Leica C vs Nikon S3500

Its time to take a closer look at the Leica C and Nikon S3500, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by rivals Leica and Nikon. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the C (12MP) and S3500 (20MP) and the C (1/1.7") and S3500 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The C was unveiled 7 months after the S3500 so they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the C matches up vs the S3500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Leica C & Nikon Coolpix S3500. The full galleries are viewable at Leica C Gallery & Nikon S3500 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Leica C enjoys outer dimensions of 103mm x 63mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) and the Nikon S3500 has measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 129 grams (0.28 lbs).

See the Leica C and Nikon S3500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the C against the S3500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the C and S3500 is 92 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes only by viewing technical specs. The image below should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the C and S3500.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The C with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Nikon S3500 will provide you with extra detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The fresher C will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.