Nikon L21

Nikon L21 is Nikon's Small Sensor Compact camera originally launched on February of 2010. The camera features a 8MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The L21 is rated #256 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all-around #1258 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to look at our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your personal criteria.

Here is a graph of various criteria used in the scoring system.

The Nikon L21 has a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can check out all earlier and most recent models along with key specs.

You can look at the L21 from various angles in the gallery underneath.

Here is a shortlist of benefits and drawbacks of the Nikon L21 based on things which are often viewed as useful in a camera.

The Nikon L21 houses the Expeed C2 processor. The measurement of the sensor in the Nikon L21 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor has 8MP and includes a native ISO range of 64 - 1600. Sadly, RAW files are not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.

The image underneath displays the L21's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The L21 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is showcased in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Nikon L21 weighs around 0.37 pounds (169 grams or 5.96 oz) & the physical size of the camera is 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams so the Nikon L21 is on par compared with various competitors.

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Here is a image of the Nikon L21 alongside a soft drink to help you to get a sense of its size.

The top view under will illustrate the button layout on the L21.

The L21 includes an inbuilt lens having a focal range of 38-136mm making it a 3.6 x zoom which is not exceptional but it can be valuable in some situations.

At it's widest 38mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f3.1 which will be somewhat sluggish and not the best for low light situations and you may find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You could also have to raise your ISO setting leading to noisy photographs. At the long end, 136mm comes with f6.7 which is quite slow and you would have to choose slow shutter speeds.

The L21 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Cameras that come with NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily copy pictures and oftentimes alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Some apps also enable a Liveview and click the shutter in case you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be attached to an external display. Many cameras enable you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.

The maximum video quality in the Nikon L21 is 640 x 480 and you can record in Motion JPEG format. 480p is low for today's requirements. You should really target a minimum 1080p quality for video recording. The body doesn't feature a microphone or headphone socket which means you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is perhaps a better idea to take a look at another model in case you need good audio for your video clips.

There is no weather sealing on the Nikon L21 so you have to be cautious in wet or dusty conditions.

The Nikon L21 features a 2.5" fixed screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Please be aware that the screen has no touch support.

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The ViewFinder specs for Nikon L21 are the following:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really handy during sunny outdoor conditions which can easily make the camera display washed out and difficult to see.

The max shutter speed is 1/2000s.

Nikon L21 comes with just inbuilt flash with no external flash ability.

Nikon L21 comes with only Contrast Detect Autofocus & is missing Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and precise as compared with Contrast Detect focusing.

Nikon L21 has not got manual focus. Manual focus mode is good during low light situations or you require more exact control on focus.

The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has got the highest possible (470) battery life within this type of cameras.

Listed below is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras that have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X30
L21 vs Fujifilm X30470 yesnono

Casio EX-10
L21 vs EX-10455 yesnono

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Ricoh GR Digital IV
L21 vs GR Digital IV390 yesnono

Canon G12
L21 vs G12370 yesnono

Canon G16
L21 vs G16360 yesnono

The following bar chart displays a overview of the Nikon L21 for various styles of photography. To view more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Nikon L21 has a points total of 18 which is lousy, meaning that it is simply not acceptable for portrait photography. Photographing portraits leans heavily to sensor dimension, support for RAW photos in addition to the option to utilize external flash.

Getting a average score of 46, the Nikon L21 is reasonably suitable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A lousy sports photography rating of 15 suggests the Nikon L21 is simply not acceptable for photographing sports. A camera needs to have very good tracking and continuous shooting for sports photography.

Weight is super important in choosing a travel camera. Over-all, the Nikon L21 gets a modest 50 for a travel camera which makes it relatively appropriate to take with you on your trips.

When you're planning to choose a camera for landscape photos, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Nikon L21 with it's lousy score of 21 for a landscape camera is simply not acceptable among it's rivals.

A camera for vlogging preferably should posses a articulating display screen, mic input and if possible IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Nikon L21 is simply not acceptable for vlogging as it delivers a lousy score of 21.

If you want alternatives to the L21, below is a list of the top ranked cameras that fall within the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The chart just below will give you a bird's eye view of the L21 versus it's highest scoring rivals mentioned previously.

Following are several cameras you may consider as alternatives. To read a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.