Comparing Nikon P300 vs Canon S95 vs Panasonic LX5 Advanced Compact Cameras

Average Camera Review Rating [13 reviews]

On February 8 2011, Nikon announced the new COOLPIX P500 and P300 high-end compact digital cameras.

The P300 is a brand new model for the P-series, aimed at those who are passionate about photography and want to use the full capacity of a superior compact camera. It features a 12.2 Megapixels backside illumination CMOS sensor, a super-fast Wide-Angle 4.2x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens (24mm-100mm, 35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 for capturing stunning, tack-sharp images and Full HD (1080p) video. The COOLPIX P300 is listed for retail at $329.95 MSRP and currently selling at around $327. It is only offered in black color.

On August 19 2010, Canon announced three new high-performance PowerShot cameras - the PowerShot S95, the SD4500 IS (aka IXUS 1000 HS in Europe) and the SX130 IS Digital cameras. The PowerShot S95 premium compact is a successor to the popular S90 camera model, which was recently at #1 on the top 10 best selling camera ranking. This S95 model includes an upgraded sensor capable of 720p HD video recording as well as multi-aspect ratio shooting. The S95 also equipped with an HDMI port and stereo sound recording. It's also the first PowerShot to feature in-camera high dynamic range processing. With use of a tripod, the S95 will capture three successive images and combine them into one image with a wider apparent dynamic range. The camera supports SDXC memory cards and some additional scene modes. Other than these features it inherits a lightly tweaked version of the S90's basic body design including the control ring, 28-105mm F2.0-4.9 stabilized lens, Digic IV image processor, RAW image capture and 3.0-inch LCD. For the advanced amateur shooters, the control ring allows the shooter to access manual control options and RAW shooting capabilities. The S95 is currently selling at around $364.

On July 21 2010, Panasonic announced the Lumix LX5 which is the successor to the popular premium compact LX3. Boasting an improved set of features including a redesigned Leica lens with a longer zoom range, the LX5 also comes complete with redesigns to the sensor and processor, new 1:1 square aspect ratio, improved handling and several smaller changes. The newly developed super bright F2.0 ultra wide angle 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens minimizes distortion for stunning, true-to-life images with outstanding resolution and detail. The 24mm of wide angle offers extraordinarily large viewing space and now the optical zoom is extended to 3.8x (90mm) making the LX5 even more versatile.

The 10.1 Megapixel CCD in the LX3 has been redesigned to achieve the expansion of dynamic range by increasing the sensitivity and the saturation. The Venus Engine FHD is also redesigned for advanced signal processing in both photo and movie recording. The high sensitivity made possible by the new sensor and the superior signal processing by the new imaging engine especially elevates the picture quality in low light situations. For the movie recording, the DMC-LX5 is newly compatible with long time high quality HD movie recording in AVCHD Lite in addition to the conventional motion JPEG format. A host of creative options including Creative Movie mode, My Color mode and Film mode are available for more extended expression not only in photography but also in videography. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is currently selling at around $398. Here is the summary of review of the three advanced compact cameras by ePhotoZine:

"The three camera's provide a wide range of features, and go to show that the digital camera market is alive and well, with interesting, innovative, and competitive products, with each model differencing itself enough to make each camera worthy of your attention depending on your needs. All of the cameras are capable of producing excellent images, especially when compared to standard point and shoot cameras, however the strengths and weaknesses are what sets these cameras apart. With two of them the strengths are most obvious, with another, the weaknesses are the most apparent. How the strengths and weaknesses apply to you depends on what you want from a camera, and if you want the smallest camera of the three, then the most obvious choice is the Canon Powershot S95.

The Panasonic LX5 is the most flexible and advanced with support for hot-shoe, and produces the highest quality images. While the Nikon Coolpix P300 is the fastest shooting with a backlit CMOS sensor and 8fps shooting, and also offers the highest resolution video. The Canon is the smallest with full manual support, including RAW, but unfortunately suffers from the lowest battery life, least grip-able body, and doesn't allow the use of optical zoom in videos, however, if you need the smallest camera with manual controls it's worth a look. Overall the Panasonic Lumix LX5 delivers excellent image quality, excellent build quality, excellent lens, rapid performance, and expansion options, making it an exceptional choice for any serious photographer, and is therefore my "Editor's Choice" and deserves high praise. The Nikon Coolpix P300 with smaller sensor produces good results, better than some expected thanks to the backlit CMOS sensor, and extremely rapid performance in the form of 8fps shooting, high speed video and full HD video recording, and is therefore Highly Recommended (and a close second)."


Manufacturer	Nikon	Canon	Panasonic
Model	Coolpix P300	Powershot S95	DMC-LX5
Style	Advanced Compact	Advanced Compact	Advanced Compact
Megapixels	12.2	10.0	10.1
LCD Screen	3-inch TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating with 921,000 dots	3.0-inch TFT color with wide viewing angle w/ 461,000 pixels, 100% coverage	3.0-inch TFT Screen LCD Display (460K dots), AR Coating
Memory Cards	SD memory card SDHC memory card SDXC memory card with 90MB internal memory	SD/SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard, MMCplus Card, HC MMCplus Card	Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card
Resolution	4000 x 3000 (12M)	Still Image: 16:9: Large: 3648 x 2048, Medium 1: 2816 x 1584, Medium 2: 1920 x 1080, Small: 640 x 360	16:9 Aspect Ratio (Still Image) 3968x2232 (9M) / 3328x1872 (6M) / 2784x1568 (4.5M) / 2208x1248 (2.5M) / 1920x1080 (2M) / 640x360 (0.2M)
File Formats	Still pictures: JPEG Audio file format: AAC stereo Full HD: 1920x1080p / 30fps Movie file format: MPEG-4 AVC H.264	Still Image: Exif 2.3 (JPEG) RAW (CR2 (Canon Original)); Video: MOV (Image: H.264; Audio: Linear PCM (Stereo))	Still Image: JPEG(DCF/Exif2.3) Image with Audio: JPEG (DCF / Exif2.3) + QuickTime Motion picture: AVCHD Lite, QuickTime Motion JPEG
Focal Length	4.2x zoom, 4.3-17.9mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 24-100mm lens in 35mm [135] format)	3.8x zoom 6.0 (W)-22.5mm (T) f/2.0-4.9 (35mm equivalent: 28-105mm)	3.8x zoom, f=5.1-19.2mm (24-90mm in 35mm equiv.) (25-95mm in 35mm equiv. in movie recording)
Shutter Speed	1/2000-8 sec. (M mode)	Auto (1 - 1/1600 sec), 15-1/1600 sec	Still: 60 - 1/4000 sec
Aperture	f/1.8-4.9	f/2.0 (W) - f/4.9 (T)	F2.0 - 3.3 / Multistage Iris Diaphragm (F2.0 - 8 (W) / F3.3 - 8 (T))
ISO Sensitivity	ISO 160-3200 Auto (auto gain ISO 160-1600) Fixed range auto (ISO 160-400, 160-800)	Auto, ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 125, ISO 160, ISO 200, ISO 250, ISO 320, ISO 400, ISO 500, ISO 640, ISO 800, ISO 1000, ISO 1250, ISO 1600, ISO 2000, ISO 2500, ISO 3200 equivalent in P Mode	Auto / i.ISO / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400* / 12800* (* by pixel mixed readout) High Sensitivity (ISO 1600-12800)
White Balance Settings	Not Supplied	Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater), Custom	Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade/Flash / Halogen / Color Temperature / White Set 1 / 2
Flash Modes	TTL auto flash with monitor preflashes	Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; FE lock, Safety FE, Slow Synchro	Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off,Flash Synchro; 1st / 2nd
Flash Range	[W]: 0.5 to 6.5m (1 ft. 8in. to 21ft.) [T]: 0.5 to 2.5m (1ft. 8in. to 8ft. 2in.)	1.6-21 ft./50cm-6.5m (W), 3.0 - 9.8 ft./90cm - 3.0cm (T) (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto)	0.8 - 7.2m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3 - 4.4m (Tele/ISO Auto)
Shooting Modes	Back Light Beach Black and White Copy Close Up Dusk/Dawn Fireworks Show Food Landscape Museum Night Landscape Night Portrait Panorama Party/Indoor Pet Portrait Portrait Scene Auto Selector Snow Special Effects Sports Sunset	Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Low Light, Special Scene (Portrait, Landscape, Kids&Pets, Smart Shutter*, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Color Accent, Color Swap, High Dynamic Range, Nostalgic, Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Beach, Underwater, Foliage, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch Assist), Movie (Standard, Minia	Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, High Sensitivity, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1/2, Pet, Sunset, Hi-Speed Burst, Flash Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial photo
Maximum Movie Resolution	1920x1080p	1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps);	1280x720 pixels,60p(CCD output is 30p) (AVCHD Lite, SH: 17Mbps / H:13Mbps / L:9Mbps) / 30fps (Motion JPEG)
Maximum Movie Frames Per Second	30 fps	24/30 fps	30 fps
Maximum Movie Duration	To capacity of memory card	N/A	AVCHD or AVCHD Lite with picture quality set to [FSH or SH] approx.140 min MOTION JPEG with picture
Macro Focus	[W]: Approx. 1.2 in. (3 cm.) to infinity	2.0 in. - 1.6 ft./5 - 50cm (W) 12 in. - 1.6 ft./ 30 - 50cm (T)	1cms
Metering	224-segment matrix, center-weighted	Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot	Intelligent Multiple / Center-weighted / Spot
Image Stabilization	Yes, Lens-shift VR	Yes (Lens-Shift)	Yes, Power O.I.S. (Off / Auto / Mode1 / Mode2) Photo & Movie
Self Timer	Can be selected from 10 and 2 seconds duration	Custom (0 - 15 sec. (in one-second increments), 20/25/30 sec.)	2sec / 10sec
Video Out (TV Playback)	Yes, NTSC PAL HDMI	Yes, NTSC/PAL	Yes, AV Output (NTSC), mini HDMI
Batteries	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12	Rechargeable Battery Pack NB-6L	ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, Minimum: 1250mAh) (Included)
Dimensions	Height: 2.3 in. (58.3mm) Width: 4.1 in. (103mm) Depth: 1.3 in. (32mm)	3.93 x 2.30 x 1.16 in. (99.8 x 58.4 x 29.5mm)	4.32 x 2.58 x 1.69 in
Weight	6.7 oz. (189g) with battery and SD memory card	6.00 oz. / 170g	.51lb
Other Info	Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution Up to 7 shots at approx. 8 frames per second	Continuous Shooting Normal: Approx. 1.9 shots/sec. (when shooting in P mode), Approx. 3.9 shots/sec. (when shooting in Low Light mode); AF: Approx. 0.7 shots/sec. (when shooting in P mode), Approx. 1.0 shots/sec. (when shooting in Low Light mode); LV: Approx. 0.8 shots/sec. (when shooting in P mode), Approx. 1.1 shots/sec. (when shooting in Low Light mode)	Continuous Shooting Mode Full-Resolution Image, 2.5 frames/sec Max. 5 images (Standard mode), Max. 3 img (Fine Mode)High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 6 frames/sec (img priority) approx. 10 frames/sec (speed priority) recorded in 3M for 4:3,2.5M for 3:2,2M for 16:9,2.5M for1:1)
Release Date	2011-02-08	2010-08-18	2010-07-21

Nikon Coolpix P300 Sample Photos on Flickr

Nikon Coolpix P300 Camera Reviews Roundup

PhotographicCentral: "Overall I find the Coolpix P300 to be a camera that won't dazzle you, but it's very functional and does the majority of photo work pretty well. I find it's strengths lie in its versatile focal length, especially for indoors and for scenery. Long zoomers look beyond the P300- it's not that kind of camera. Also worth noting is that the P300 is very lightweight so put it in a pocket and forget it. The battery life is j..." - Dec 18 2011 More »	N/A
CNET US: "The P300 turns out very good photos for a point-and-shoot that will stand up nicely to 10x13 prints or smaller and Web use. However, even at its lowest ISOs, subjects look a little overprocessed when viewed at full size. In fact, if you are looking for photos good enough to heavily crop and then use at large sizes, this camera isn't for you. Though its sensitivity settings run from ISO 160 to ISO 3200, the P300 prod..." - Sep 13 2011 More »
MacWorld: "In our lab's subjective tests for image and video quality, the Nikon Coolpix P300 performed well, serving up above-average still images in Auto mode that exhibited outstanding sharpness for a point-and-shoot camera. The Coolpix P300 earned scores of Very Good for both image sharpness and lack of distortion, while on exposure quality and color accuracy it netted scores of Good. Like many cameras these days, the..." - Aug 16 2011 More »
Digital Camera Review: "Looking at the specifications for the P300 it becomes fairly obvious why the camera earned a "P" (for performance) designation from Nikon. The inclusion of the backside illuminated sensor is a promising technology in the field of noise reduction; manual shooting controls are generally found on cameras catering to more serious shooters; full 1080 HD video is still relatively rare on compact digital point an..." - Aug 11 2011 More »

Nikon Coolpix P300 Reviews Roundup [Total 16 Reviews] »

Nikon Coolpix P300 Camera Recent User Reviews

Lens wonky, service department dishonest, LivingBear4588 - May 10 2013
I don't know if they are all like this but my P300 came with a wonky lens giving odd fisheye distortion in the pictures. On one side of the picture rectangle faces and bodies and other objects would be stretched out in a way that never happened with any other camera I've owned. The service department took it and claimed to fix it but the distortion was still there, and later during a...

Beautiful, roqz "roqz" - Apr 29 2013
Got this for a voyage two years ago, and still is my every day camera, beautiful pictures, great 1080p video, pant's pocket form factor, the batteries last one day of taking pictures like crazy. I don't like that the battery door is easy to open and many times when I take the camera from the bag that happens. Also, it has frozen a couple of times that required removing t...

Beautiful, Rodolfo Q. Z "roqz" - Apr 29 2013
Got this for a voyage two years ago, and still is my every day camera, beautiful pictures, great 1080p video, pant's pocket form factor, the batteries last one day of taking pictures like crazy. I don't like that the battery door is easy to open and many times when I take the camera from the bag that happens. Also, it has frozen a couple of times that required removing t...

Camera takes great pictures, MoodyLu - Apr 26 2013
Well, I'm a beginner digital camera user and this camera is a nice size and takes great pictures. Nice and sharp. Pretty easy to grab and go take pictures. However, sometimes I get lost in the menus and have to look up stuff in the manual. If I haven't used it in a while, I forget stuff. I have learned not to share this with my significant other, as it is not easy t...

More Nikon Coolpix P300 User Reviews »

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