Canon S100 vs Nikon A900
93 Imaging
36 Features
48 Overall
40


88 Imaging
46 Features
58 Overall
50
Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-120mm (F2.0-5.9) lens
- 198g - 99 x 60 x 28mm
- Released December 2011
- Superseded the Canon S95
- Renewed by Canon S110
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 24-840mm (F3.4-6.9) lens
- 289g - 113 x 67 x 40mm
- Announced February 2016
- New Model is Nikon A1000

Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Overview
Below is a extended overview of the Canon S100 versus Nikon A900, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Canon and Nikon. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the S100 (12MP) and A900 (20MP) and the S100 (1/1.7") and A900 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizes.

The S100 was introduced 5 years earlier than the A900 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).
Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the S100 grades vs the A900 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot S100 & Nikon Coolpix A900. The whole galleries are provided at Canon S100 Gallery & Nikon A900 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon S100 over the Nikon A900
S100 | A900 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial precise focus |
Reasons to pick Nikon A900 over the Canon S100
A900 | S100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | February 2016 | ![]() | December 2011 | More recent by 50 months |
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 461k | Clearer screen (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Canon S100 and Nikon A900
S100 | A900 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen dimensions |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither provides Touch screen |
Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Canon S100 provides physical dimensions of 99mm x 60mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 198 grams (0.44 lbs) whilst the Nikon A900 has dimensions of 113mm x 67mm x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") and a weight of 289 grams (0.64 lbs).
Take a look at the Canon S100 versus Nikon A900 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the S100 and the A900.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S100 and A900 is 93 and 88 respectively.

Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The visual below might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S100 and A900.
As you can tell, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S100 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Nikon A900 will give you greater detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older S100 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon S100 vs Nikon A900 Specifications
Canon PowerShot S100 | Nikon Coolpix A900 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Canon | Nikon |
Model type | Canon PowerShot S100 | Nikon Coolpix A900 |
Type | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Released | 2011-12-22 | 2016-02-23 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Digic 5 | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/1.7" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 7.44 x 5.58mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 41.5mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 20 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 |
Maximum resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 5184 x 3888 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
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 | 24-120mm (5.0x) | 24-840mm (35.0x) |
Largest aperture | f/2.0-5.9 | f/3.4-6.9 |
Macro focusing range | 3cm | 1cm |
Crop factor | 4.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 461 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15 seconds | 8 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 2.0 frames per second | 7.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.00 m | 6.00 m (at Auto ISO) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync | - |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/2000 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (120, 30 fps), 320 x 240 (240, 30 fps) | 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 30p, 25p) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 198 grams (0.44 pounds) | 289 grams (0.64 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 99 x 60 x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") | 113 x 67 x 40mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 50 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 20.7 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.6 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 153 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 200 pictures | 300 pictures |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | NB-5L | EN-EL12 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2, 5, 10 secs) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $429 | $400 |