Nikon Coolpix 950 vs. Nikon D3100
Comparison
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Nikon Coolpix 950 | Nikon D3100 | ||||
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Megapixels
1.90
14.20
Max. image resolution
1600 x 1200
4608 x 3072
Sensor
Sensor type
CCD
CMOS
Sensor size
1/2" (~ 6.4 x 4.8 mm)
23.1 x 15.4 mm
Sensor size comparison
Sensor size is generally a good indicator of the quality of the camera.
Sensors can vary greatly in size. As a general rule, the bigger the
sensor, the better the image quality.
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Bigger sensors are more effective because they have more surface area to capture light. An important factor when comparing digital cameras is also camera generation. Generally, newer sensors will outperform the older.
Learn more about sensor sizes »
Actual sensor size
Note: Actual size is set to screen → change »
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1 | : | 11.58 |
(ratio) | ||
Nikon Coolpix 950 | Nikon D3100 |
Surface area:
30.72 mm² | vs | 355.74 mm² |
Difference: 325.02 mm² (1058%)
D3100 sensor is approx. 11.58x bigger than 950 sensor.
Note: You are comparing sensors of vastly different generations.
There is a gap of 11 years between Nikon 950 (1999) and
Nikon D3100 (2010).
Eleven years is a huge amount of time,
technology wise, resulting in newer sensor being much more
efficient than the older one.
Pixel pitch tells you the distance from the center of one pixel (photosite) to the center of the next. It tells you how close the pixels are to each other.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
The bigger the pixel pitch, the further apart they are and the bigger each pixel is. Bigger pixels tend to have better signal to noise ratio and greater dynamic range.
Pixel or photosite area affects how much light per pixel can be gathered.
The larger it is the more light can be collected by a single pixel.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Larger pixels have the potential to collect more photons, resulting in greater dynamic range, while smaller pixels provide higher resolutions (more detail) for a given sensor size.
Relative pixel sizes:
vs
Pixel area difference: 8.76 µm² (54%)
A pixel on Nikon D3100 sensor is approx. 54% bigger than a pixel on Nikon 950.
Pixel density tells you how many million pixels fit or would fit in one
square cm of the sensor.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
Higher pixel density means smaller pixels and lower pixel density means larger pixels.
To learn about the accuracy of these numbers,
click here.
Specs
Nikon 950
Nikon D3100
Total megapixels
2.10
14.80
Effective megapixels
1.90
14.20
Optical zoom
3x
Digital zoom
Yes
No
ISO sensitivity
Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400
Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (12800 with boost)
RAW
Manual focus
Normal focus range
10 cm
Macro focus range
2 cm
Focal length (35mm equiv.)
38 - 115 mm
Aperture priority
Yes
Yes
Max. aperture
f2.6 - f4
Metering
Centre weighted, Matrix, Spot
Multi, Center-weighted, Average
Exposure compensation
±2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
±5 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
Shutter priority
Yes
Yes
Min. shutter speed
8 sec
30 sec
Max. shutter speed
1/750 sec
1/4000 sec
Built-in flash
External flash
Viewfinder
Optical (tunnel)
Optical (pentamirror)
White balance presets
6
12
Screen size
2"
3"
Screen resolution
130,000 dots
230,000 dots
Video capture
Max. video resolution
1920x1080 (24p)
Storage types
CompactFlash type I
SDHC, SDXC, Secure Digital
USB
USB 1.0
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMI
Wireless
GPS
Battery
AA (4) batteries (NiMH recommended)
Lithium-Ion EN-EL14 rechargeable battery
Weight
350 g
505 g
Dimensions
143 x 77 x 37 mm
124 x 96 x 75 mm
Year
1999
2010
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Diagonal
Diagonal is calculated by the use of Pythagorean theorem:
where w = sensor width and h = sensor height
Diagonal = √ | w² + h² |
Nikon 950 diagonal
The diagonal of 950 sensor is not 1/2 or 0.5" (12.7 mm) as you might expect, but approximately two thirds of
that value - 8 mm. If you want to know why, see
sensor sizes.
w = 6.40 mm
h = 4.80 mm
w = 6.40 mm
h = 4.80 mm
Diagonal = √ | 6.40² + 4.80² | = 8.00 mm |
Nikon D3100 diagonal
w = 23.10 mm
h = 15.40 mm
h = 15.40 mm
Diagonal = √ | 23.10² + 15.40² | = 27.76 mm |
Surface area
Surface area is calculated by multiplying the width and the height of a sensor.
950 sensor area
Width = 6.40 mm
Height = 4.80 mm
Surface area = 6.40 × 4.80 = 30.72 mm²
Height = 4.80 mm
Surface area = 6.40 × 4.80 = 30.72 mm²
D3100 sensor area
Width = 23.10 mm
Height = 15.40 mm
Surface area = 23.10 × 15.40 = 355.74 mm²
Height = 15.40 mm
Surface area = 23.10 × 15.40 = 355.74 mm²
Pixel pitch
Pixel pitch is the distance from the center of one pixel to the center of the
next measured in micrometers (µm). It can be calculated with the following formula:
Pixel pitch = | sensor width in mm | × 1000 |
sensor resolution width in pixels |
950 pixel pitch
Sensor width = 6.40 mm
Sensor resolution width = 1589 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 1589 pixels
Pixel pitch = | 6.40 | × 1000 | = 4.03 µm |
1589 |
D3100 pixel pitch
Sensor width = 23.10 mm
Sensor resolution width = 4616 pixels
Sensor resolution width = 4616 pixels
Pixel pitch = | 23.10 | × 1000 | = 5 µm |
4616 |
Pixel area
The area of one pixel can be calculated by simply squaring the pixel pitch:
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
Pixel area = pixel pitch²
You could also divide sensor surface area with effective megapixels:
Pixel area = | sensor surface area in mm² |
effective megapixels |
950 pixel area
Pixel pitch = 4.03 µm
Pixel area = 4.03² = 16.24 µm²
Pixel area = 4.03² = 16.24 µm²
D3100 pixel area
Pixel pitch = 5 µm
Pixel area = 5² = 25 µm²
Pixel area = 5² = 25 µm²
Pixel density
Pixel density can be calculated with the following formula:
One could also use this formula:
Pixel density = ( | sensor resolution width in pixels | )² / 1000000 |
sensor width in cm |
One could also use this formula:
Pixel density = | effective megapixels × 1000000 | / 10000 |
sensor surface area in mm² |
950 pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 1589 pixels
Sensor width = 0.64 cm
Pixel density = (1589 / 0.64)² / 1000000 = 6.16 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 0.64 cm
Pixel density = (1589 / 0.64)² / 1000000 = 6.16 MP/cm²
D3100 pixel density
Sensor resolution width = 4616 pixels
Sensor width = 2.31 cm
Pixel density = (4616 / 2.31)² / 1000000 = 3.99 MP/cm²
Sensor width = 2.31 cm
Pixel density = (4616 / 2.31)² / 1000000 = 3.99 MP/cm²
Sensor resolution
Sensor resolution is calculated from sensor size and effective megapixels. It's slightly higher
than maximum (not interpolated) image resolution which is usually stated on camera specifications.
Sensor resolution is used in pixel pitch, pixel area, and pixel density formula.
For sake of simplicity, we're going to calculate it in 3 stages.
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
3. To get sensor resolution we then multiply X with the corresponding ratio:
Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
1. First we need to find the ratio between horizontal and vertical length by dividing the former with the latter (aspect ratio). It's usually 1.33 (4:3) or 1.5 (3:2), but not always.
2. With the ratio (r) known we can calculate the X from the formula below, where X is a vertical number of pixels:
(X × r) × X = effective megapixels × 1000000 → |
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Resolution horizontal: X × r
Resolution vertical: X
950 sensor resolution
Sensor width = 6.40 mm
Sensor height = 4.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 1.90
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 1195 × 1.33 = 1589
Resolution vertical: X = 1195
Sensor resolution = 1589 x 1195
Sensor height = 4.80 mm
Effective megapixels = 1.90
r = 6.40/4.80 = 1.33 |
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Resolution vertical: X = 1195
Sensor resolution = 1589 x 1195
D3100 sensor resolution
Sensor width = 23.10 mm
Sensor height = 15.40 mm
Effective megapixels = 14.20
Resolution horizontal: X × r = 3077 × 1.5 = 4616
Resolution vertical: X = 3077
Sensor resolution = 4616 x 3077
Sensor height = 15.40 mm
Effective megapixels = 14.20
r = 23.10/15.40 = 1.5 |
|
Resolution vertical: X = 3077
Sensor resolution = 4616 x 3077
Crop factor
Crop factor or focal length multiplier is calculated by dividing the diagonal
of 35 mm film (43.27 mm) with the diagonal of the sensor.
Crop factor = | 43.27 mm |
sensor diagonal in mm |
950 crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 8.00 mm
Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 5.41 |
8.00 |
D3100 crop factor
Sensor diagonal in mm = 27.76 mm
Crop factor = | 43.27 | = 1.56 |
27.76 |
35 mm equivalent aperture
Equivalent aperture (in 135 film terms) is calculated by multiplying lens aperture
with crop factor (a.k.a. focal length multiplier).
950 equivalent aperture
Crop factor = 5.41
Aperture = f2.6 - f4
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f2.6 - f4) × 5.41 = f14.1 - f21.6
Aperture = f2.6 - f4
35-mm equivalent aperture = (f2.6 - f4) × 5.41 = f14.1 - f21.6
D3100 equivalent aperture
Aperture is a lens characteristic, so it's calculated only for
fixed lens cameras. If you want to know the equivalent aperture for
Nikon D3100, take the aperture of the lens
you're using and multiply it with crop factor.
Crop factor for Nikon D3100 is 1.56
Crop factor for Nikon D3100 is 1.56
Enter your screen size (diagonal)
My screen size is
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Actual size is currently adjusted to screen.
If your screen (phone, tablet, or monitor) is not in diagonal, then the actual size of a sensor won't be shown correctly.
If your screen (phone, tablet, or monitor) is not in diagonal, then the actual size of a sensor won't be shown correctly.