Nikon D5100 vs Canon G7X Mark II

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Nikon D5100 vs Canon G7X Mark II

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APS-C 368.2mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D5100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D5100.

1 inch 116.2mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 100.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Canon G7X Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon G7X Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the G7X Mark II.
Compare Canon G7X Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon G7X Mark II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5200
Compare D5100 vs D5200

Succeeded by the Canon G7X Mark III
Compare G7X Mark II vs G7X Mark III

Compare NIKON D5200 vs CANON G7X MARK III

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Differences

Nikon D5100 advantages over Canon G7X Mark II

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 4.79 vs 2.41 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 2.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

660 vs 265 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Longer exposure
30 vs 15 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 32 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Canon G7X Mark II advantages over Nikon D5100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Integrated ND filter
Yes vs No
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
Thinner
42 mm vs 79 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/2000 vs 1/200 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Newer
8 years vs 14 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Less shutter lag
0.18 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More pixels
20.2 vs 16.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 3.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
21 vs 13 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Read D5100 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D5100

Body Only

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Review Excerpt

Side-mounted tilt / swivel LCD screen; same sensor and processing as the Nikon D7000; good speed and battery life; in-camera HDR and filter effects; Full HD video capture with aperture control; audio levels control and external microphone jack.
AF-S lens mount doesn't offer autofocus with screw-drive lenses; popup flash isn't the greatest; no built-in wireless flash control; HDR function doesn't microalign source images.
Read our Nikon D5100 Full Review

Very good image quality, Improved high ISO performance; Improved handling; Faster 8 fps burst mode; Burst rate no longer slows down with RAW files; Improved buffer depth.
Soft corners at wide angle; No viewfinder; No 4K video; Mediocre battery life; Sluggish buffer clearing; Continuous AF struggles on fast subjects.
Read our Canon G7X Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A55

Nikon D5100

Sony A55

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$734
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A55

Canon G7X Mark II

Sony A55

$700
1 inch

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

$734
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G7X Mark II vs Sony A55

Compared to Sony A33

Nikon D5100

Sony A33

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$540
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A33

Canon G7X Mark II

Sony A33

$700
1 inch

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

$540
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G7X Mark II vs Sony A33

Compared to Sony A57

Nikon D5100

Sony A57

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A57

Canon G7X Mark II

Sony A57

$700
1 inch

Touchscreen
Built-in Wi-Fi

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon G7X Mark II vs Sony A57

Compared to Canon G7X

Nikon D5100

Canon G7X

$650
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$1239
1 inch

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Canon G7X

Canon G7X Mark II

Canon G7X

$700
1 inch

Longer stills battery life
Shoots 24p video

$1239
1 inch

Longer exposure

Compare Canon G7X Mark II vs Canon G7X

Compared to Canon G7X Mark III

Nikon D5100

Canon G7X Mark III

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

$1038
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Canon G7X Mark III

Canon G7X Mark II

Canon G7X Mark III

$700
1 inch

Less expensive
NFC

$1038
1 inch

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Canon G7X Mark II vs Canon G7X Mark III

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