Canon PowerShot
S1 IS
 vs
Nikon
D5000

Updated (April, 2011): Compare the Canon PowerShot S1 IS vs Nikon D5100

Nikon D5000

41
Winner

Nikon D5000
"Excellent degree of customization (reversible dial and meter ease transition from other systems)"
dpreview.com | talking about the D5000's button-layout
"The image quality is undeniably impressive."
dpreview.com | talking about the D5000's image-quality

Reasons to buy the Nikon D5000

Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
12.5 EV
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
Sensor type
 CMOS Sensor
Better in low light
Live view
 Has live view
Preview your photos
Placeholder

38

Reasons to buy the Canon PowerShot S1 IS

Size
 Really small
Standard size 111x78x66 mm
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Lens
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
Weight
 Light-weight
469 g

differences

Advantages of the Canon S1 IS
Image stabilization Image stabilization Lens vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Size Significantly smaller 111x78x66 mm vs 127x104x80 mm
Help
 Around 50% smaller
Weight Lighter 469 g vs 590 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Thickness Thinner 2.6" vs 3.1"
Help
 Around 20% thinner
Placeholder Learn more about
the Canon S1 IS

Advantages of the Nikon D5000
Screen size Much larger screen 2.7" vs 1.5"
Help
 80% larger screen
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
True resolution Much higher true resolution 12.2 MP vs 3.1 MP
Help
 Capture around 4x more detail in your photos
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Movie format Higher resolution movies 720p @ 24fps vs 480p @ 30fps
Help
 Shoots high resolution HD (720p) video but at a lower frame rate
Interchangeable lenses Has interchangeable lenses Yes vs No
Help
 Can take advantage of a variety of lenses
Supports RAW Shoots RAW Yes vs No
Help
 Digitally develop your own photos with precise image control
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 3,200 ISO vs 400 ISO
Help
 The D5000's maximum light sensitivity is 3 f-stops better
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen 230k dots vs 114k dots
Help
 More than 2x higher resolution screen
Sensor type Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Help
 CMOS-family sensors often produce better quality images
External flash Supports an external flash Yes vs No
Help
 An external flash often produces better looking flash images
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 4 fps vs 1.7 fps
Help
 Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentamirror vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 6,400 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Fastest shutter speed Significantly faster max shutter speed 1/4000s vs 1/2000s
Help
 2x faster max shutter speed
Longest exposure Longer exposures 30s vs 15s
Help
 2x longer exposures
Nikon D5000 Learn more about
the Nikon D5000
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Placeholder Canon PowerShot S1 IS
38 vs 41
Explain scores
Nikon D5000 Nikon D5000
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Nikon D5000. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a super zoom with a entry-level DSLR.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonPowerShot S1 IS
 Placeholder vs Nikon D5000
NikonD5000
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
0
0
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
0
0
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
0
0
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
0
0
Vote Vote
Autofocus performance Video focusing
Speed and accuracy
0
0
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
0
0
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
Viewfinder Viewfinders Help
S1 IS:Digital
D5000:Pentamirror
Weight Heavy Help
S1 IS:469 g
D5000:590 g
Thickness Quite thick Help
S1 IS:2.6"
D5000:3.1"
Screen size Very small screens Help
S1 IS:1.5"
D5000:2.7"
Size Large Help
S1 IS:111x78x66 mm
D5000:127x104x80 mm
Screen resolution Low resolution screens Help
S1 IS:114k dots
D5000:230k dots
Movie format Poor movies Help
S1 IS:480p @ 30fps
D5000:720p @ 24fps

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$609 - $800 body only

$709 - $1,180 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the D5000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS

Entry-level DSLR

$334 - $595 body only

$449 - $460 with 18-55mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Lowest price Is slightly less expensive
Screen flips out Doesn't have a screen which flips out
Dynamic range Has significantly narrower dynamic range
Compare the EOS Digital Rebel XS vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Compare the EOS Digital Rebel XS vs the D5000
Nikon Coolpix P500

Nikon Coolpix P500

Super zoom

$339 - $350
Zoom Has way more more zoom
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the Coolpix P500 vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Compare the Coolpix P500 vs the D5000

Canon PowerShot S1 IS Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Super zoom
Screen size Much larger screen
Wide angle Much better wide angle
Size Larger
Thickness Thicker
Compare the PowerShot SX20 IS vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Canon PowerShot A720 IS

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

Digicam
Screen size Much larger screen
Macro focus Much better macro capability
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Zoom Slightly less zoom
Compare the PowerShot A720 IS vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$599 - $600 body only

$698 - $699 with 18-55mm lens
Screen size Much larger screen
Movie format Higher resolution movies
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Built-in flash No built-in flash
Compare the NEX-5N vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Canon PowerShot G12

Canon PowerShot G12

Pro digicam

$389 - $500
Screen size Much larger screen
Wide angle Much better wide angle
Zoom Slightly less zoom
Compare the PowerShot G12 vs the PowerShot S1 IS
Nikon Coolpix P310

Nikon Coolpix P310

Pro digicam

$368
Screen size Much larger screen
Wide angle Much better wide angle
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Zoom Less zoom
Compare the Coolpix P310 vs the PowerShot S1 IS

Nikon D5000 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Higher resolution movies
Screen resolution Significantly higher resolution screen
Startup delay Slightly more startup delay
Compare the D5100 vs the D5000
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $984 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Higher resolution movies
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Compare the D3100 vs the D5000
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$499 - $949 body only

$579 - $867 with 18-55mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the D5000
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$869 - $897 body only

$1,099 - $1,200 with 18-105mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Screen resolution Significantly higher resolution screen
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Weight Heavier
Compare the D90 vs the D5000
Canon Rebel T3

Canon Rebel T3

Entry-level DSLR

$379 body only

$460 - $550 with 18-55mm lens
Lens focus motor Has a built-in focus motor
Battery life Longer battery life
Supports 24p No 24p support
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Compare the Rebel T3 vs the D5000

appearance

Placeholder Nikon D5000
Nikon D5000
Nikon D5000

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