Whats better? Canon sx160is or Nikon Coolpix L810?

Question

Whats better? Canon sx160is or Nikon Coolpix L810?

Answer 1

Get the Canon. The L810 has been gaining a reputation as NOT being one of Nikons' better efforts.

Answer 2

The Nikon L cameras have a lovely ergonomic grip.

The Canon SX 100 series cameras have a lot of manual control, which is important to some (e.g. me), but not to others. I think that this year Canon has sacrificed too much quality cramming 16 MP into small sensors. If you can find an SX 150 IS it could be better than the SX 160 IS for that reason.

Answer 3

I would suggest you go for Nikon L810 as i have used it personally and feel it incomparable to any models within its range.. And on the other hand Cannon sx160is is a new model and the cons of that camera is not known yet. So i think you should better move with Nikon. Hope this helps. At last its your decision and your money to buy. !!!!!!

Answer 4

Specs are very important and basic information. They don't mean anything to you because you don't understand the terms, yet without understanding those basic terms, you'll never really be able to make the most of your gear. I very VERY strongly suggest that you do some learning - you will LOVE what it does to your results.



In the meantime, GET THE CANON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have nothing against Nikon, it is a fine company, but those L cameras are ridiculously basic.



The Nikon Coolpix L range are Nikon's most basic cameras (some of them even look like bridge cameras).



Cameras such as the L120 and the L810 and L310 have a good zoom (although the down side of those super zooms is reduced picture quality and a LOT of camera shake). They LOOK like a real camera, but they are ridiculously basic. They have no view finder, no hot shoe (so you can never attach a decent flash) and NO manual modes (only the auto scene modes) !!!!

Without manual controls you are very VERY limited in what you can do, and very limited in how much you can learn from and grow with the camera. Without an external flash, you'll never get decent flash photo that don't have that "deer in the headlight" type look.



If you're happy to forever stay on Auto, take simple little snapshots and let the camera decide what to do, then you'll probably be happy enough with it, especially if you intend to only take photos in excellent light conditions - they'll turn out quite well then.



If you want to learn, improve and get creative, then this is not the right tool for you. You need something with more options and more controls.

Look for a camera with manual modes (manual, aperture priority and shutter priority), a hot shoe and a viewfinder. Megapixels are NOT important. Stick with Canon, Nikon (check out the Coolpix P range), or perhaps Fujifilm or Panasonic. Bridge cameras will tend to give you better choices and have slightly larger sensors (which is the most important thing).



Now do yourself the favour to start reading a book or two on photography.... it is SO worth the effort!

One of the things you'll learn about is this nonsense that makes you believe that more megapixels makes better quality (it doesn't, it merely makes it bigger).

Answer 5

I own both Nikon and Canon cameras so I don't have a particular bias towards either. Judging by the specs, and in this case, they are important; I'd chose the Nikon.



While the Canon is a bit lighter, smaller and has better battery life, the Nikon benefits from features that I feel will be more important in the long run. Since both of these cameras are fairly compact and not meant to be used hours on end, the size difference and battery capacity difference is not a hgue deal. The Nikon has better low light sensitivity, longer zoom, wider aparture, wider shot angle, and much higher resolution screen.



Again, this is my take on it, someone might have a rebutal.

Answer 6

I am a Nikon guy, but I do own a Canon SX130, which is the predecessor to the SX160. I have not done a line-by-line spec review on the SX160, but after a cursory look, it appears to be similar to the SX130, so my recommendation is based on that.



I would buy the SX160 over the L810. Like all Nikon "L" series cameras, the L810 has only the most basic features. In contrast, the SX160 has manual exposure controls, which allows more creativity as you become more familiar with the camera. Essentially, more control, more creativity.



And the SX160 has a 16x zoom vs. the L810's 26x zoom. While you might think that favors the L810, not necessarily so. High power zooms (which both cameras are) come with a compromise. The higher the zoom power, the worse the optical clarity. So I would expect the 16x zoom to be a better lens than the 26x zoom. I will admit though that this is from my experience with similar high-power zooms, and not specifically these two model cameras.



All in all though, I would go with the SX160 (even though my DSLRs are Nikon, and I have owned several Nikon compact cameras in the past).



My take:



Low cost cameras = Canon is better.

Mid price range cameras = Canon and Nikon are equal.

DSLRs = Nikon is better.