Nikon S3600 vs Sony HX5

Below, we will be reviewing the Nikon S3600 and Sony HX5, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by rivals Nikon and Sony. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the S3600 (20MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the S3600 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The S3600 was manufactured 3 years after the HX5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the S3600 scores vs the HX5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S3600 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The entire galleries are provided at Nikon S3600 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and volume. The Nikon S3600 provides external measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony HX5 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Compare the Nikon S3600 and Sony HX5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the S3600 against the HX5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the S3600 and HX5 is 96 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading technical specs. The picture below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S3600 and HX5.

As you have seen, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S3600 because of its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Nikon S3600 will offer extra detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more modern S3600 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.