a Landscape photography camera
27
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
cannot switch lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (35mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.7)
small screen (2.7 inches)
no manual control
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
does not have Time Lapse function
47
really wide (25mm)
screen is a decent size (3")
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16MP)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.7)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon A3100 IS Vlogging details
Nikon S9900 Vlogging details
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not great (35mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.7)
display isn't selfie friendly
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
does not have external mic socket
73
really wide (25mm)
selfie friendly screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average in class (289 grams)
slow maximum aperture (f3.7)
lack of external mic support
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Canon A3100 IS vs Nikon S9900 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A3100 IS and Nikon S9900
 Canon PowerShot A3100 ISNikon Coolpix S9900
General Information
Make Canon Nikon
Model type Canon PowerShot A3100 IS Nikon Coolpix S9900
Class Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched 2010-01-05 2015-02-10
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CMOS
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 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3
Highest Possible resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 1600 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 35-140mm (4.0x) 25-750mm (30.0x)
Maximal aperture f/2.7-5.6 f/3.7-6.4
Macro focusing distance 3cm 1cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen size 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 15 seconds 8 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/1600 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 1.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.00 m 6.00 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync -
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (30p, 25p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p)
Maximum video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 165g (0.36 lbs) 289g (0.64 lbs)
Physical dimensions 97 x 58 x 28mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 1.1") 112 x 66 x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6")
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 life - 300 photographs
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID NB-8L EN-EL19
Self timer Yes (2, 10, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 10 secs)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HD MMCplus SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots One One
Launch cost $159 $300