Canon N100 vs Sony HX9V: A Detailed Compact Camera Showdown for Enthusiasts

When compact cameras rule your pocket but you still crave manual control and decent image quality, two stalwarts often pop up: the Canon PowerShot N100 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. Both sharing compact credentials yet sporting distinct personalities, they cater to slightly different user needs. With over 15 years of rigorous hands-on camera testing behind me, I’ll break down these two neat devices from every practical angle - sensor tech, autofocus, lenses, usability, performance across photography genres, and whether either can sneak into your professional workflow.

My aim? To help you decide which of these 2011-2014-era compacts better suits your shooting style, whether you’re a street photographer seeking stealth, or a casual wildlife snapper valuing zoom. Expect honest assessments steeped in practical experience, and be sure to check out the comparison images sprinkled throughout for an always-clear perspective.

Sizing Up: How They Feel In Your Hands

Let’s start with the physical first impression, which - even in this small sensor compact segment - is vital. The Canon N100 and Sony HX9V both fall into the pocketable compact category but differ sculpturally.

The Canon N100 (105x68x36 mm, 289g) comes across as a bit chunkier, largely due to its more rounded shape with a decent grip bulge on the right side. It feels reassuringly solid, and its chunkiness translates to a firm grip for extended handheld shooting. The Sony HX9V (105x59x34 mm, 245g) is noticeably slimmer and lighter - ideal if you favor discreet street shooting or travel minimalism.

Ergonomically, the Canon’s fuller form strokes the hand better. Buttons and dials feel a tad more accessible compared to the HX9V’s smaller footprint where controls are a bit more cramped due to its ultra-slim profile. If you have larger hands or shoot for long stretches, the Canon likely wins in comfort.

Looking at the top panels, note the Canon’s straightforward button layout with a touch-enabled rear screen - surprisingly responsive - while the Sony relies on traditional physical buttons, lacking any touchscreen. Both cameras omit electronic viewfinders, pushing you to rely on their rear LCDs or compose carefully without eye-level framing.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

While sensors in small sensor compacts never rival DSLRs or mirrorless bodies, size and tech matter plenty for image quality, noise performance, and dynamic range - the ultimate indicators of what you can squeeze out of your shots.

Here’s where things get interesting. The Canon N100 sports a 1/1.7” CMOS sensor with 12 MP resolution, measuring 7.44 x 5.58 mm, resulting in a sensor area of approximately 41.5 mm². On the other hand, the Sony HX9V has a smaller 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor, 16 MP at 6.17 x 4.55 mm, around 28 mm² area.

What does this mean for image quality?

• The Canon’s larger sensor size translates to larger individual pixels, which typically means better light gathering, lower noise, and superior performance at high ISOs.
• The Canon max ISO is 6400 native (though noise starts creeping in realistically beyond 1600), while Sony caps at 3200, reflecting its smaller sensor's constraints.
• Sony's higher megapixel count (16 MP vs 12 MP) means more resolution, but on a smaller sensor, pixel pitch shrinks, often trading off dynamic range and noise resistance.

In my lab tests and real-world shooting, the Canon N100 produces cleaner images in low light, with noticeably better color fidelity and smoother gradients - particularly in shadow areas. The Sony’s images lean towards a tad more sharpening artifact and higher noise beyond ISO 800, which is typical for smaller-sensor superzooms of its era.

The Canon’s sensor also carries an anti-aliasing filter, reducing moiré but marginally softening fine detail, whereas the Sony’s sensor tech (BSI) compensates with improved sensitivity but can't quite match the Canon’s noise handling edge.

If your photography focuses on landscapes, portraits, or low-light scenarios, the N100’s sensor provides a discernible quality advantage.

Lens Versus Zoom: The Focal Length Dance

Next up, the optics. Both have fixed lenses, but their zoom ranges aim at different target audiences.

• Canon N100: 24-120 mm equivalent with a bright aperture starting at f/1.8 on the wide end, narrowing to f/5.7 at tele.
• Sony HX9V: 24-384 mm equivalent, a massive 16× zoom range with a max aperture from f/3.3 to f/5.9.

That is not a typo - the Sony stretches far into telephoto territory, making it an enticing option for wildlife and sports shooters on a budget.

The Canon’s shorter zoom but faster aperture at the wide end means better low-light indoor and portrait capability with shallow depth of field effects. The Canon can produce creamier bokeh and sharper images in the 24-50mm-like range, excellent for portraits and street photography.

Sony’s enormous zoom range suits you if wildlife or travel versatility over a variety of focal lengths is a priority, but you’ll make tradeoffs with the smaller aperture and somewhat diminished sharpness and chromatic aberration at longer focal lengths.

Personally, I find Canon’s lens more “photo-friendly” for creative controls, while Sony’s zoom flexibility is travel and event-friendly.

Screen and Interface: Touch or Traditional

In use, the Canon’s 3-inch, 922k-dot, fully tilting touchscreen stands out. It allows easy AF point selection by touch, menu navigation, swipe gestures - features I liked a lot during fast-paced street shooting or casual family photo sessions. Its tilt mechanism is perfect for low-angle or overhead shots, which the Sony does not offer.

The Sony HX9V also sports a 3-inch, 921k-dot LCD but it is fixed and non-touch. While the Sony's screen uses “XtraFine” TruBlack tech that brings nice contrast in daylight, navigating the menu or changing focus points involves more button hunting. For photographers who prefer tactile buttons, this might suit, but personally I prefer touchscreen for speed.

Neither camera has an electronic viewfinder, which is a notable omission especially for bright daylight shooting. Composing through an LCD can be challenging outdoors, though the Sony’s higher contrast helps.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Catch the Moment?

In my testing of autofocus (AF) systems, both cameras rely exclusively on contrast-detection AF with 9 selectable points.

The Canon N100 offers face detection which is a nice aid for portraits and family events, but it lacks animal eye AF or continuous tracking capabilities. AF speed is decent for a compact, particularly in good light, but hunting becomes apparent under dimmer conditions. Focus lock is reliable though.

The Sony HX9V, despite being an earlier model, delivers a respectable 10 fps burst mode, well above Canon’s single-shot focus approach (no continuous AF or burst). This is a big plus for sports and wildlife where capturing multiple frames quickly boosts your chance of a sharp shot. AF is a tad slower overall, with less sophisticated face/eye-detection compared to Canon.

No camera adheres to professional AF sophistication, but for casual high-action shooting, Sony’s burst is a strong selling point.

Build Quality and Durability: Everyday Handling

Neither camera offers weather sealing or ruggedized protection, so neither is ideal for harsh conditions.

• Both are made mostly of polycarbonate chassis; Canon’s body feels slightly more solid due to its thicker build.
• Neither is waterproof, dustproof, or shockproof.
• Sony edges out with slightly lighter weight and smaller size for easy travel.

So you’ll want to stay mindful of the environment. For dusty hikes or wet weather, consider external protection like rain covers.

Video Capabilities: Which Shoots Better Clips?

Video specs reflect their generation but differ in key ways.

• Canon N100: Records HD video up to 1920x1280 at 30 fps, compressed in H.264. Has a microphone input, which is a surprising and welcome feature for a compact. No headphone jack.
• Sony HX9V: Shoots full HD 1080p at 60 fps in AVCHD format and MPEG-4, no mic input.

The Sony offers smoother, higher frame rate footage, useful for capturing action or slow-motion playback. But the lack of external mic support limits serious videographers’ audio capture.

Canon’s mic input is rare and valuable, allowing interfacing with external microphones for clearer sound. However, limited to 30 fps and a slightly lower resolution frame size.

Neither camera supports 4K or advanced video modes, nor image stabilization modes beyond optical stabilization on the lens.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can You Shoot?

Canon includes the NB-12L battery rated for roughly 330 shots per charge, quite solid for everyday shooting. Sony uses the NP-BG1 battery, but published battery life figures for HX9V are less clear; typical run time might be slightly less due to higher processing needs for its zoom and video.

Both support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards; Sony also supports Memory Stick formats, which may be convenient if you already own Sony accessories.

Connectivity and Extras: Staying Connected?

Connectivity is a mixed bag.

• Canon N100 offers built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for easy sharing to smartphones - a big plus for on-the-go photographers. GPS is optional.
• Sony HX9V supports Eye-Fi wireless card compatibility for online transfer, but no native Wi-Fi or NFC and has GPS built-in.

For modern sharing ease, Canon is friendlier out of the box, especially with NFC enabling near-instant pairing with smartphones.

How Do They Perform Across Photography Styles?

My testing covers a broad range of genres to see who this camera suits best.

Canon N100 screen back Sony HX9V front Sony HX9V screen back

Portraits

Canon’s brighter lens and face-detection AF make capturing pleasing skin tones and softly blurred backgrounds easier. Bokeh is gently creamy at 24mm f/1.8, perfect for isolating subjects. Sony’s smaller aperture and lack of face detection reduce portrait quality, though its longer zoom comes handy for environmental portraits.

Landscapes

Canon’s sensor excels in dynamic range, preserving highlights and shadow detail better here. Coupled with sharper optics at wide angles, it produces crisp landscapes. Sony’s wider zoom flexibility lets you capture distant details, but overall image quality is less vivid.

Wildlife

Sony’s whopping 384mm equivalent zoom and 10fps burst mode provide a huge advantage here - allowing you to frame distant subjects and capture fast sequences. Canon’s 120mm max reach may feel limiting, plus slower shooting speed.

Sports

Burst mode again favors Sony, but slow AF tracking limits shots to static moments. Canon’s better sensor helps low-light sports shots, but the absence of continuous AF hurts.

Street Photography

Canon’s tilting touchscreen, brighter lens, larger size for grip, and silent-ish shutter make it better suited for street photography. Sony’s slimmer frame is more discreet but slower AF and smaller aperture hinder responsiveness.

Macro

Neither camera boasts specifically strong macro modes, but Canon's brighter lens helps capture details at minimal focusing distances better.

Night and Astro

Canon outperforms with cleaner high-ISO images and better exposure control, allowing longer shutter speeds (min shutter speed of 15 seconds), strengthening night shots. Sony maxes out at 30 seconds but noise rises quickly.

Video

Sony’s 1080p / 60 fps is smoother, but lack of mic input limits audio quality. Canon’s 720p is less detailed but mic input opens more professional audio options.

Travel

Sony's massive zoom and compact size make it an excellent travel companion when you want range but keep carry weight down. Canon is heavier but better image quality or low-light shots often justify size.

Professional Use

Neither camera is professional-grade but Canon’s larger sensor, RAW file support absence (both no RAW unfortunately), and mic jack make it marginally more workflow-friendly.

Final Verdict and Recommendations

Canon PowerShot N100: The Image Purist’s Compact
If you seek consistent, pleasing image quality, a bright lens for portraits and low light, plus touchscreen versatility - this is your compact. Its sensor and lens give more creative freedom, and mic input for video users is a rare bonus. The N100 feels like a solid “photographer’s compact” despite some missing modern features like 4K or continuous autofocus.

Ideal for:

• Portrait photographers
• Landscape enthusiasts
• Night/astro photographers
• Travel photographers valuing image quality
• Beginners wanting simple touch controls

Sony Cyber-shot HX9V: The Zoom Enthusiast’s Travel Buddy
If you prioritize zoom reach, a lighter package, and faster burst shooting to freeze action, Sony’s superzoom compact lets you capture far-off wildlife or distant events without carrying bigger gear. Video shooters may like the smooth 1080p60, though audio is limited without a mic port. It’s a versatile travel or casual photography camera that sacrifices some image quality for all-in-one convenience.

Ideal for:

• Wildlife or sports hobbyists on a budget
• Travel photographers needing high zoom range
• Casual shooters who value burst speed
• Users prioritizing video frame rate over audio

In Closing: Which Compact Wins?

Ultimately, picking between the Canon N100 and Sony HX9V boils down to what you value more:

• Image quality and user-friendly touch controls? Go with the Canon N100.
• Zoom range and faster frame capture? Sony HX9V will serve you better.

Both cameras, now classic models, remain useful with smart use, though modern mirrorless compacts and high-end smartphones have overtaken many compact camera niches today.

If you want my direct take after bulk testing: I prefer Canon’s N100 for photography enjoyment and image quality, but Sony’s HX9V deserves respect for zoom versatility, especially in travel or wildlife contexts.

Whichever you choose, these trusty compacts show that even smaller sensors, when wielded well, can carve out truly satisfying photographic experiences.

Happy shooting!

If you’d like to dive deeper into specific sample shots or controls, be sure to check out the images above for direct visual comparison - sometimes a picture really tells the story best.