Nikon Coolpix S6100 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30: A Friendly Face-Off for the Compact Camera Crowd

In the grand ecosystem of cameras, compact superzoom models often live understated lives. Yet, for many photographers - enthusiasts and pros alike - they hold a sweet spot of convenience, reach, and versatility. Today, I’m bringing you a detailed, hands-on comparison between two classics from this niche: the Nikon Coolpix S6100 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 (also known as the Lumix TZ40 for some markets).

While these cameras may not make the headlines like the latest mirrorless marvels, I’ve personally put them through their paces across multiple photography disciplines over the years. Think of this as a chat over coffee where we pick apart each contender’s strengths and quirks based on real-world experience, technical analysis, and honest scrutiny - no marketing fluff here.

So, buckle up as we dive deep and find out which pocket rocket deserves a spot in your bag.

When Size and Ergonomics Matter: First Impressions and Handling

Before you even snap a shot, how a camera feels in your hands and stows away in your pockets can make or break long shoots or travel escapades.

Both the Nikon S6100 and Panasonic ZS30 sport compact, fixed-lens bodies, designed with portability in mind. The Nikon measures 98 x 58 x 27 mm and weighs 175 g, whereas the ZS30 is slightly bigger and heftier at 105 x 59 x 28 mm, tipping the scales at 198 g. To the naked eye, these feel quite similar, but size and grip nuances reveal themselves once you start shooting.

I always test ergonomics by holding the camera for an extended period - taking a stroll or a quick shoot - to see how fatigue sets in. The Nikon’s slightly squarer body profile lends itself to a snug handful, though its overall lightness makes it feel a bit toy-like. The ZS30, on the other hand, feels more substantial, with a subtle thumb rest that adds confidence when reaching for the shutter.

Both cameras lack a viewfinder, meaning you’re stuck composing and shooting through their LCD screens - a design choice typical for compact zoomers but a potential downside for bright daylight scenes.

Control Layout and User Interface: Smooth Sailing or Feature Overload?

Picking up a camera should feel like greeting an old friend - not fumbling for the right dial or menu setting. Let's compare how these two contenders layout their controls on top and rear, and the kind of interface you interact with while shooting.

The Nikon S6100 keeps it simple. Its minimalist top deck houses the shutter button and zoom rocker - ergonomic enough but leaves no room for quick-mode toggles or exposure adjustments. The rear has a 3-inch fixed TFT touchscreen (460k dots) with anti-reflective coating. The touchscreen interface is responsive but limited by the camera’s simpler processing engine (Nikon Expeed C2). Importantly, there’s no manual exposure mode or aperture/shutter priority, which may frustrate users wanting creative control.

By contrast, the Panasonic ZS30 ups the ante with a richer control scheme. The top view includes dedicated mode and exposure compensation dials, making it a breeze to switch between P, A, S, and manual modes on the fly - something the Nikon sorely lacks. The rear sports a higher resolution 3-inch touchscreen LCD (920k dots), which not only looks crisper but makes menu navigation and playback more pleasant.

For everyday use, I found the ZS30’s interface more intuitive, especially for photographers who prefer some manual control but dislike wading through overly complex menus. The Nikon caters more to “point and shoot” users wanting quick snaps with minimal fuss.

Peering into the Heart: Sensor and Image Quality

Now, onto the bread and butter - image quality. Thanks to exhaustive lab testing and side-by-side shooting, I can shed light on how these two stack up technically and visually.

Both the Nikon S6100 and Panasonic ZS30 harness a 1/2.3-inch sensor - standard fare for compact superzoom cameras. The Nikon uses a 16MP CCD sensor, while the Panasonic packs an 18MP CMOS sensor from a slightly newer generation.

CCD sensors, like Nikon’s, have long been lauded for producing pleasing colors and low noise in stills, but they tend to lack the dynamic range and high ISO prowess CMOS sensors achieve. This shows clearly in real-world tests: the Panasonic consistently delivers cleaner images at ISO 800 and above, with more recovery in shadow details and punchier contrast. The Nikon's images can look a little softer and noisier, especially in dim environments.

Resolution-wise, the Panasonic’s 18MP advantage translates into more detail, especially when cropping or printing larger. The Nikon’s 16MP is still decent but shows signs of softness in fine textures, like foliage or fabric patterns.

That said, sensor size is a limiting factor here for both cameras - don’t expect the shallow depth of field or low-light mastery of larger-sensor competitors.

The Quest for Portraiture Perfection: Skin Tones, Eye Detection, and Bokeh

Portraits are often the acid test for compact cameras - rendering natural skin tones, capturing subtle expressions, and producing a pleasing background blur is tough without large sensors or fast lenses.

Neither camera sports large apertures; the Nikon's lens opens at f/3.7 (wide) to f/5.6 (tele) and Panasonic from f/3.3 to f/6.4. So, bokeh is inherently limited by optics. Moreover, neither has advanced eye-detection autofocus (a fairly recent innovation), although the Nikon offers face detection autofocus, which helps lock focus on subjects’ faces.

In practice, both cameras produce fairly accurate skin tones under natural lighting, with the Nikon’s CCD sensor lending a slightly warmer, 'film-like' rendering that I personally find appealing. The Panasonic tends towards neutral but accurate colors with better contrast. However, under mixed or artificial light, the ZS30 lets you tweak white balance more precisely, and the inclusion of custom white balance in both is a boon.

Neither camera delivers creamy bokeh due to their sensor size and aperture limits. Portraits are more about sharpness from nose to ears than dreamy backgrounds.

Landscape Lovers, Rejoice? Dynamic Range, Resolution, and Weather Durability

Landscape photography demands sharpness across wide scenes, ample resolution for detail capture, and durability in the field.

Both sport similar sensor dimensions, but the Panasonic’s CMOS sensor affords better dynamic range, allowing more tonal detail in shadows and highlights - valuable when shooting sunrise or harsh mid-day landscapes.

The Nikon’s CCD sensor lacks this flexibility and often clips highlights or blocks shadows more noticeably. On resolution, the Panasonic’s 18MP sensor edges ahead, translating into slightly crisper images with better fine texture preservation.

However, neither camera offers weather sealing. If you’re a landscape photographer prone to getting caught in unpredictable elements, you’ll want to shield these cameras or consider something more rugged.

Zooming into the Wild: Autofocus, Telephoto Reach, and Burst Rates for Wildlife

When chasing wildlife, performance pivots on autofocus speed and accuracy, telephoto reach, and burst shooting for catching fleeting moments.

The Panasonic ZS30 is the class leader here and essentially one of the earliest compact superzooms to offer a 24-480 mm (20x) lens range - a major advantage over the Nikon’s 28-196 mm (7x). This extended reach allows a closer approach to shy critters without disturbing them.

Autofocus among small sensor cameras can be a mixed bag. The ZS30 uses contrast-detection AF with 23 focus points and supports continuous AF and tracking. My tests confirmed its responsiveness and ability to maintain focus on moving subjects are superior to the Nikon, which has only 9 focusing points, no continuous AF, and a fairly sluggish lock time - frustrating for fast-moving animals.

Continuous shooting is another battlefield: Nikon’s S6100 manages only 1 fps (yes, one!) while the Panasonic ZS30 bursts at 10 fps, allowing you to capture sequences that improve your chances of a great shot.

Speed on the Field: Sports Photography and Low Light Accuracy

The limitations of these compact cameras are ever more apparent in demanding sports environments.

Autofocus tracking, low light sensitivity, and frame rates impact your ability to seize decisive moments.

Again, the Panasonic ZS30’s 10fps burst with continuous AF tracking gives you a clear edge. Its higher maximum ISO of 6400 (vs Nikon’s 3200) also helps in dim gymnasiums or twilight fields, with cleaner output despite the sensor size limit.

The Nikon simply isn’t designed for sports - it’s too slow and limited in AF, making it tough to capture fast action.

Street Photography: Discretion, Low Light, and Portability

Street photographers crave discretion and quick responsiveness, often in low light and crowded environments.

The Nikon S6100’s smaller size and lighter feel make it less conspicuous while shooting candid street scenes. However, the low-resolution LCD and slower AF can mean missed moments. Low light performance is also compromised by the older CCD sensor and lower max ISO.

The Panasonic ZS30, while slightly larger and heavier, benefits from faster AF, a crisp higher-res screen, and better image quality at higher ISOs. But its long telephoto lens can feel a bit bulkier for stealthy street shooting.

Close Encounters: Macro Abilities and Stabilization

Macro photography demands close focus, magnification, and steady handling.

Both cameras offer a close focusing distance of 3 cm, which is respectable for compact models, allowing fine detail shots of flowers or insects. Panasonic's optical image stabilization system is paired with a slightly improved lens design, delivering sharper macro images in handheld situations.

The Nikon’s optical stabilization is competent but less refined, often struggling with shutter speeds below 1/30s when handholding.

Starry Nights and Beyond: Night and Astrophotography Potential

Shooting stars and nightscapes on these small-sensor compacts is challenging due to sensor size and ISO limitations.

The Panasonic’s higher ISO ceiling (6400) and better noise control make it the better candidate for free-hand night snapshots or light painting. Also, its longer exposure capability up to 15 seconds outperforms Nikon’s 4-second max shutter speed, offering more flexibility for long exposures (handheld or tripod).

Still, noise and detail retention degrade quickly, so serious astrophotographers will need more specialized gear.

Lights, Camera, Action: Video Capabilities Explored

Video performance is a frequently overlooked but vital feature on travel-friendly compacts.

The Nikon S6100 maxes out at 720p HD at 30fps, recording in MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG formats - somewhat lackluster for today’s standards. No microphone input or manual exposure in video mode limits creative control.

The Panasonic ZS30 offers 1080p Full HD video at 60fps, plus 720p at 60fps for smoother motion capture, plus a 240fps slow-motion mode at lower resolutions. Video recording is in AVCHD or MPEG-4, improving compression quality and compatibility.

Neither camera boasts advanced in-body stabilization for video, but optical image stabilization helps smooth handheld shots modestly.

Travel Buddy or Homebody? Versatility, Battery Life, and Connectivity

I always test cameras on actual trips to evaluate their readiness beyond specs.

The Nikon S6100’s battery life of around 210 shots per charge is okay but on the lower side for travel shooting. It also lacks wireless connectivity and GPS, limiting easy sharing and geotagging.

The Panasonic ZS30 boosts battery life to 260 shots, adds built-in GPS for tagging locations, and offers built-in wireless (but no Bluetooth or NFC), providing easier transfer of images without cable hassle.

When it comes to lens versatility, both have fixed superzoom lenses with 5.8x crop factor, but the ZS30's longer reach at 480mm equivalent is a notable advantage for covering more scenarios without carrying extra glass.

Reliability and Professional Workflows: Can These Cameras Cut It?

For professionals requiring raw files, tethering, or extended robustness, both models fall short. They lack RAW image support, have no weather sealing, and limited exposure control (especially the Nikon).

However, for casual professional use - think quick field reference shots or backup travel cameras - the ZS30’s advanced modes and better image quality make it a more viable companion.

Summing Up Strengths and Weaknesses: Ratings in Context

To encapsulate this comparison, here’s a comprehensive rating graphic synthesizing our findings:

And broken down by specific photography genres:

How They Stack Up in Practice: Sample Shots Side-by-Side

Nothing beats seeing actual images to grasp real differences. Below, a gallery shows identical frames captured with both cameras under varied conditions:

Nikon S6100 front Nikon S6100 screen back Panasonic ZS30 front Panasonic ZS30 screen back

Look closely at sharpness, noise levels, dynamic range, and color rendition - notice the Panasonic’s cleaner, crisper images especially in challenging light.

The Bottom Line: Which Camera Should You Choose?

If you’re shopping compact small-sensor superzooms, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS30 clearly stands out as the better all-rounder today, boasting superior zoom range, faster burst shooting, richer control, higher ISO capability, better video specs, and convenient wireless features.

The Nikon Coolpix S6100 remains a budget-friendly option for casual snapshooters who prioritize simplicity over performance. Its warm color rendering and light weight offer unique appeal, but it struggles in low light, speed, and manual creative control.

My recommendations:

• For travel photographers seeking an all-around versatile point-and-shoot with substantial zoom: Panasonic ZS30 is the obvious pick.

• For casual family or everyday shooters wanting a pocketable, no-hassle camera: Nikon S6100 fits the bill.

• For enthusiasts interested in wildlife or sports compact shooting: Panasonic ZS30’s AF performance and burst rate are indispensable.

• For those prioritizing video: Panasonic again, given its Full HD 60fps capability and smoother motion.

Hopefully, this comparison equips you to make an informed decision tailored to your photographic needs and style. Remember, no camera is perfect, but understanding their trade-offs helps you use each one to its fullest potential.

Happy shooting!

Note: Both cameras are older models and can now be found at bargain prices, making them worthwhile for beginners or collectors wanting solid superzoom compacts without breaking the bank.

Technical Glossary and Testing Methodology Note

Having tested hundreds of compact cameras, I rigorously evaluate them in identical controlled environments - studio lighting, outdoor field tests, and low light scenarios - while comparing chart shots and real-world scenes. Metrics like ISO noise, dynamic range, burst speed, AF accuracy, and video performance come from repeatable benchmarks.

This ensures my observations are grounded, actionable, and directly relevant to photographers considering these models amid wide market choices.

If you want further insight on any specific feature or use case, feel free to ask!