Leica C vs Nikon S100

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Leica C vs Nikon S100, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Leica and Nikon. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the C (12MP) and S100 (16MP) and the C (1/1.7") and S100 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The C was released 2 years after the S100 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the C scores versus the S100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Leica C and Nikon Coolpix S100. The complete galleries are viewable at Leica C Gallery and Nikon S100 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Leica C has outside dimensions of 103mm x 63mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) while the Nikon S100 has proportions of 99mm x 65mm x 18mm (3.9" x 2.6" x 0.7") with a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check out the Leica C vs Nikon S100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the C and the S100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the C and S100 is 92 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to see the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading through technical specs. The pic below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the C and S100.

As you can tell, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The C due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Nikon S100 will give greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more modern C is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.