Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V
90 Imaging
33 Features
18 Overall
27


89 Imaging
44 Features
57 Overall
49
Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.9" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 1280 x 720 video
- 29-87mm (F) lens
- 185g - 105 x 65 x 42mm
- Announced June 2013
(Full Review)
- 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200 (Expand to 12800)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-720mm (F3.5 - 6.3) lens
- 272g - 108 x 64 x 38mm
- Introduced April 2013
- Replaced the Sony HX30V

Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Overview
Lets look more closely at the Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the S31 (10MP) and HX50V (20MP) and the S31 (1/2.9") and HX50V (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

The S31 was unveiled 2 months later than the HX50V so they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).
Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the S31 matches up vs the HX50V with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S31 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V. The full galleries are available at Nikon S31 Gallery & Sony HX50V Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon S31 over the Sony HX50V
S31 | HX50V |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony HX50V over the Nikon S31
HX50V | S31 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More precise focus | ||
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper screen (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Nikon S31 and Sony HX50V
S31 | HX50V | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | June 2013 | ![]() | April 2013 | Similar age |
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither comes with selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Absent Touch screen |
Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Physical Comparison
For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Nikon S31 comes with external measurements of 105mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.1" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) whilst the Sony HX50V has proportions of 108mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 272 grams (0.60 lbs).
Check out the Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the S31 compared to the HX50V.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the S31 and HX50V is 90 and 89 respectively.

Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Sensor Comparison
In many cases, its difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading technical specs. The graphic here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the S31 and HX50V.
As you can tell, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The S31 with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Sony HX50V will offer greater detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.

Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon S31 vs Sony HX50V Specifications
Nikon Coolpix S31 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Nikon | Sony |
Model | Nikon Coolpix S31 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V |
Category | Waterproof | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Announced | 2013-06-21 | 2013-04-24 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.9" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 4.96 x 3.72mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 18.5mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 20MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 5184 x 2920 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 12800 |
Lowest native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 29-87mm (3.0x) | 24-720mm (30.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/3.5 - 6.3 |
Macro focus range | - | 5cm |
Crop factor | 7.3 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 2.7" | 3" |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen tech | - | XtraFine LCD display |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Electronic (optional) |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | - | 10.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | - | 5.60 m |
Flash options | - | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync, Rear Sync, Advanced Flash |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 | 1920 x 1080 (60fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 185 grams (0.41 pounds) | 272 grams (0.60 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 105 x 65 x 42mm (4.1" x 2.6" x 1.7") | 108 x 64 x 38mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 shots | 400 shots |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | EN-EL12 | NP-BX1 |
Self timer | - | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD / SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $90 | $439 |