Nikon L21 vs Nikon S9300

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Nikon L21 and Nikon S9300, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Nikon. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and S9300 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The L21 was unveiled 3 years before the S9300 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the L21 scores vs the S9300 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix L21 and Nikon Coolpix S9300. The full galleries are available at Nikon L21 Gallery and Nikon S9300 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Nikon L21 enjoys exterior dimensions of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Nikon S9300 has measurements 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 Nikon L21 and Nikon S9300 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the L21 compared to the S9300.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the L21 and S9300 is 93 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes merely by researching a spec sheet. The image below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the L21 and S9300.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Nikon S9300 to render more detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged L21 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.