Canon PowerShot S110 vs Nikon Coolpix S9100: A Thorough Comparison for Serious Compact Camera Buyers

As someone who has tested and compared hundreds of compact and enthusiast cameras over the years, I often encounter photographers searching for a pocketable camera that doesn’t compromise too much on image quality or creative control. Two models that often come up in conversations and forums are Canon’s PowerShot S110 and Nikon’s Coolpix S9100. Both were launched in the early 2010s and aimed to serve enthusiasts wanting advanced features in small bodies - but they approach this goal differently.

Having spent extensive hands-on time with both cameras, using them across portraits, landscapes, wildlife, street scenes and more, I’m here to offer an honest, detailed look at how they stack up against one another and which types of photographers each might suit best today. Let’s dig into how these two compacts perform in practice, what their strengths and weaknesses are from a technical and usability standpoint, and how they compare for different photographic disciplines.

Touch and Feel: Ergonomics and Handling in the Hand

Right from the start, the Canon S110 and Nikon S9100 feel different in your hands. Both are compact, but their size and shape influence comfort and use.

The Canon S110 measures roughly 99 x 59 x 27 mm and weighs 198 grams, while the Nikon S9100 is slightly larger at 105 x 62 x 35 mm and heavier by 16 grams. The Canon’s slimmer profile and rounded edges make it more pocket-friendly and less obtrusive during street outings. The S110 also has a textured grip area that helps when shooting handheld for longer periods, even though the body is quite compact.

By comparison, the Nikon’s more traditional compact camera shape with a slightly extended lens housing means it feels a bit chunkier but provides a better grip if you prefer a firmer hold. If your typical shooting style involves one-handed plus thumb controls, this may influence your choice.

Both cameras have fixed lenses, so balance isn’t changed by switching glass, but the Nikon’s strong telephoto zoom leads to a more front-heavy feel at full zoom. Overall, ergonomics favor the Canon for casual portability, while the Nikon offers a sturdier grip during longer or telephoto-centric shoots.

Design and Control Layout: What’s Under Your Fingers

Control interfaces make or break the shooting experience, especially on compact cameras where buttons and dials compete for limited amount of space.

Canon’s PowerShot S110 features a clean top plate with familiar mode dial options, including manual exposure modes (Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority), plus a dedicated exposure compensation dial and programmable custom buttons. The touchscreen interface is a big advantage if you like rapid menu navigation and setting adjustments on the go. The rear 3-inch screen offers 461k-dot resolution - adequate but not ultra-crisp.

Nikon’s S9100 takes a more basic approach: no manual exposure modes, no exposure compensation dial, and no touchscreen. Instead, it uses a 3-inch TFT LCD with 921k dots, making the display noticeably sharper than the Canon’s. The Nikon’s physical controls include a zoom ring around the lens and clearly labeled buttons; however, the lack of a touchscreen might slow down shooting for those used to tap-to-focus or quick menu access.

If you value tactile dials and full manual control, the S110 is your friend. For sharper viewing and straightforward point-and-shoot operation, the S9100 is solid but less versatile regarding control freedom. Keep in mind the Canon also supports full manual focus via touchscreen, which is great for macro and selective focusing.

Sensor Tech and Image Quality: Crunching the Numbers and Pixels

Now to what many photographers care about most - image quality. Both cameras sport 12-megapixel CMOS sensors, but there are important differences in size, architecture, and resulting output quality.

The Canon S110 employs a 1/1.7-inch sensor measuring approximately 7.44 x 5.58 mm (41.5 mm²), substantially larger than Nikon’s 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm, 28 mm²) sensor in the S9100. That 48% increase in sensor area translates into notably better low-light performance, improved dynamic range, and greater tonal depth - all critical factors in demanding conditions like indoor events or night photography.

The S110 also incorporates Canon’s Digic 5 image processor, promising faster operation and cleaner images at higher ISOs, while Nikon’s S9100 uses the Expeed C2 engine. Canon enables shooting in RAW format, giving post-processing flexibility, whereas Nikon restricts you to JPEGs only.

From my tests shooting identical scenes, especially landscapes and portraits, the Canon S110 produces richer colors with more accurate skin tones and deeper shadows without aggressive noise reduction. The Nikon’s smaller sensor and narrower aperture range (F3.5-5.9) limit its low-light and bokeh capabilities. It tends to generate noisier files at ISO 800 and above, visible when printing or cropping.

Still, Nikon’s S9100 shines at longer focal lengths thanks to its superzoom lens, perfect for casual wildlife or travel shots - more on that shortly.

How They Perform Across Photography Genres

Portrait Photography: Taming Skin Tones and Capturing Expression

Portrait shooting demands accurate skin tone reproduction and the ability to isolate the subject with pleasing background blur.

The Canon S110’s fast f/2.0 aperture wide-end and larger sensor provide better shallow depth-of-field control - rare for a compact. In practical terms, I found it easier to achieve smooth bokeh effects, helping your subject stand apart attractively. Its face detection autofocus is responsive and reliable for glancing, candid portraits without focus hunting.

Touchscreen AF was a boon for quick-focus adjustments on eyes, although the absence of eye-detection AF (which modern cameras nowadays have) meant you had to lock focus manually in some cases. Still, considering the era it was built, the S110 punches above its weight for portraits.

The Nikon S9100, with a smaller sensor and slower aperture, generates less background blur. Its face detection works well but lacks the precision needed for close-up portraits, especially under lower light. It’s more suited for candid environmental portraits than tightly framed headshots.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Resolution in the Field

Landscape photographers prize dynamic range and resolution to capture both shadows and highlights, plus rugged build for unpredictable weather.

While neither camera offers weather sealing - a significant limitation for outdoor professionals - the Canon’s superior sensor and RAW shooting capabilities give it an edge in landscape work. Its ISO 80 base setting delivers crisp daylight shots with stunning tonal gradations.

The Nikon’s sharper and brighter LCD screen is helpful when checking exposure on location, particularly in bright sunlight. But its smaller sensor can show signs of pixel-level noise in shadow areas after heavy processing, limiting printing size.

Additionally, the Canon’s broader aperture range at the wide end allows creative control over depth of field, useful for close-up foreground details. Both cameras top out at 12MP resolution, so image detail is roughly comparable aside from sensor efficiency differences.

Wildlife Photography: Zoom Power and Fast Autofocus

Wildlife and bird photographers often demand quick autofocus and long focal ranges for capturing distant, often fast-moving subjects.

Here’s where Nikon’s Coolpix S9100 shines with its massive 18x optical zoom (25-450 mm equivalent). The Canon S110 provides only a 5x zoom range (24-120 mm equivalent), limiting reach without tele-adapters or cropping.

The Nikon’s zoom ring is smooth and fast, letting me quickly frame wildlife without fumbling. Autofocus tracking is basic but adequate for static or slow movement. However, it lacks continuous AF in burst mode, affecting sports or faster subjects. The Canon’s faster and more versatile continuous autofocus and burst shooting (up to 10 fps) gave better results on moderately active subjects though at shorter focal lengths.

Still, the Nikon’s longer reach and more effective image stabilization for telephoto shots make it advantageous for casual wildlife enthusiasts on a budget.

Sports Photography: Tracking and Frame Rates

Neither camera is optimized for serious sports photography compared to DSLRs or advanced mirrorless, but let’s compare their burst and tracking capabilities.

Both achieve roughly 10 fps continuous shooting modes, but the Canon S110 supports AF tracking and continuous autofocus during burst capture, allowing you to maintain focus on moving subjects reasonably well within its focal range. The Nikon S9100 has AF tracking but does not support continuous AF during bursts, limiting sharp shots during rapid movement.

Additionally, the Canon supports manual exposure modes, crucial for freezing motion in tricky lighting, while the Nikon lacks shutter or aperture priority modes. Therefore, the S110 will serve action shooters better, especially indoors or in variable light.

Street Photography: Discretion, Portability, and Low-Light Performance

Street shooters need cameras that are quick, inconspicuous, and reliable in low light.

If you value unobtrusive form factor and silent operation, the Canon S110’s smaller size, faster lens aperture, and quieter shutter are preferable. Its touchscreen lets you compose and adjust quickly without bulky dials. Low-light ISO 1600 images perform well enough for night street scenes with minimal noise.

The Nikon S9100, being slightly larger and louder during zoom and shutter actions, attracts more attention. Its max ISO 3200 is theoretically higher but images degrade noticeably at that setting. The lack of touchscreen also slows operation in fast-changing street environments.

Macro Photography: Close Focus and Sharp Detail Capture

Close-up shooters need precise manual focus and close focusing distances.

Canon’s S110 shines with a 3 cm macro focus range and manual focus control accessible via touchscreen, which I found invaluable for exact focus fine-tuning on tiny subjects like insects and flowers. Its optical image stabilization keeps shots steady during hand-held close-ups.

Nikon’s 4 cm closest focus distance is respectable but manual focus is less accessible, mainly relying on contrast-detection AF which can hunt in delicate detail areas. The sensor-shift stabilization helps, but I preferred the Canon for critical macro shooting.

Night/Astro Photography: ISO and Exposure Versatility

The Canon S110 supports ISO up to 12800 and manual exposure typically up to 15 seconds - sufficient for basic night scenes and star trails if paired with a tripod. Its RAW support allows noise reduction and highlight recovery in post.

Nikon’s max ISO is 3200 and minimum shutter speed around 4 seconds - limiting longer exposure flexibility. Without RAW, it’s harder to push files in post for astro work. The Canon’s superior sensor technology also yields cleaner night images with less luminance noise.

Video Capabilities: Quality and Usability on the Move

Both cameras offer full HD video at 1080p resolution, but with some differences.

The Nikon S9100 records 1920 x 1080 at 30 fps using MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs, theoretically producing smoother footage thanks to higher frame rates but missing manual exposure during video.

The Canon S110 provides 1080p at 24 fps using H.264, which some filmmakers prefer for a more “cinematic” frame rate. Critically, the S110 supports manual exposure and focus controls during video, letting creative users adjust aperture and shutter speed while recording. However, neither camera has an external microphone input, limiting audio quality control.

Neither offers 4K video or in-body stabilization tailored for video, but optical and sensor-shift image stabilization helps handheld filming on both models.

Travel Photography: Versatility, Battery Life, and Connectivity

Travel shooters value all-in-one potential, battery endurance, and ease of sharing images.

Nikon’s massive 18x zoom lens clearly caters to travelists wanting versatility without carrying extra lenses. Its longer battery life rating (270 shots) also supports extended shooting without frequent recharge.

Canon’s smaller size and touchscreen interface appeal to travelers prioritizing discretion and ease of use. With built-in wireless connectivity, the S110 supports direct image transfer to smartphones - a feature missing in Nikon’s S9100, where sharing requires more cumbersome cable connections.

Both accept SD cards and have HDMI ports, but Canon uses the smaller NB-5L battery versus Nikon’s EN-EL12, resulting in slightly shorter runtimes.

Professional Use: Reliability, Formats, and Workflow

While neither camera is truly professional-grade, some could be backup or compact kits for pros.

Canon’s support for RAW files allows integration into professional workflows with maximum post-processing control. The presence of manual modes and custom white balance customization further enhances flexibility.

Nikon’s JPEG-only output is limiting for professional editing. No manual exposure modes, slower lens aperture, and smaller sensor reduce its utility for demanding projects. From a reliability standpoint, both are compact point-and-shoots without weather sealing or rugged builds - not ideal for rough professional use.

Technical Deep Dive: Autofocus, Stabilization, and Connectivity

• Autofocus: Both cameras use contrast-detection AF with 9 focus points. Canon’s touchscreen AF is faster and offers face detection and continuous AF; Nikon has center-weighted and multi-area AF but no continuous autofocus during bursts.
• Stabilization: Canon applies optical image stabilization in the lens while Nikon uses sensor-shift stabilization - both effective but Canon’s performs better with zoomed shots.
• Connectivity: Canon includes built-in wireless for easy sharing; Nikon has none, making tethered transfers mandatory.

Visual Examples and Real-World Samples

To put these specs into context, I tested both cameras side by side in similar conditions.

Canon S110 front Canon S110 screen back Nikon S9100 front Nikon S9100 screen back

In portraits, the Canon’s warmer, more natural skin tones showed subtle nuances, while the Nikon images seemed slightly flatter. Landscape shots from the Canon retained highlight details and richer colors, whereas Nikon files tried hard but looked noisier in shadows. At full telephoto, Nikon’s reach allowed capturing distant wildlife, though with less detail than a larger-sensor camera.

Overall Scoring and Genre Performance Highlights

For those who enjoy quick performance summaries, here are combined ratings from my testing, factoring image quality, handling, controls, and versatility.

And, specific strengths by genre:

Wrapping Up: Which Camera Should You Choose?

Who Should Pick the Canon PowerShot S110?

• Enthusiasts wanting a compact but fully manual camera
• Portrait and low-light shooters needing accurate colors and fast apertures
• Macro photographers who benefit from manual focus and close focusing
• Videographers wanting manual control and high-quality HD video
• Travelers craving lightweight gear with wireless sharing

Who Should Lean Towards the Nikon Coolpix S9100?

• Photographers prioritizing long telephoto reach (e.g., casual wildlife or travel)
• Shooters wanting a sharp, bright LCD and simple one-button controls
• Users financially limited but desiring versatile zoom and solid JPEG quality
• Those less concerned with manual exposure modes or RAW files

Final Thoughts From My Experience

Both the Canon S110 and Nikon S9100 remain interesting options for enthusiasts seeking feature-rich compacts with different emphases. The Canon feels more like a creative tool - smaller, faster, and more flexible - but sacrifices zoom reach. The Nikon provides impressive optical zoom and ease for casual shooting but falls short in image quality and manual control.

In my professional testing routines, including controlled lab shoots and varied outdoor scenarios, I consistently found the S110 the better all-round performer for photography enthusiasts who want one small camera that can do serious work. The Nikon is a specialized zoom champion, best for users who really need that extra reach and don’t mind fewer manual options.

I hope this deep dive helps you decide which camera fits your shooting style, priorities, and budget. If you have any questions or want me to test similar cameras, please reach out!

Thank you for reading my comparison of the Canon PowerShot S110 vs Nikon Coolpix S9100 - happy shooting!