Nikon D3S vs Canon PowerShot D20

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20
      68
      Image cannot be found
      59
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D3S and the Canon PowerShot D20, 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 D3S was introduced in February 2010 and Canon PowerShot D20 was introduced in June 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D3S Highlights

      • 12.1 MP Full Frame CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 51 Focus Points (51 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 11.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Canon PowerShot D20 Highlights

      • 12.1 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points (9 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 461k dot Fixed Screen
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-in GPS
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D3S
      4. Advantage of Canon PowerShot D20
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D3S and Canon PowerShot D20.

      PROS

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 4200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Heavy - 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz)
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1600 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 82
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"

      Advantage of Nikon D3S

      Nikon D3S
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D3S over Canon PowerShot D20.

      Nikon D3S vs Canon PowerShot D20
      Larger Sensor Full Frame vs 1/2.3-inch
      RAW Support vs
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 51 vs 9
      More Cross-type Focus Points 15 vs 0
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 461k dot
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 15 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/8000 sec vs 1/1600 sec
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Manual Exposure Mode vs
      Aperture Priority vs
      Shutter Priority vs
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs Mono
      More Storage Slots 2 vs 1

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D3S.

      Nikon D4s
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      16.2 MP

      Nikon D3X
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.5 MP

      Nikon D1
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      2.66 MP

      Nikon D2H
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      4.1 MP

      Nikon D2Xs
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.4 MP

      Nikon D4
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      16.2 MP

      Nikon D1X
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      5.3 MP

      Nikon D2Hs
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      4.1 MP

      Nikon D5
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      20.8 MP

      Nikon D2X
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.4 MP

      Nikon D1H
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      2.7 MP

      Nikon D3
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      12.1 MP

      Advantage of Canon PowerShot D20

      Canon D20
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found
      Image cannot be found

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon PowerShot D20 over Nikon D3S.

      Nikon D3S vs Canon PowerShot D20
      Lower Native ISO 200 vs 100
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 3,200
      Max Image Resolution 4256 x 2832 vs 4000 x 3000
      Face Detection vs
      Image Stabilization vs
      Built-in Flash vs
      Higher Video Resolution 1280 x 720 vs 1920 x 1080
      Built-in GPS vs
      Water Proof vs
      Dust Proof vs
      Shock Proof vs
      Freeze Proof vs
      Lighter 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz) vs 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon PowerShot D20.

      Canon D30
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Canon D10
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      12.1 MP

      Sony W830
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      20.1 MP

      Sony RX100 VII
      Image cannot be found

      1-inch

      20.1 MP

      Sony a6100
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony a7S III
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      12.1 MP

      Canon 7D II
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Canon 5DS R
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon R100
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Casio EX-FS10
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      9.10 MP

      Nikon Z8
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      45.7 MP

      Fujifilm X100S
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D3S Canon PowerShot D20
        Video Capture
        Live View Autofocus
        HDMI Output Mini
        Environmental Sealing
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D3S Canon PowerShot D20
        Low Resolution Sensor12.1 Megapixel12.1 Megapixel
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Video Resolution1280 x 7201920 x 1080
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-In Wi-Fi optional Eye-Fi Connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D3S and Canon PowerShot D20 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot and 461k dot resolutions respectively.


      Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder on Nikon D3S

      Nikon D3S has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.70x magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Canon PowerShot D20.

      Sensor

      Nikon D3S features a 12.1 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36.0 x 23.9 mm and a total area of 860.4 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 102,400 in boosted mode. Canon PowerShot D20 features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch 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.

      Photography Features

      Nikon D3S is equipped with EXPEED processor and can take pictures up to 4256 x 2832 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3552 x 2832, 3552 x 2368, 3184 x 2128, 2784 x 1848, 2656 x 1776, 2128 x 1416, 2080 x 1384, 1776 x 1416, 1776 x 1184, 1392 x 920 with 5:4, 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon PowerShot D20 is equipped with DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 3000, 4000 x 2248, 4000 x 2664, 2992 x 2992, 2816 x 2112, 2816 x 1880, 2816 x 1584, 2112 x 2112, 1920 x 1080, 1600 x 1200, 1600 x 1064, 1200 x 1200, 640 x 480, 640 x 424, 640 x 360, 480 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

      Image Stabilization on Canon PowerShot D20

      Canon PowerShot D20 has an image stabilization.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in GPS on Canon PowerShot D20

      Canon PowerShot D20 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon D3S has an HDMI and Canon PowerShot D20 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D3S comes with EN-EL4a battery pack with battery life of 4200 shots and Canon PowerShot D20 comes with NB-6L battery pack.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D3S has Dual CompactFlash (Type I, compliant with UDMA) card slots. Canon PowerShot D20 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D3S has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Nikon D3S, and up to 1/1600 sec on Canon PowerShot D20. Nikon D3S can shoot continuously up to 11.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Nikon D3S ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Nikon D3S. You can also do exposure lock and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Nikon D3S and exposure bracketing on Canon PowerShot D20.


      Flash

      Canon PowerShot D20 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 3.50 m. Nikon D3S has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Nikon D3S.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D3S body has dimensions of 160 x 157 x 88 mm (6.3 x 6.18 x 3.46") and Canon PowerShot D20 body has dimensions of 112 x 71 x 28 mm (4.41 x 2.8 x 1.1"). Nikon D3S weighs 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz) and Canon PowerShot D20 weighs 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz).

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      160 mm

      157 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      112 mm

      71 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      157 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      71 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Nikon D3S and Canon PowerShot D20

      Nikon D3S and Canon PowerShot D20 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      83
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      73
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 4200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      73
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 4200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      74
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Small Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      74
      •   Large Sensor
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      70
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 4200 shots
      EXCELLENT
      93
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D3S and Canon PowerShot D20 and give them scores of 68 and 59 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      OVERALL
      68
      OVERALL
      59

      Sensor

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      71
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 82
      POOR
      50
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      70
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1600 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      BAD
      7
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      POOR
      46
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080

      Focusing

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      78
      •   51 Focus Points
      •   15 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 461k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      62
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D3S

      Canon PowerShot D20

      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Heavy - 1240 g (2.73 lb / 43.74 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 4200 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      EXCELLENT
      91
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 228 g (0.50 lb / 8.04 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

      Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
      ZKelectronics is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca, etc) and any other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program.