Nikon S3100

Nikon S3100 is Nikon's Ultracompact camera first released on February of 2011. The camera uses a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The S3100 is positioned #80 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & all-around #1062 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can test our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your personal requirements.

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

The Nikon S3100 is part of a family of cameras. You can read the complete range below.

You can check the S3100 from different angles in the gallery here.

Below is a list of pluses and minuses of the Nikon S3100 based on criterias that are generally seen as crucial in a camera.

The Nikon S3100 is run by the Expeed C2 processor. The sensor dimension on the Nikon S3100 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels .

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The CCD sensor has 14 megapixels and supports a native ISO range of 80 to 3200. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.

The picture below displays the S3100's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The S3100 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is shown in green.

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

Nikon S3100 weighs about 0.26 pounds (118 grams / 4.16 oz) & has exterior proportions of 94mm x 58mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.7"). The weight of general Ultracompact camera is 121 grams and the Nikon S3100 is very similar compared with its rivals.

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The following is a visual of the Nikon S3100 next to a soft drink to help you to get a feel for its scale.

The top view here will show you the button arrangement on the S3100.

The S3100 includes an inbuilt lens featuring a focal range of 26-130mm making it a 5.0 x zoom which is not at all amazing but it will surely be very helpful in certain situations.

At the widest 26mm, it features an aperture of f3.2 which is rather slow and not very good for low light occasions and you will struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You will also have to increase the ISO setting which results in noisy photographs. Towards the tele end, 130mm comes with f6.5 making it pretty sluggish and you might need to set slow shutter speeds.

The S3100 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes

Cameras that incorporate NFC or Bluetooth support can easily be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to transfer photos and oftentimes alter camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Several applications even give a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera has a HDMI port, it could be connected to an external screen. The majority of cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB socket.

The highest video quality on the Nikon S3100 is 1280 x 720 and you can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 720p is terrible for today's requirements. You should target at least FUll HD quality for video. The camera doesn't include a microphone or headphone socket which means you have little control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to look at an alternative camera if you want better sound for your video clips.

Nikon S3100 doesn't include weather proofing so damp conditions may damage the camera.

The Nikon S3100 houses a 2.7 inch fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the screen is not a touch screen.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder specs for Nikon S3100 are the following:

• ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor conditions which make the camera screens washed out and hard to see, viewfinders can be quite useful.

Nikon S3100 continuous shooting speed is 1.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000s.

Nikon S3100 features only integrated flash without external flash ability.

Nikon S3100 features just Contrast Based Autofocus & lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & precise when compared to Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detect which makes it valuable for people photography.

It boasts 9 focus points to pick from. It also has Tracking Autofocus for objects on the move. Nikon S3100 doesn't have manual focusing. Manual focusing mode can be useful in low light or you need more precise control on focus.

The battery power (EN-EL19) for the Nikon S3100 is designed to last for 220 photographs based on the CIPA benchmarks which is comparable with it's competition. The typical Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the highest (320) battery life in this kind of cameras.

Listed below is a listing of Ultracompact cameras which have the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Nikon L32
S3100 vs L32320 nonono

Olympus TG-870
S3100 vs TG-870300 nonono

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Panasonic FP5
S3100 vs FP5260 nonono

Sony TX20
S3100 vs TX20250 nonono

Sony TX55
S3100 vs TX55250 nonono

The following chart provides a analysis of the Nikon S3100 for specific forms of photography. To learn more, check out the specific section below.

The Nikon S3100 has a points total of 33 which is subpar, and means the camera is just not appropriate for portrait photos. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support and ability to work with external lighting.

Coming in at a reasonable rating of 48, the Nikon S3100 is relatively appropriate for street photography. A decent street photography camera features a perfect balance of picture quality and portability.

A subpar sports photography score of 32 suggests the Nikon S3100 is just not appropriate for taking photos of sports. A camera needs great tracking plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is extremely critical in picking a camera for travel. All round, the Nikon S3100 gets a nice 65 for a travel camera which makes it a respectable pick for your trips.

If you are looking to choose a digital camera for landscape photos, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Nikon S3100 with it's subpar grade of 33 as a landscape camera is just not appropriate in the current marketplace.

A vlogging camera should posses a moving screen, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Nikon S3100 is just not appropriate for vlogging as it delivers a subpar rating of 28.

If you are trying to find alternatives to the S3100, below is a list of the highest scored cameras which fall within the class of Ultracompact.

The line chart listed below offers you a bird's eye view of the S3100 versus it's top scoring competitors shown previously.

Following are several cameras you might look into as alternatives. To read a thorough comparison, simply click the "compare" link.