Nikon AW130 vs Nikon S8100

Let's look more closely at the Nikon AW130 and Nikon S8100, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Nikon. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the AW130 (16MP) and S8100 (12MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The AW130 was announced 4 years later than the S8100 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summation of how the AW130 scores vs the S8100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix AW130 and Nikon Coolpix S8100. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon AW130 Gallery and Nikon S8100 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon AW130 comes with outside dimensions of 110mm x 66mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Nikon S8100 has dimensions of 104mm x 60mm x 30mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs).

Check the Nikon AW130 and Nikon S8100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the AW130 against the S8100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the AW130 and S8100 is 91 and 93 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by checking a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the AW130 and S8100.

As you can see, both of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Nikon AW130 to give greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer AW130 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.