Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ
93 Imaging
31 Features
11 Overall
23


69 Imaging
37 Features
29 Overall
33
Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 64 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 38-136mm (F3.1-6.7) lens
- 169g - 92 x 67 x 28mm
- Introduced February 2010
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 22-896mm (F3.4-5.7) lens
- 485g - 117 x 78 x 93mm
- Revealed August 2012
- Previous Model is Olympus SP-820UZ
- New Model is Olympus SP-820UZ

Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Overview
In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Nikon L21 and Olympus SP-820UZ, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Nikon and Olympus. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and SP-820UZ (14MP) but they use the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

The L21 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the SP-820UZ which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the L21 scores vs the SP-820UZ in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix L21 & Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ. The full galleries are provided at Nikon L21 Gallery & Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon L21 over the Olympus SP-820UZ
L21 | SP-820UZ |
---|
Reasons to pick Olympus SP-820UZ over the Nikon L21
SP-820UZ | L21 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | August 2012 | ![]() | February 2010 | Newer by 31 months |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Nikon L21 and Olympus SP-820UZ
L21 | SP-820UZ | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Lack of manual focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither comes with selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch friendly screen |
Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Physical Comparison
When you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Nikon L21 comes with external measurements of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) and the Olympus SP-820UZ has sizing of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") with a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs).
Contrast the Nikon L21 and Olympus SP-820UZ in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the L21 compared to the SP-820UZ.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the L21 and SP-820UZ is 93 and 69 respectively.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, its tough to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the L21 and SP-820UZ.
As you can see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You can count on the Olympus SP-820UZ to resolve more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged L21 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon L21 vs Olympus SP-820UZ Specifications
Nikon Coolpix L21 | Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Olympus |
Model type | Nikon Coolpix L21 | Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Introduced | 2010-02-03 | 2012-08-21 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Expeed C2 | - |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 64 | 80 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 38-136mm (3.6x) | 22-896mm (40.7x) |
Largest aperture | f/3.1-6.7 | f/3.4-5.7 |
Macro focusing range | 5cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 230 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display technology | - | TFT Color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 8 secs | 4 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | - | 2.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 15.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 180 (30, 240 fps) |
Max video resolution | 640x480 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 169 grams (0.37 lbs) | 485 grams (1.07 lbs) |
Dimensions | 92 x 67 x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") | 117 x 78 x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall 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 ID | 2 x AA | - |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail price | $180 | $299 |