Nikon S800c vs Olympus SH-3

Exploring Two Compact Powers: Nikon Coolpix S800c vs Olympus Stylus SH-3

When stepping into the compact camera arena, especially models offering superzoom versatility and smart feature sets, choosing the right companion can be a daunting task. Drawing from my extensive hands-on experience testing hundreds of compact and superzoom cameras across diverse photographic scenarios, today I’m dissecting two intriguing contenders: the Nikon Coolpix S800c and the Olympus Stylus SH-3. Each represents a distinct approach to the “point-and-shoot” ethos, bridging casual users and enthusiasts seeking portable power.

Through this comprehensive comparison, I aim to illuminate their performance across portrait, landscape, wildlife, and other photography types, entwining technical assessment with practical insights you won’t find in spec sheets alone. Whether you’re a traveler looking for a versatile all-in-one, a street photographer craving discretion, or simply curious about the evolution of compact superzooms - by the end of our journey, you’ll be well-armed to make an informed decision.

Let’s start by sizing them up - literally.

A Tale of Two Bodies: Ergonomics and Physical Design

The Nikon S800c arrives as a sleek, lightweight shooter - its 111x60x27 mm frame and featherweight 184 g make it a pocket-friendly option for those who prize portability above all else. In contrast, the Olympus SH-3 is chunkier at 109x63x42 mm and weighs in at 271 g, reflecting its extended zoom lens and beefier battery. I found the Nikon easier to slip into tight pockets and less intimidating to casual subjects during street shooting, which fosters genuine candid moments.

Handling the S800c feels straightforward: its compactness favors spur-of-the-moment snaps without fuss. However, I noted a somewhat plasticky grip which might challenge prolonged one-handed use or varied shooting angles. Conversely, the Olympus SH-3 commands more presence in hand, offering a more substantial grip that instills confidence during longer shooting sessions, especially when stabilizing for telephoto landscapes or wildlife shots.

The Olympus’s larger size also accommodates a bigger battery, translating directly into longer shooting endurance - vital for excursions where charging options are scarce.

Control and Interface: Finding Your Shooting Rhythm

Peeking from above, the Nikon S800c features a minimalist top layout befitting its casual nature. While clean and approachable, its lack of dedicated manual dials might frustrate users familiar with traditional controls - no aperture priority mode here, limiting creative exposure control. The S800c’s touchscreen, a rare treat for its time, facilitates intuitive framing and menu navigation, although the absence of physical buttons can slow operation in bright daylight or when wearing gloves.

In contrast, the Olympus SH-3, although still lacking external aperture or shutter speed dials, compensates with on-demand manual exposure controls accessible through buttons and a responsive touchscreen. This makes it a better fit for enthusiasts who want quick access to exposure compensation or scene modes, especially when light conditions change rapidly.

The Olympus also packs a self-timer extension (customizable between 2 and 12 seconds) and timelapse recording - features absent on the Nikon - that I found highly useful for creative compositions and capturing subtle scene transitions without extra apps.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras employ a 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 6.17x4.55 mm, delivering 16 megapixels of resolution (max 4608x3456 pixels). In theory, this sensor format is common in compact cameras, balancing decent resolution with compact lens designs.

In my tests, the Nikon S800c’s sensor paired with its Expeed C2 processor produced images with clean textures and respectable color accuracy under good lighting but showed noticeable noise intrusion beyond ISO 800. The fixed lens’s maximum aperture varies from f/3.2 at wide angle to f/5.8 at telephoto, limiting low light ability and depth of field control.

The Olympus SH-3’s TruePic VII processor with similar sensor specs pushed native ISO up to 6400, though image noise became pronounced past ISO 1600 in practice. Its aperture range spans f/3.0 to f/6.9, slightly faster wide-open but narrower at zoom-extreme. However, Olympus’s superior in-camera noise reduction and sensor-shift stabilization improved overall image clarity, particularly in handheld low light and telephoto use.

The Nikon’s image quality leaned a bit softer at edges and had less dynamic range, which you might notice in harsh contrast scenes - like bright skies against shadowed terrain. The Olympus showed punchier colors and preserved highlights better, which benefited landscape and travel shots where scene drama matters.

Portrait Photography: Nailing Skin Tones and Bokeh

When I moved into portrait territory, quality of skin tone rendition, bokeh, and autofocus speed come to the fore.

The Nikon S800c surprised me with warm, flattering skin tones - probably a side effect of its contrast-detection autofocus paired with face detection. Yet, its limited lens aperture restricts creamy background blur, producing modest bokeh that works well for casual portraits but lacks artistic depth separation. Its 9 autofocus points with face detection achieved reliable focus on eyes outdoors but struggled slightly in indoor dimness.

The Olympus SH-3, with its increased zoom range and broader macro capabilities, offered more compositional flexibility. Its sensor-shift image stabilization minimized handshake, letting me shoot slower shutter speeds for better exposure without rising ISO. Autofocus operated faster and more confidently, aided by continuous AF and touch AF - significant aids for portrait work capturing fleeting expressions. However, skin tones tended toward cooler hues, requiring slight post-processing warmth adjustments for flattering looks.

Bokeh on the Olympus was similarly restrained but marginally improved at wide angle thanks to its f/3.0 aperture. Neither camera achieves DSLR-level background separation, but for their categories, both deliver pleasing enough portraits for social media and casual sharing.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Weather Toughness

Landscape shooters demand high dynamic range and reliable sharpness edge to edge, often under varied weather.

Neither camera is built with weather sealing, shielding against dust or moisture - a clear disadvantage compared to ruggedized rivals, limiting use in harsher outdoor conditions.

From a resolution standpoint, both 16MP sensors render sufficient detail at base ISO, though the Nikon produced slightly softer images near frame edges. Olympus’s superior optics and sensor-shift stabilization contributed to noticeably sharper landscape images, holding fine detail across the frame better.

Dynamic range measured subjectively favored the Olympus, where shadow and highlight preservation allowed for more flexible exposure adjustments in tricky lighting - for example, capturing a bright sky and shaded foreground simultaneously. The Nikon tended to clip brighter highlights sooner, reducing flexibility in post.

While neither offers raw output support beyond JPEG (only Olympus supports raw shooting), the Olympus’s manual exposure modes facilitate bracketing and exposure compensation more adeptly, essential tools for creative landscape photographers.

Wildlife Photography: Speed, Reach, and Burst Shooting

When I set out for wildlife shooting, telephoto reach and responsiveness of autofocus and burst rates are critical.

The Olympus SH-3 boasts a whopping 24× zoom (25-600 mm equivalent), allowing me to frame distant birds and animals at a comfortable distance. Its continuous shooting rate of 11.5 fps was impressive for such a compact - providing a reliable window to capture fast-moving subjects. Sensor-shift stabilization combined with a relatively fast f/3.0 maximum aperture at wide-angle settings ensured better image sharpness when handholding at longer focal lengths.

The Nikon, with its 10× zoom (25-250 mm equivalent) and slower continuous shooting rate of 8 fps, was more limited; telephoto reach sometimes proved insufficient to isolate wildlife in open scenes. Autofocus performance lagged a bit behind Olympus - limited to contrast detection with fewer AF modes - leading to occasional hunting in dynamic environments.

While neither camera rivals dedicated DSLRs or mirrorless systems with fast phase-detect autofocus for professional wildlife photography, the Olympus SH-3 presents significantly better capabilities out of the box for casual or hobbyist wildlife shooters.

Sports Photography: Tracking and Low Light Performance

Fast subject tracking and low light frame rates separate good sports cameras from average.

Although both models lack phase-detect autofocus, the Olympus’s continuous AF with subject tracking performed better when following action sequences. The generous burst rate (11.5 fps) further improved the odds of locking onto peak moments. The Nikon’s burst mode (8 fps) and AF tracking were serviceable but less fluid under rapid movements.

Low light performance also heavily favors the Olympus: although noise rises above ISO 1600, the higher maximum ISO setting paired with sensor-shift stabilization allowed for shooting indoors and at dusk with acceptable results. The Nikon’s ISO cutoff at 3200 and noisier images at 800 ISO limited its usability for dim sports venues or evening events.

Still, both cameras’ small sensors impose fundamental limitations, so serious sports photographers should look elsewhere.

Street Photography: Discretely Capturing Life in Motion

I’ve long appreciated compactness and discretion for street work - the Nikon’s smaller size shines here.

The S800c is quieter, lighter, and more inconspicuous when shooting on the fly. Its touchscreen interface makes quick framing swift too, although sunlight reflections sometimes hinder visibility outdoors. The Olympus, being bulkier, is still manageable but attracts more notice and slightly inhibits that candid shooting vibe, especially under tight urban settings.

Both lack electronic viewfinders, relying solely on rear LCDs. The Nikon’s 3.5” OLED screen with anti-reflection coating is a delight - bright, vivid, and highly readable even outdoors. In contrast, the Olympus’s 3.0” LCD panel with lower resolution felt a touch dimmer and less crisp under direct sunlight. For street photographers who rely heavily on live view framing and rapid responsiveness, Nikon’s superior screen aids decisively in maintaining visual awareness without drawing attention.

Macro Photography: Precision and Close Focus Capability

Macro shooters require sharp close focusing and good stabilization to reveal fine details.

Olympus SH-3’s macro focus begins at an impressively close 3 cm, whereas Nikon S800c starts at 10 cm - significant for capturing smaller subjects like flowers or insects. I found the Olympus’s smaller minimum focus distance combined with optical image stabilization invaluable for handheld macro work, providing crisp results even without a tripod.

Neither camera supports focus bracketing or stacking, so extending depth-of-field remains challenging. However, Olympus’s touch AF and manual focus options help nail precise focus points better than Nikon’s purely contrast-detection system.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Long Exposures

Shooting stars or cityscapes in the dark creates a demanding test for compact cameras.

Nikon’s minimum shutter speed caps at 4 seconds, and Olympus extends to 30 seconds, providing more latitude for night photography. Olympus’s higher max native ISO (6400 vs 3200) combined with sensor-shift stabilization again tips the scale, enabling cleaner handheld night shots.

However, neither camera supports raw format (Nikon outright lacks support; Olympus does support raw), limiting editing flexibility critical for astro photographers. Both cameras lack specialized astro modes; users must rely on manual exposure mode (only Olympus supports this) and experiment extensively.

For casual night shots, Olympus SH-3 is clearly the better companion; Nikon S800c is less suited for challenging light conditions.

Video Capabilities: Stability and Resolution Options

When pushing the record button, modern versatility matters.

The Nikon S800c shoots full HD 1080p video capped at 30 fps, using MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs. This is generally sufficient for casual filmmaking, but frame rates can feel limiting for smoother motion capture.

Olympus SH-3 ups the ante with 4K UHD video at 15 fps - not the buttery 30 or 60 fps that pros seek but a valuable feature nonetheless. It also offers full HD 1080p at higher frame rates of 60 fps for smoother slow-motion capture, plus 720p and VGA options. Built-in sensor-shift stabilization demonstrably smooths handheld footage on the SH-3, while Nikon’s optical stabilization is effective but less versatile for video.

Neither camera includes microphone or headphone ports, limiting audio recording quality and monitoring control. Overall, Olympus delivers a more flexible and modern video package, especially for travel vloggers or casual video hobbyists.

Travel Photography: Everything in One Bag

Travel photography demands a balance of portability, zoom range, battery life, and shooting versatility.

Olympus SH-3 impresses on battery life, rated at a hefty 380 shots per charge versus Nikon S800c’s modest 140. In the field, this difference means fewer interruptions to recharge on multi-day hikes or city explorations.

The SH-3’s extensive 24× zoom (25-600mm) comfortably tackles sweeping vistas, crowded street scenes, wildlife, and architectural details - few compacts match such reach. The Nikon’s 10× zoom is more limited but pairs neatly with the very compact body for those prioritizing travel light.

Both cameras support SD card storage with single slots, ample for most travel needs, but the Olympus SH-3 adds internal memory - a useful fallback.

From a connectivity standpoint, both offer built-in wireless sharing (Wi-Fi on Nikon; wireless on Olympus), but neither supports Bluetooth or NFC, which could be a consideration in 2024 when speedy sharing often matters.

Professional Use: Reliability and Workflow Integration

Neither the Nikon S800c nor Olympus SH-3 target professional photographers specifically, but they do have some crossover appeal as backup or travel second bodies.

Both lack rugged weather sealing and robust build materials essential for demanding professional use. Nikon’s lack of raw file support severely limits professional post-processing options, while Olympus’s raw support is a plus, allowing for more flexible editing workflows.

File format limitations and relatively modest burst speeds mean these cameras won’t replace professional DSLRs or mirrorless models for high-speed photojournalism or studio work.

However, their fixed lenses and single card slots keep workflow simple for quick-turnaround and casual client projects. For professionals on tight budgets or shooting light duty, Olympus SH-3’s broader feature set makes it the preferred choice.

Technical Deep Dive: Autofocus, Stabilization, and Connectivity

Both cameras employ contrast-detection autofocus systems, no phase-detection pixels are present. Olympus edges ahead with continuous AF, AF tracking, touch-select AF, and face detection enabled in live view - features confirmed through extended real-world testing to enhance accuracy and speed, especially in dynamic scenes.

Image stabilization methods differ: Nikon uses optical stabilization integrated into its lens assembly, effective but limited at extreme telephoto lengths. Olympus applies sensor-shift stabilization, a technique that physically moves the sensor to cancel shake, offering better compensation over the full zoom range and serving video particularly well.

Connectivity boils down to built-in Wi-Fi for both, but Nikon offers GPS tagging functionality not found in Olympus - a useful feature if geotagging is important to your workflow. Both lack Bluetooth and NFC, making connection setup comparatively slower.

Battery and Storage: Shooting Endurance Matters

Olympus’s 380 shots per battery gives significant freedom in the field without pack weight increases. Nikon’s 140 shots is modest, often necessitating spares for heavier outings.

Both use proprietary rechargeable battery packs (Nikon EN-EL12 and Olympus LI-92B), and both offer single SD card slots supporting SDHC/SDXC standards. Olympus’s inclusion of internal memory offers a minor advantage when cards are forgotten or full.

Value Analysis: Who Gets More Bang for Their Buck?

At first glance, the Nikon S800c’s price tag near $290 offers affordability and portability, ideal for casual shooters seeking vibrant displays and entry-level smartphone alternatives.

The Olympus SH-3, priced around $580, demands a premium but rewards users with longer zoom reach, richer exposure control, enhanced stabilization, better battery life, and more expansive video capabilities.

For photographers prioritizing versatility and creative control, Olympus represents solid value. Nikon appeals to buyers seeking simplicity and pocketability without delving into manual settings.

Gallery of Sample Images: Real-World Output

Nikon S800c front Nikon S800c screen back Olympus SH 3 front Olympus SH 3 screen back

Analyzing side-by-side sample shots reveals the Olympus SH-3’s punchier color rendition and finer detail preservation, especially in telephoto and landscape images. Nikon’s photos appear warmer with slightly softer contrast.

In macro and portrait tests, Olympus’s focus accuracy and stabilization produce crisper subjects, though Nikon’s exposure and color handling remain pleasing within its constraints.

Performance Summary and Scoring

In broad stroke scoring - considering image quality, autofocus, handling, price, and feature set - the Olympus SH-3 outperforms the Nikon S800c across most photographic categories, especially video, wildlife, and travel photography.

Nikon holds competitive ground in street photography due to its discreetness and display quality, but technical and creative limitations hold it behind.

Final Thoughts: Which Camera Is Right for You?

Having put both cameras through varied tests and real-world scenarios, here’s my candid advice:

• If you want a compact, light companion for everyday casual outings, street photography, and immediate sharing with intuitive touchscreen control, the Nikon Coolpix S800c is a budget-friendly, no-fuss pick. It’s great for those who prefer point-and-shoot simplicity without overwhelming manual options or extensive zoom requirements.

• For enthusiasts prioritizing versatile zoom ranges, better autofocus, longer battery life, manual controls, and enhanced image stabilization, the Olympus Stylus SH-3 offers a compelling upgrade despite a steeper price. Its strengths shine in wildlife, landscape, macro, and travel photography - basically the more adventurous and creative shooters who can leverage extra control.

Neither replaces a mirrorless or DSLR system if you require razor-sharp, high dynamic range raw files or professional video features, but both pack surprising capability for their compact class.

In my experience, budget-conscious professionals as well as serious enthusiasts should lean toward the Olympus SH-3 if their use cases align with telephoto reach, manual exposure, and video flexibility. Casual users or those transitioning from smartphone cameras may find the Nikon S800c a friendly, pocketable stepping stone.

Whichever you choose, both cameras encapsulate the charm and challenge of compact superzoom photography - balancing ease and complexity, portability and performance.

Here’s wishing you many inspired moments and crisp images with your next camera adventure!