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Nikon S9100

 
Nikon Coolpix S9100 front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-450mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
  • 214g - 105 x 62 x 35mm
  • Announced July 2011
  • New Model is Nikon S9300
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
41
Overall
38

Nikon S9100 overview

Nikon S9100 is Nikon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first released on July of 2011. It uses a 12 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4000 x 3000.

Nikon introduced the more recent Nikon S9300 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to upgrade this model.

The S9100 is placed #167 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all around #796 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can use our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your personal factors.

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Below is a diagram of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Nikon S9100 history

The Nikon S9100 is part of a family of cameras. You can read the full range below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Nikon-Coolpix-S9900 front thumbnailNikon S9900
S9100 vs S9900
25-750mm
F3.7-6.4
16MP1/2.3"2015
Nikon-Coolpix-S810c front thumbnailNikon S810c
S9100 vs S810c
25-300mm
F3.3-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2014
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Nikon-Coolpix-S9700 front thumbnailNikon S9700
S9100 vs S9700
25-750mm
F3.7-6.4
16MP1/2.3"2014
Nikon-Coolpix-S3600 front thumbnailNikon S3600
S9100 vs S3600
25-200mm
F3.7-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2014
Nikon-Coolpix-S5300 front thumbnailNikon S5300
S9100 vs S5300
26-208mm
F3.7-6.6
16MP1/2.3"2014
Nikon-Coolpix-S3500 front thumbnailNikon S3500
S9100 vs S3500
26-182mm
F3.4-6.4
20MP1/2.3"2013
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Nikon-Coolpix-S800c front thumbnailNikon S800c
S9100 vs S800c
25-250mm
F3.2-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2013
Nikon-Coolpix-S5200 front thumbnailNikon S5200
S9100 vs S5200
26-156mm
F
16MP1/2.3"2013
Nikon-Coolpix-S9500 front thumbnailNikon S9500
S9100 vs S9500
25-550mm
F
18MP1/2.3"2013
Nikon-Coolpix-S6500 front thumbnailNikon S6500
S9100 vs S6500
25-300mm
F2.8-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Nikon-Coolpix-S9300 front thumbnailNikon S9300
S9100 vs S9300
25-450mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
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Nikon-Coolpix-S6300 front thumbnailNikon S6300
S9100 vs S6300
25-250mm
F3.2-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012
Nikon-Coolpix-S4300 front thumbnailNikon S4300
S9100 vs S4300
26-156mm
F3.5-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2012
Nikon-Coolpix-S3300 front thumbnailNikon S3300
S9100 vs S3300
26-156mm
F3.5-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2012
Nikon-Coolpix-S100 front thumbnailNikon S100
S9100 vs S100
28-140mm
F3.9-4.8
16MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S6200 front thumbnailNikon S6200
S9100 vs S6200
25-250mm
F3.2-5.6
16MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S8200 front thumbnailNikon S8200
S9100 vs S8200
25-350mm
F3.3-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S9100 front thumbnailNikon S910025-450mm
F3.5-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S6100 front thumbnailNikon S6100
S9100 vs S6100
28-196mm
F3.7-5.6
16MP1/2.3"2011
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Nikon-Coolpix-S8100 front thumbnailNikon S8100
S9100 vs S8100
30-300mm
F3.5-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S5100 front thumbnailNikon S5100
S9100 vs S5100
28-140mm
F2.7-6.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S8000 front thumbnailNikon S8000
S9100 vs S8000
30-300mm
F3.5-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S6000 front thumbnailNikon S6000
S9100 vs S6000
28-196mm
F3.7-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S1000pj front thumbnailNikon S1000pj
S9100 vs S1000pj
28-140mm
F3.9-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S640 front thumbnailNikon S640
S9100 vs S640
28-140mm
F2.7-6.6
12MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S570 front thumbnailNikon S570
S9100 vs S570
28-140mm
F2.7-6.6
12MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S620 front thumbnailNikon S620
S9100 vs S620
28-112mm
F2.7-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S630 front thumbnailNikon S630
S9100 vs S630
37-260mm
F3.5-5.3
12MP1/2.3"2009

Nikon S9100 Pros and Cons

Below is a shortlist of advantages and drawbacks of the Nikon S9100 based on factors that are oftentimes seen as important in a digital camera.

built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sized screen (3")
does have HDMI socket
excellent zoom range (25-450mm 18.0 x zoom)
features face detect focusing
features tracking focus
great reach (450mm)
has built in flash
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than others in class (214 grams)
manual focus
pretty wide (25mm)
very good screen resolution (921 k dots)
can't use external flash
has no phase detect AF
has no RAW files
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
low battery power (270 shots)
low MP (12 megapixels)
no aperture priority
no headphone socket
no manual control
no microphone socket
no moving screen
no shutter priority
no Timelapse recording
screen is not selfie friendly
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
slow at full zoom (f5.9)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Nikon S9100 Sensor info

The Nikon S9100 is powered by the Expeed C2 processor chip. The sensor size on the Nikon S9100 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels . The camera has Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Optical stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter might lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 12 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 160 to 3200. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The image below displays the S9100's sensor dimensions compared to other popular sizes. The S9100 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

Nikon Coolpix S9100 sensor size Ulanzi's Tripod Ensures Ultra Smooth Filming

To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon S9100 dimensions

Nikon S9100 weighs 0.47 lbs (214 gr or 7.55 ounces) & the measurement of the camera is 105mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.4"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Nikon S9100 is lighter when compared to various rivals.

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Below is a photo of the Nikon S9100 next to a soda so you can get a sense of its scale.

Nikon Coolpix S9100 dimensions scale

The top view here will illustrate the button layout on the S9100.

Nikon Coolpix S9100 topview buttons dials

Nikon S9100 Lens info

The S9100 houses a built-in lens featuring a focal range of 25-450mm giving it a 18.0 x zoom which is exceptional and is going to let you zoom right in.

At the widest 25mm, it has an aperture of f3.5 and that is kind of slow and not good for low light situations and you might find it difficult to get good bokeh. You will probably also have to raise the ISO setting which causes noisy shots. At the tele end, 450mm is great zoom and comes to f5.9 which is really slow and you would need to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Nikon S9100 Connectivity

The S9100 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras which include NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can send images and sometimes change camera settings without connecting physically to the camera.

A few applications even provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external display. The majority of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

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Nikon S9100 Video info

The highest video resolution on the Nikon S9100 is 1920 x 1080 and you can shoot in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 1080p resolution will provide a decent balance between video quality versus file sizes but FULL HD is not going to give you any room to downsample. The camera doesn't include a microphone and / or headphone jack which means that you get little control over the sound. It is perhaps best to have a look at an alternative camera should you want good sound for your videos.

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Nikon S9100 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing in the Nikon S9100 so you need to be cautious in rainy and dusty situations.

Nikon S9100 Screen and Viewfinder

The Nikon S9100 houses a 3" fixed screen supporting a resolution of 921k dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder details for Nikon S9100 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and difficult to see, viewfinders can be pretty helpful.

Nikon S9100 Shutter info

Nikon S9100 is able to shoot continuously at 10.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 sec.

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Nikon S9100 Flash and Hot shoe info

Nikon S9100 has only in-built flash without external flash ability.

Nikon S9100 Autofocus info

Nikon S9100 has just Contrast Based Auto Focus & doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster and precise when compared to Contrast Based focusing. The camera boasts Face detection making it handy for portraits.

The AF system boasts 9 focus points to choose from. It also has Tracking Auto Focus for objects that move. Nikon S9100 comes with manual focusing in case it is needed during low light situations or you need to have more accurate control on focusing.

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Nikon S9100 Battery life

The battery power (EN-EL12) in the Nikon S9100 is built to last for 270 photographs based on the CIPA standards which is lower when compared to it's rivals. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has the highest (600) battery life within this range of cameras.

Following is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the highest battery life:

Nikon S9100 for different forms of photography

The following illustration provides a analysis of the Nikon S9100 for different forms of photography. To learn more, check out the specific section below.

Nikon S9100 Portrait photography info

The Nikon S9100 gets a points total of 33 which is dreadful, meaning that it is simply not suitable to use for portrait images. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support together with the capability to work with off-camera lighting.

Leica struggles with L-Mount camera sales, tougher than Q or M
has manual focus
comes with face detect focusing
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support

Nikon S9100 Street photography advice

Coming in at a nice points total of 61, the Nikon S9100 is a good choice to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of image quality plus portability.

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image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average in class (214 grams)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW format

Nikon S9100 Sports photography details

A dreadful sports photography rating of 36 indicates the Nikon S9100 is simply not suitable for shooting sports. A camera needs to have fantastic autofocus plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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long zoom range (25-450mm 18.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with tracking focus
no shutter priority
resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
low battery power (270 per charge)
does not have phase detect auto focus

Travel photography with Nikon S9100

Size is pretty crucial when selecting a travel camera. On the whole, the Nikon S9100 gets a very good 61 as a travel camera which is a good option to purchase for your journeys.

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lighter than competition in class (214g)
has built in flash
quite wide (25mm)
very long zoom (450mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
terrible battery (270 per charge)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)

Nikon S9100 Landscape photography information

When you're looking to purchase a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most critical factor will no doubt be image quality. The Nikon S9100 with it's dreadful score of 40 for a landscape camera is simply not suitable within the current marketplace.

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manual focus
really wide (25mm)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
manual mode not possible
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
low battery pack (270 shots)
missing Timelapse recording

Nikon S9100 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera really should come with a moving display screen, mic port and ideally image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Nikon S9100 is simply not suitable as a vlog camera as it comes to a dreadful rating of 34.

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rather wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than others (214g)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of microphone jack

Nikon S9100 Alternatives

If you are looking for replacements to the S9100, here is a selection of the highest rated cameras which fall under the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph underneath will give you an overview of the S9100 versus it's highest ranked competitors listed previously.

Here are a handful of other cameras you might check out as alternate options. To check out a full comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Nikon
Model type
Nikon Coolpix S9100
Category
Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced
2011-07-19
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Processor
Expeed C2
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Highest resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW support
Highest native ISO
3200
Lowest native ISO
160
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
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
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
25-450mm (18.0x)
Max aperture
f/3.5-5.9
Macro focusing distance
4cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen sizing
3"
Resolution of screen
921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech
TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating
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
Lowest shutter speed
4 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting rate
10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
4.00 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
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
214 grams (0.47 lb)
Dimensions
105 x 62 x 35mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.4")
Other
Battery life
270 pictures
Battery type
Battery Pack
Battery ID
EN-EL12
Self timer
Yes (10 or 2 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots
Single
Launch pricing
$329