Nikon S100 vs Panasonic ZS15

Lets look a bit more closely at the Nikon S100 and Panasonic ZS15, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Nikon and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the S100 (16MP) and ZS15 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The S100 was revealed 10 months before the ZS15 and they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the S100 grades versus the ZS15 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S100 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The full galleries are viewable at Nikon S100 Gallery and Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Nikon S100 comes with external dimensions of 99mm x 65mm x 18mm (3.9" x 2.6" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon S100 and Panasonic ZS15 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the S100 and the ZS15.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S100 and ZS15 is 94 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by going over specifications. The photograph underneath will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S100 and ZS15.

Plainly, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same resolution. You should expect the Nikon S100 to offer greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older S100 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.