Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30
93 Imaging
39 Features
28 Overall
34


90 Imaging
32 Features
18 Overall
26
Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 125 - 3200
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.9-4.8) lens
- 178g - 110 x 65 x 23mm
- Launched August 2011
- Newer Model is Nikon AW110
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1280 x 720 video
- 29-87mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 214g - 102 x 65 x 40mm
- Announced February 2012

Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Overview
Below, we are analyzing the Nikon AW100 and Nikon S30, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Nikon. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the AW100 (16MP) and S30 (10MP) and the AW100 (1/2.3") and S30 (1/3") possess different sensor measurements.

The AW100 was released 5 months before the S30 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the AW100 scores vs the S30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix AW100 & Nikon Coolpix S30. The complete galleries are viewable at Nikon AW100 Gallery & Nikon S30 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon AW100 over the Nikon S30
AW100 | S30 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Nikon S30 over the Nikon AW100
S30 | AW100 |
---|
Common features in the Nikon AW100 and Nikon S30
AW100 | S30 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | August 2011 | ![]() | February 2012 | Same age |
Manual focus | ![]() | Lack of manual focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | No Touch friendly display |
Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Nikon AW100 provides physical measurements of 110mm x 65mm x 23mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Nikon S30 has sizing of 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).
See the Nikon AW100 and Nikon S30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the AW100 and the S30.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the AW100 and S30 is 93 and 90 respectively.

Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements just by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the AW100 and S30.
Clearly, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The AW100 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Nikon AW100 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images much more aggressively.

Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon AW100 vs Nikon S30 Specifications
Nikon Coolpix AW100 | Nikon Coolpix S30 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Nikon | Nikon |
Model type | Nikon Coolpix AW100 | Nikon Coolpix S30 |
Class | Waterproof | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2011-08-24 | 2012-02-01 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 4.8 x 3.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 17.3mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 10MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3648 x 2736 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 1600 |
Minimum native ISO | 125 | 80 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 28-140mm (5.0x) | 29-87mm (3.0x) |
Maximal aperture | f/3.9-4.8 | f/3.3-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 7.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Display technology | TFT LCD | TFT-LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 3.0 frames per second | 1.5 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash modes | - | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow-sync |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 (60 fps),640 x 480 (120 fps), 320 x 240 (240 fps) | 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4 |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 178 grams (0.39 lb) | 214 grams (0.47 lb) |
Dimensions | 110 x 65 x 23mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 0.9") | 102 x 65 x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 240 pictures |
Type of battery | - | AA |
Battery ID | EN-EL12 | 2 x AA |
Self timer | - | Yes |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD / SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at launch | $299 | $119 |