Nikon D3100 vs Canon PowerShot SX530 HS

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D3100 and the Canon PowerShot SX530 HS, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon D3100 was introduced in December 2010 and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS was introduced in January 2015. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D3100 over Canon PowerShot SX530 HS.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot SX530 HS over Nikon D3100.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon D3100 and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS have 3.0" Fixed screens with 230k dot and 461k dot resolutions respectively.

Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder on Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.80x (0.53x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS.

Nikon D3100 features a 14 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.1 x 15.4 mm and a total area of 355.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode. Canon PowerShot SX530 HS features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.

Canon PowerShot SX530 HS has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Nikon D3100 is equipped with EXPEED 2 processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3072 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3456 x 2304, 2304 x 1536 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot SX530 HS is equipped with DIGIC 4+ processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4:3 (3264 x 2448, 2048 x 1536, 640 x 480), 16:9 (4608 x 2592, 3264 x 1832, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 360), 3:2 (4608 x 3072, 3264 x 2176, 2048 x 1368, 640 x 424), 1:1 (3456 x 3456, 2448 x 2448, 1536 x 1536, with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Nikon D3100 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon PowerShot SX530 HS nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS

Canon PowerShot SX530 HS has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D3100 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon D3100 comes with EN-EL14 battery pack with battery life of 550 shots and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS comes with NB-6LH battery pack with battery life of 210 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Nikon D3100 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D3100, and up to 1/2000 sec on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS. Nikon D3100 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Canon PowerShot SX530 HS can shoot continuously up to 1.6 fps.

Focusing

Nikon D3100 has 11 (1 cross-type) focusing points and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS has 9 focusing points. Nikon D3100 has detection range from -1 to +19 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Nikon D3100 ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D3100 and ±2 range on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS. You can also do exposure lock and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D3100 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D3100 and 5.50 m on Canon PowerShot SX530 HS. Nikon D3100 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D3100.

Nikon D3100 body has dimensions of 124 x 96 x 75 mm (4.88 x 3.78 x 2.95") and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS body has dimensions of 120 x 82 x 92 mm (4.72 x 3.23 x 3.62"). Nikon D3100 weighs 505 g (1.11 lb / 17.81 oz) and Canon PowerShot SX530 HS weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz).

Nikon D3100

Canon PowerShot SX530 HS

124 mm

96 mm

120 mm

82 mm

96 mm

82 mm

75 mm

92 mm