Canon S120 vs Nikon S9300

The following is a in depth analysis of the Canon S120 versus Nikon S9300, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Canon and Nikon. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the S120 (12MP) and S9300 (16MP) and the S120 (1/1.7") and S9300 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor size.

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The S120 was introduced 17 months after the S9300 making them a generation away from each other. The two cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the S120 grades versus the S9300 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot S120 and Nikon Coolpix S9300. The whole galleries are provided at Canon S120 Gallery and Nikon S9300 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Canon S120 offers physical dimensions of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Nikon S9300 has sizing of 109mm x 62mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs).

See the Canon S120 versus Nikon S9300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the S120 vs the S9300.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the S120 and S9300 is 92 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S120 and S9300.

As you can see, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S120 using its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Nikon S9300 will resolve greater detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos more aggressively. The more recent S120 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.