Nikon S9100
- 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
91 Imaging
35 Features
41 Overall
37
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 #181 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all around #843 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can use our Advanced camera filter to get camera ratings based on your personal factors.
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.
F3.5-5.912MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon S9100 Gallery
You can check the S9100 from several angles in the gallery here.
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.
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.
Photography GlossaryThe 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.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsTo get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.
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.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsBelow is a photo of the Nikon S9100 next to a soda so you can get a sense of its scale.
The top view here will illustrate the button layout on the S9100.
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.
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.
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.
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.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe 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.
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.
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 32 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.
Nikon S9100 Street photography advice
Coming in at a modest points total of 60, the Nikon S9100 is fairly suitable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of image quality plus portability.
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.
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.
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 39 for a landscape camera is simply not suitable within the current marketplace.
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.
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.