Panasonic DMC-S3 vs Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100 advantages over Panasonic DMC-S3

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 1/2.33 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs none
  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 1.42 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• RAW file ability
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
• 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 250 shots
  Capture more photos
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• HDMI out
  HDMI out vs None
  Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  922k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Shoots 1080p video
  Yes vs No
  You'll want this if you shoot video
• Longer exposure
  30 vs 8 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Faster JPEG shooting
  3.9 fps vs 2.0 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/1600 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 6400 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility