Nikon S5100 vs Olympus SH-3

Its time to look closer at the Nikon S5100 and Olympus SH-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Nikon and Olympus. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the S5100 (12MP) and SH-3 (16MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The S5100 was introduced 6 years before the SH-3 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summary of how the S5100 grades versus the SH-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S5100 and Olympus Stylus SH-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon S5100 Gallery and Olympus SH-3 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S5100 has outside dimensions of 97mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 132 grams (0.29 lbs) and the Olympus SH-3 has dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Check the Nikon S5100 and Olympus SH-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the S5100 and the SH-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S5100 and SH-3 is 95 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements merely by researching specifications. The visual here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the S5100 and SH-3.

Plainly, each of these cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Olympus SH-3 to render more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older S5100 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.