Nikon S800c vs Sony HX5

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Nikon S800c versus Sony HX5, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by rivals Nikon and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the S800c (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the S800c (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") feature different sensor sizing.

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The S800c was manufactured 2 years after the HX5 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the S800c scores against the HX5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S800c & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The entire galleries are available at Nikon S800c Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S800c has outer measurements of 111mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 184 grams (0.41 lbs) and the Sony HX5 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Nikon S800c versus Sony HX5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the S800c versus the HX5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the S800c and HX5 is 93 and 92 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions purely by looking at technical specs. The picture here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the S800c and HX5.

As you have seen, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The S800c featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Nikon S800c will resolve greater detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The newer S800c should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.