Nikon S5100 vs Nikon D40

Let's take a deeper look at the Nikon S5100 and Nikon D40, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are created by Nikon. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the S5100 (12MP) and D40 (6MP) and the S5100 (1/2.3") and D40 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The S5100 was released 3 years after the D40 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Nikon S5100 being a Compact camera and the Nikon D40 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the S5100 matches up vs the D40 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix S5100 & Nikon D40. The complete galleries are viewable at Nikon S5100 Gallery & Nikon D40 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S5100 offers physical measurements of 97mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Nikon D40 has dimensions of 124mm x 94mm x 64mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 522 grams (1.15 lbs).

See the Nikon S5100 and Nikon D40 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the S5100 vs the D40.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S5100 and D40 is 95 and 71 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions only by viewing specs. The picture here may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the S5100 and D40.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S5100 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Nikon S5100 will render greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images way more aggressively. The younger S5100 will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.