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Nikon A100

 
Nikon Coolpix A100 front
 
  • 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600 (Boost to 3200)
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F3.2-6.5) lens
  • 119g - 95 x 59 x 20mm
  • Announced January 2016
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
96
Imaging
46
Features
29
Overall
39

Nikon A100 overview

Nikon A100 is Nikon's Ultracompact digital camera initially revealed on January of 2016. It features a 20 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 5152 x 3864.

The A100 ranks at #18 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras and all round #729 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to look at our Smart camera finder to find camera rankings based on your personalized factors.

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The following is a diagram of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Nikon A100 history

The Nikon A100 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can view the complete range below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Nikon-Coolpix-A100 front thumbnailNikon A10026-130mm
F3.2-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2016
Nikon-Coolpix-A10 front thumbnailNikon A10
A100 vs A10
26-130mm
F3.2-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2016
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Nikon A100 Pros and Cons

Below is a collection of pros and cons of the Nikon A100 based on features that are typically viewed as useful in a digital camera.

built-in flash
built in image stabilization (Digital)
comes with face detect focusing
comes with tracking focus
decent megapixels (20 megapixels)
good battery (250 shots)
good zoom range (26-130mm 5.0 x zoom)
great min ISO (80)
really wide (26mm)
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of manual focus
lack of phase detect AF
lack of RAW support
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
no aperture priority mode
no HDMI out
no headphone support
no manual control
no microphone support
no shutter priority mode
no Timelapse function
screen does not articulate
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dots)
screen is not selfie friendly
screen is small (2.7")
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
slow at tele end (f6.5)
slow continuous shooting (1.1 frames per second)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
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Nikon A100 Sensor specifications

The measurement of the sensor on the Nikon A100 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 5152 x 3864 pixels at aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Digital). Sensor stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter may produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 20 megapixels and includes a standard ISO range of 80 to 1600. This ISO can also be widened digitally to a high of 3200. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not saved so you have less margin for error.

The graphic below illustrates the A100's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The A100 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

Nikon Coolpix A100 sensor size Photographer Triumphs in Lawsuit Over Creative Commons Image Rights

To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon A100 dimensions

Nikon A100 weighs 0.26 lb (119 grams / 4.20 ounces) and features exterior measurements of 95mm x 59mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.8"). The weight of normal Ultracompact camera is 121 grams and the Nikon A100 is on par in comparison with its rivals.

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The following is a pic of the Nikon A100 with a softdrink so you can have a feel for its scale.

Nikon Coolpix A100 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show you the button layout on the A100.

Nikon Coolpix A100 topview buttons dials

Nikon A100 Lens specifications

The A100 has got a built-in lens and a focal range of 26-130mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which might not be very good nevertheless it will surely be useful in a few cases.

At the widest 26mm, it offers an aperture of f3.2 and that is rather slow and not great in low light situations and you might find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will likely also have to increase the ISO setting leading to noisy photos. For the tele end, 130mm comes to f6.5 making it pretty sluggish and you will need to use slower shutter speeds.

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Nikon A100 Connectivity

The A100 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can easily be used wirelessly through smartphones. You can transfer files and at times change camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

A few applications even give a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it could be connected to an external display. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery using the USB port.

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Nikon A100 Video specifications

The maximum video resolution on the Nikon A100 is 1280 x 720 and it can capture in Motion JPEG file format. 720p is awful by today's requirements. You should really go for at least FUll HD resolution for video. The camera doesn't feature a mic and headphone jack so you have no control over your sound. It is probably best to look at another camera if you need good sound in your videos.

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Nikon A100 Weather Sealing

Nikon A100 doesn't include weather proofing so rainy conditions might ruin the camera.

Nikon A100 Screen and Viewfinder

The Nikon A100 features a 2.7 inch fixed display boasting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder specs regarding Nikon A100 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be quite helpful for bright outdoor situations which might make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to view.

Nikon A100 Shutter specifications

Nikon A100 continuous shooting speed is 1.1 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Nikon A100 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Nikon A100 includes only in-built flash without external flash ability.

Nikon A100 Autofocus specifications

Nikon A100 includes just Contrast Based Autofocus and lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker & exact compared with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera features Face detection which makes it valuable for people photography.

It also has Tracking Autofocus for things that move. Nikon A100 has no manual focusing. Manual focusing mode can be useful for low light situations or you want to have more precise control on depth of field.

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Nikon A100 Battery life

The battery (EN-EL19) on the Nikon A100 is designed to last for 250 photos as per the CIPA requirements which is above the usual in comparison to its category. The general Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the highest possible (320) battery life for this kind of cameras.

Following is a number of Ultracompact cameras which have the best battery life:

Nikon A100 for specific forms of photography

The following graph indicates a analysis of the Nikon A100 for specific forms of photography. To read more, check out the specific section below.

Nikon A100 Portrait photography factors

The Nikon A100 has a score of 39 which is dreadful, meaning that it is not suitable to use for portrait photography. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor size, RAW support in addition to the flexibility to work with external flash.

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decent MP (20 megapixels)
comes with face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files

Nikon A100 Street photography details

Coming in at a moderate points total of 59, the Nikon A100 is fairly appropriate to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera provides a perfect balance of image quality and portability.

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built in image stabilization (Digital)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support

Nikon A100 Sports photography factors

A moderate sports photography score of 48 means the Nikon A100 is reasonably suitable for photographing sports. A camera really should have great autofocus and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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image stabilization (Digital)
MP count decent (20MP)
offers tracking autofocus
better than average battery life (250 CIPA)
low frames per second (1.1 frames/s)
no shutter priority
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF

Nikon A100 as a Travel photography camera

Weight is extremely critical in selecting a travel camera. All round, the Nikon A100 gets a very good 70 for a travelling camera which makes it a very decent fit for your travels.

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great battery life (250 shots)
good MP (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (26mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.2)

Nikon A100 Landscape photography factors

For anybody looking to pick a camera for landscape pictures, the most critical aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Nikon A100 and it's dreadful grade of 44 for a landscape camera is not suitable in the current market.

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fairly wide (26mm)
image stabilization (Digital)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
better than average battery life (250 shots)
lack of manual focus
cannot swap lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.2)
screen is small (2.7")
manual mode not possible
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
no Timelapse recording

Vlogging with Nikon A100

A vlogging camera really should have a articulating display, mic port and if possible IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Nikon A100 is not suitable for vlogging as it receives a dreadful score of 32.

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decently wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
features face detection focus
slow max aperture (f3.2)
display isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external mic port

Nikon A100 Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the A100, here is a number of the highest scored cameras which fall into the class of Ultracompact.

The chart listed below will give you an overview of the A100 compared to it's highest ranking competitors suggested previously.

There are more cameras you might view as alternative options. To go through a extensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Nikon
Model type
Nikon Coolpix A100
Category
Ultracompact
Announced
2016-01-14
Physical type
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution
5152 x 3864
RAW support
Highest native ISO
1600
Highest boosted ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
26-130mm (5.0x)
Max aperture
f/3.2-6.5
Macro focusing range
10cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen size
2.7"
Screen resolution
230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
4 secs
Maximum shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting rate
1.1 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
4.00 m (at Auto ISO)
Flash settings
Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, off, fill flash, slow sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30p)
Highest video resolution
1280x720
Video format
Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
119 gr (0.26 pounds)
Dimensions
95 x 59 x 20mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.8")
Other
Battery life
250 images
Type of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
EN-EL19
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse feature
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots
Single
Cost at launch
$162